7 November
Chaing Mai > Laos
MARK: Late lie in this morning as our flight to Laos (Luang Prabang) only leaves at 13.30 and we were being picked up at 12.30 by Tuk Tuk to take us to the airport. Kim managed to fit in another foot massage after breakfast to help her forget about the previous foot massage… she says it was WAAAY better and she came back looking like a drugged pony… clearly very relaxed and happy… I'm not sure a drugged pony would be relaxed and happy but you get my drift.

We had made the decision to fly (1hr) rather than take the slow boat which is 2 days sitting on a cramped boat with just a wooden bench for comfort. Sure you get to meet loads of other travelers on the way, but that was cool with us and we just wanted to get to Luang Prabang and use those extra days gained to spend longer in Vang Vieng. Checked-in and ready to go we jumped on the transport bus to take us to the plane. Doors closed and then I bumped Kim and her coffee went flying! Great start to the flight… one guy had coffee streaming down his briefcase and his wife had the bottom of her bag smelling like coffee… Our plane was another old school propeller driven plane… We actually saw livestock (chickens, dogs, cats) being loaded into the baggage hold in cages before we boarded!! Flight was only an hour long and soon we descended between 2 small mountains and landed in Luang Prabang.

History lesson: Luang Prabang sits in a valley with the Mekong and Khan rivers on either side of the town. Existing for more than a thousand years it was designated a World Heritage site in 1995 for its legacy of ancient red-roofed temples and French-Indochinese architecture, famous cuisine, rich culture and a very sacred Buddha image. It really is a beautiful town with streets lined with French colonial houses, palm trees, orange robed monks strolling around and longtail boats racing up and down the Mekong. The French influence is obvious - the houses all have shutters and verandas. Little wine shops can be found every 20m and there are more than a few French speaking travelers and locals. The only city in all of Laos where ethnic Lao are in the majority!

After our Tuk Tuk from the airport dropped us off at the wrong guesthouse we walked to Ratanna Guesthouse (recommended in the Rough Guide book). This turned out to be a bit expensive for us, so Kim waited there with a beer while I headed out to find us accommodation for the night. We've come up with a plan for finding accom going forward… one person waits with the bags whilst the other looks for accom and makes a decision on where to stay. So I returned after having visited quite a few different places and Kim and I went to check into our new accom at Somijith Guesthouse at only 50,000 KIP per night (no ensuite bathroom though)… A walk around the night market and a bite to eat and soon we were asleep in bed.