I love you Luang Prabang

Ahh Luang Prabang. How quickly you took my heart with your small town charm, amazing food and beautiful landscape. Our first step off the plane and into this city had to be some kind of indication of what our time in this city would feel like. After having my hand squeezed harder than ever before (Chris was just a tiny bit afraid of flying on a propeller plane) we walked off the plane to the smallest airport I have ever been to at around 8:30 pm and strolled through customs to find our driver holding up the "chris swan" sign that we know so well (apparently Swanson is just too long a name to write over here) and hopped into our air conditioned mini van to be taken to the Lao Wooden house, our home for the next 6 days.

One of the very first things that we were able to notice in Luang Prabang. NO incessant honking of horns/whirring of motorbikes. The silence was music to my ears. Well, I shouldn't say silence as the honking was replaced by the crowing of the resident rooster. He would literally walk up and down the street stopping at each guesthouse to crow, let everyone know it was time to get up, and then move along to his next stop (he was a little off on his timing however, as he would "wake up" the neighborhood ALL day long).

One of the nice things about Luang Prabang was that it was small enough where we could take our own walking tour around the city to visit some of the local temples and markets. As all other places we have been in southeast Asia, temples, stores, restaurants (basically any business) opens and closes as they please so a few stops on our tour were missed simply because the monks were out to lunch or the market just wasn't there for the day for whatever reason. We did find a hidden temple, Wat Xieng Muan, that got Chris and I in a little "discussion" over where we both thought it would be. We were both hot and dehydrated (a common theme over here) and about to call it a lost cause until we decided to take a look/walk down a small back alley to discover this gem of a temple. My favorite part was the small buddha garden and the fact that we were the only ones there except for one other girl. Sometimes it seems that the best places we have been, or that I have enjoyed the most have not been the most famous but the less visited. It makes for a feeling of an individual experience of being a traveler and not just a tourist.

Wat Xieng Muan

We also visited Wat Xieng Thong which is one of the bigger temples in the town and of course intricately beautiful. It was also our first temple that we visited with massive dragon-snake looking statues in and around the temple (a little freaky staring those things straight on).

Wat Xieng Thong

We ended our walking tour climbing up to Mt. Phousi, which is a hilltop viewpoint in Luang Prabang that overlooks the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Saving it for last was a good call since we were able to sit atop the hill and watch the sunset while feeling victorious for actually completing a full walking tour (we usually end up only getting halfway through).

Two other major highlights of our time in Laos was a trip the the Kwang Si waterfall and Asiatic bear rescue center and our day long cooking class.

First, the Kwang Si waterfall and asiatic bear rescue center...AMAZING. Any place that has waterfalls and secret swimming pools among jungle trails I am completely ready for. After our hour long, bumpy tuk tuk ride up to Kwang Si and days of hot, humid weather the pools were absolutely refreshing and rejuvenating. We had heard that there was a "hidden" pool up at the top of the trails and spent a good hour or so trekking around trying to find it and low and behold...Chris came through to find the way to the hidden pool. Needless to say we spent the rest of the day there swimming and lounging. At the bottom of these pools is the bear rescue center that houses about a dozen bears that have been rescued from poachers and traffickers. The bears were quite active when we there, swinging in their hammocks, climbing up trees and standing on hind legs sniffing for their meat and rice...lots of rice...dinner. We of course spent tons of time sitting, watching, and maybe a little bit of talking to the bears. :)

Chris showing off his matrix moves

Finally, the cooking class...sorry, I know this is getting long I will try and keep it short (especially for Daniela). Chris and I are now bonafide Laotian cooks. yup that's right. I can cook up a mean Feu Khua...or what is that you say? you don't feel like chicken, noodles and veggies? Then how about some Khua Maak Kheua Gap Moo? mm mmm...who doesn't love some fried eggplant with pork. Seriously though, Laotian food is my number 1 so far in our travels around SE asia and this cooking class made me love it even more since I actually succeeded in cooking it up (I only messed up once when I tried to cook the chicken salad). Here are some pics of our nom nom worthy 5 course meal.

Luang Prabang salad and Feu Khua

Nom nom dinner. As you can tell I am very proud of our Laotian cooking skills, but if anyone knows of my cooking skills in the states you would understand.

That's it for now. Sorry we have been slacking but don't worry, Chris says he is feeling a rant blog entry coming on. And also, we are in Phuket, Thailand right now. Got here yesterday after a great week in Bali. Blog entry about our time there also coming soon to your computer screen.

Lots of love,

Nat and Chris