LAOS - Luang Prabang (Friday 23rd March 04.20pm)

I do wonder what the local people make of us. This constant flow of tourists who drift through their towns and villages taking photos. Their curious stares are reflected in our sunglasses, plugged firmly into ipods we add our own soundtracks to the scenery. We pass through without commitment, sheltered by our Western comodities. In the boat we stopped along the river and young children scampered down the rocks to display colour fabrics, we gaze at each other with little comprehension. As I was dressing yesterday morning, I looked up and saw 2 young children climbing down the rocks, one had an even tinier child on her hip. They stopped when they saw me and for a moment we surveyed each other. I waved and they waved back aware that although physically close we are always worlds apart. Where do we come from? It must be incomprehensible to them. All this I had plenty of time to muse upon while drifting down the Mekong...

I bid farewell to Pai on Monday night and set off on a very bumpy overnight mini-bus drive North East to Chian Kong. My fellow travellers were leaving Pai only to do a visa run to the boarder and hoped to be back in Pai by 4 the following afternoon in time for happy hour. They were bemused by my wanting to travel onwards. "Pai didn't do it for you then?" Well yes but...
At 6.00am I stumbled sleepily from the bus straight into a travel agency (yes amazing that it was open at that hour) and booked myself onto the 2 day Slow Boat ride to Luang Prabang.
Chiang Kong is a quiet little local trading town for local Hill Tibes and caters for the stream of travellers who were doing exactly as I was. I checked into my guest house and settled down to watch the milky sunrise over the Mekong wondering where everyone was...
By 6.00pm, the place was teaming with travellers in readiness for the morning boat and so we had a happy night aided by Singha beer and our last proper Thai food.
An hour into the boat journey, the porters were making a roaring trade flogging weed and people were soon snoozing happily or gazing at the steep, craggy mountains that rose up on either side probably wishing they'd brought more sandwiches.
I'd heard some horror stories about the boat ride: cramped, hot, uncomfortable, but it was a really beautiful ride. The cushions we purchased helped a lot I think.
We stopped at Pak Bang for the night. A strange little place on the river bank, its sole purpose seeming to be catering for the hoards of backbackers that arrive by the boat load in the evening and all pile out again the following morning. As we scaled the cliff face (yes literally, with backpacks on) we were set upong by a frenzy of guesthouse owners.
The electricity was off at 10.00pm so we checked into basic rooms and set out to forage for food armed with tourches (just in case).
One group of Canadians had been severly ripped off my stupidly booking - and paying for- accomodation before getting on the boat, they were comiserating themselves by enthusiastically smoking opium on the balcony next door to me. Amazingly they came bounding onto the boat early the next day, equipped with enough weed to traquilise a heard of elephants and a years supply of tuna. Happy days!

Luang Prabang is gorgeous. Smart colonial french houses juxtaposed by buddist temples. You can sip a cappucino and nibble on a croisant in wicker chairs under white sun umbrellas whilst overlooking the Mekong river.
Suzanne, my new room mate, and I climbed the steep hill to the Buddist temple this morning from where you have a fantastic view of the area. Young Buddist monks eyed us coyly, not looking particularly pius. They were delighted to have their photos taken and asked us shyly about London and Holland, how old were we? What did we do? They are amazingly well educated even saying goodbye to Suzanne in Dutch as we left. Some of them had spent 4 years in the Temple and were perfectly happy there. We associate ignorance with bliss but these young guys, aged between about 18 and 25 were well aware of the outside world, they have everything they required right there, no need to rush around looking for it. Like any young boys, they nudged each other as we passed, giggle mischiefously and took it in turns to speak to us but also seemed happy to watch us stroll off and remain in their sanctury of Buddist Enlightenment.

I will remain here in Luang Prabang for the weekend, then on Monday we head off to Phonsavan to see the mysterious Plain of Jars that date from the Stone Age and no one knows why they are there. From there we travel to Vang Vieng for a spot of tubing before I fly from Vientiane to Phom Pen in time to start my month of voluntary work... few! Busy busy. There is still so much to see though!
But for now, it is Friday night and I have no shoes (of course) so I shall hobble to the night market for some haggling, the effect of which will be severly depleted by my bare feet.
Happy weekends everyone! xxx