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Cultural stop-over in Luang Prabang
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The slowboat journey was pretty much as expected- stunning views of totally unspoilt tropical jungle with virtually no sign of habitation beyond a solitary stilt hut balanced precariously on the side of a hill, or a lone fisherman casting his net in the river.. but VERY long. Unfortunately it was also blighted somewhat by drizzle (and sometimes torrential rain showers during which we had to put the sides down) for much of the 2 days. I was wise enough to be at the jetty bright and early on both days, which meant that as one of the early birds I got first dibs on seats. On day 1 this meant nabbing one of the few available cushions to make the wooden benches more bearable, and on day 2, in a superior sailing vessel, I even managed to bag one of the 16 or so airline style padded seats up front!
I've now been in Luang Prabang for 3 days and am absolutely smitten with the place - it's a beautiful little town of French colonial architechture, with an incredibly laid back atmosphere, great restaurants, and an extensive arts and crafts scene ranging from expensive boutiques to a great night bazaar. We had a productive first day here, organising our ensuing day's activities and exploring the main sights - some beatuiful Wats, Phou Si "Sacred Hill" from which the views of the surrounding countryside are stunning, and the Royal Palace with it's ornate throne room. In the evening we went to a demonstration of classical Lao dance at the Royal Ballet Theatre which was pretty entertaining - lots of male dancers stomping around in ornate masks while the ladies performed intricate hand movements reminiscent of Balinese dance.
Yesterday we took a kayaking trip on the Nam Ok & Mekong rivers to the Pak Ou cave temple and a local village where they distil a potent rice whisky. Naturally it would've been rude not to partake! I finished the day with severely sunburn legs, not through lack of due care but because my Nepali suncream patently doesn't work (it has since been binned!). It perhaps wasn't the best idea to go for a foot massage that evening therefore.. Lao massage, I discovered, is a little more brutal than Thai massage! I'm feeling very proud of myself this evening having spent the day at a textile workshop called Ock Pop Tok, learning how to make natural dyes, dying & spinning silk and weaving myself a silk placemat on a handloom! It's given me a whole new appreciation for the crafts on offer in the expensive boutique and on the night bazaar here!! Clare is going back for a second day's weaving tomorrow, whilst I head off to cookery school to learn about Lao cuisine and try my hand at a few dishes. All in all we're having a creative few days!
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