Laos Love - Day 1 and 2 in Luang Prabang

The next stop for us in Laos from Vang Vieng was Luang Prabang. This is such a pretty place to stay. All the buildings are very French inspired and it's so easy to move from place to place. You can pretty much walk to any place you want to be. While in Luang Prabang we vowed not to be such bums as we were in Vang Vieng. Our first night we ate a nice dinner along the main street and went to the night markets. There are great things you can buy as gifts or for yourself at the market. Scarves galore, t-shirts, jewellery, paintings, lao wine and whiskey too! The next day we had planned to wake up early to watch the monks collect food, as we were told it is a must see...but, Denise and I are really good sleepers....and pink eye needs it's rest. (Oh yes, we both got pink eye from tubing. Well I got pink eye - in both eyes! And then passed it on to Denise's eyes. Ooops!)

We booked a tour to go to the Pak Ou caves and Kuang Si waterfalls for Day 2. Before the cave we stopped at Whiskey Village where they make Lao Lao whiskey. We didn't get a tour of how it's done or anything but were kindly greeted with shots of wine and whiskey. Breakfast of champions.
The caves were full of tiny little Buddhas and to the higher cave (up many, many steep steps) were some carvings and bats! It's was lovely to see but I must say, once you've seen a Buddha sculpture, you've seen 'em all.




The Kuang Si waterfalls later in the afternoon were these beautiful and natural pools of water you can swim in. On such a hot day it's great to cooled off. There's also a spot where you can jump off a cliff or swing off a rope. Ever the daredevils, Denise and I decided the best way to enter the swimming area would be by jumping from the cliff. Once up there of course you have second thoughts...but just jump! It's so much fun. I also swung off the rope into the water. Of course not as graceful because the ropes are slippery and it was more of a fall, but still a good time. The only downside of these natural falls are the tiny fish that enjoy nibbling at your feet. The idea that people pay to have their dead skin chewed off by fish baffles me. For dinner we had some delicious Indian food and headed to the night markets again. Another quiet night in Laos. We hit the hay early in anticipation for our Elephant Village adventure. A 2 day mahout experience in the jungle. Can't wait!