Beautiful Luang Prabang - a quiet and relaxed city with a beautiful feel and surrounded by mountains and holy temples, waterfalls and night markets. The former capital of Laos, Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage city, a really charming little city with French architecture and clean streets....but the effects of mass tourism can really be seen here. I was told the city has dropped in its standing as number one world heritage city to number ten. A pity for the people living in this gorgeous area.
I wake up early in the morning to take a peek at the amazing sight of morning alms giving. Monks and locals line the streets on each side to offer a blessing and food for their morning (and only) meal of the day..it was both beautiful and awful watching tourists snapping photos of this local tradition. Merchants quick to get in on the tourist happy hour, have sold unsafe food which has resulted in monks getting ill..and now there is resistance to continuing this tradition. They strongly advise observing from a distance...it's nicer that way. I spent a lot of time wandering the markets and the streets considering my next move..it's a nice, sleepy town that shuts downs completely at 11pm, but there are so many tourists, so many bars that it was hard to relax. It was nice swimming in the river with the kids, hanging out of the banks of the Mekong and eating fried pork and chicken at the markets.
Since deciding not to travel to India this time around, I'm making my way back to Dreamtime! But I want to do it under my own steam! With my own two happy feet...
