Pakbeng to Laung Prabang
Trip Start
Feb 07, 2007
1
8
38
Trip End
Mar 20, 2007
Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Back at the hotel we had a quick breakfast and Veing was there to escort us back to the boat. There was the same circus in reverse to get the bags back down from the hotel and on to the boat before we set off. Today was another seven hour cruise to reach Luang Prabang stopping en-route at another (even poorer) hill tribe and some caves with over four thousand Buddha's inside
01 dawn over the Mekong
. That morning at the market we had bought about ten pens and notebooks to give the children at the village - they are a great help and much better than giving them sweets or money. When we arrived there was no rush of children and no one trying to sell anything. As we walked around the village the children looked at us with interest and a few followed us but they were all very friendly and smiling. Soon word got around that we were handing out books and pens so Veing sorted them out so we could give them to those old enough to go to school. We continued our tour and saw two children and an old lady grinding dried sweet corn to make flour or sorts. We had to ask permission first and they allowed us to take some photographs.
Back at the boat we had another delicious lunch of soup, rice, chilli beef and chicken curry followed by fresh fruit including fresh tamarind which was similar to a date, very sticky and quite sweet with a stone in the middle.
As the afternoon drifted on we saw many water buffalo, people fishing, panning for gold at the waters edge and even a funeral pyre taking place on the beach. In some places, huge logs had been dragged out of the jungle by elephants and left to dry on the river banks before being collected by boats
02 Logs dragged down to the river by elephants
. Logging is still legal as long as you have a permit. In other places the sandy beaches are used to grow peanuts and occasionally other crops. It certainly is by far the best way to see Lao life as everything happens on the waters edge.The caves were a little disappointing - most of the four thousand Buddha's were tiny things, a lot were broken and they were all covered in years and years worth of dust and grime - still the view was worth the climb! Finally as the sun set on another perfect day we reached Luang Prebang.
A driver met us - complete with an anniversary card from Bamboo Travel & Asian Tours and we were taken to our hotel. There we were greeted with red roses and fruit in the room - champagne arrived along with chocolates and little biscuits and we were told there was a special cake for us to have at dinner. Oh dear I hardly have any clothes left that fit! Derek had also arranged for us to have some treatments at the Spa but as it was already quite late and we are here for three days we decided to save that for another day. Dinner was a special set Valentine meal which was the first European meal we have had since we stepped on the plane. After the chef's amuse they served scallops on a Chinese mushroom, pan fried fois gras with shallot marmalade, fillet of beef with wild mushrooms and a chocolate cake - this was followed by the presentation of our very own anniversary cake which needless to say we just could not eat so we retired and put it in the mini bar fridge!
It has been two perfect days!
