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The trip to Luang Prubang was another arduous bus trip through windy mountain ranges but the views were amazing as you pass by the daily life of remote hill tribes. After 6 hours or so we arrived. This pretty little town is a world heritage centre. It reminded us of Hoi An in Vietnam in many ways; lots of traditional wooden buildings and winding streets. It is famed for its night market where hundreds of traders sell handicrafts from the local villages, although the odd silk scarf 'made in China' can still be found! The food was slightly different here, since many buffalos dwell along the river this features high on the menu, the sundried buffalo strips with sesame and chili that I tried were delicious.
The next morning we rose early at 5.30am to witness the monks from the 5 surrounding temples parade in a line around town to receive an offering from the people. To make an offering to the monk we bought some sticky rice from a street vendor. The tradition is to pray for dead and for the poor before offering the rice. After placing ourselves on a mat on the street the monks arrived. For each monk you place a small amount of rice in each of their Alms bowls, which they carry on a strap around their body. There were about 100 monks in all and was a great thing to witness and be part of.
That evening we found some local bars to go to. As it is a world heritage centre they have quite strict licensing laws and everywhere closes at 11.30. That is except for the bowling alley! We couldn't understand why when we asked everyone was telling us that they were going bowling - how dull we thought. Then as the pubs shut and the taxis came, it quickly became apparent that this was the only place with a license and was a thinly veiled disguise for a late night drinking establishment. As you can imagine it was full of backpackers and western tourists. The alleys were full and everyone was getting drunk on the only one available drink option, large bottles of whiskey (Lao Lao which is made from rice) with litre bottles of coke. The strip lights above our heads in rows destroyed any possible atmosphere; it was a bizarre experience. We now know why Lao Lao should really be called Loopy Juice; it brought a hangover from hell the next morning.
After a hazy hung-over morning, I forced myself to go on the trip to the Kuangsi Waterfall. Even though the bumpy ride made me green I was really glad I went once I got there. The waterfall was spectacular, set amongst rock and jungle. As the waterfall came down the hill it created natural pools suitable for swimming in. It was freezing but great once you were in there. They also had a bear sanctuary in the same compound. The bears are rescued from all over Laos and brought here were they are brought back to health and to lead a happy life. It was amazing to see them so close.
The following day we waved goodbye to Luang Prabang and embarked on a 2-day river cruise along the Mekong River en route to Thailand. The boat was about 100 foot long and was owned and captained by a Laos family. The trip was extremely serene and pleasant as we sat back, sunbathed and enjoyed the rolling hills, buffalos grazing and hill tribe people making a living off the land and river. Although we were on the boat for almost 20 hours the trip felt shorter than the countless bus rides and train journeys we'd endured over the last 35 days and was a welcome respite from the frenetic activity of previous weeks.
And so we arrived at the Laos/Thai border for the final few days of what has been an incredible trip.
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