Luang Prabang - Laos

We arrived in Luang Prabang, Laos on February 19/20, later in the day after flying there from Hanoi.  So, you can tell we have not been doing a very good job in keeping our blog updated....just so much to see and do every day.  We stayed a hotel called Villa Maydou and ventured out on our own on the 20th.  We then did a big tour up the Mekong river on the 21st to visit Pak Ou Caves followed by a drive to see the Kuang Si Waterfalls.  Hope you enjoy the pictures.

The Mekong river with it's long boats down the embankment.  There are many boats for both tourists and local use.  The river runs along one side of the town.

You can see the French Colonial influence everywhere.

The local ferry taking locals and vehicles across the Mekong River.

We could not resist taking a picture of the bamboo scafolding for our son in law, who is a Scaffolder in Canada,  enjoy Dave.

One day shy of six weeks since Naomi's knee surgery - Can she do it?

Yes, she can...tough go but made it....there are worse stairs to come in our adventures around Luang Prabang.

Temples are everywhere....this will likely be a theme while we travel Asia.

Map shows how the town is built around the river.

Traffic is certainly calmer here than in Hanoi.

Great to have signs reminding us how to greet the locals and no we did not take the course.

The children at the school coming out of the classes to buy a snack.

Tuk tuks lined up waiting for your business...they were everywhere so you could walk forever knowing it would be easy to get a ride home.

Naomi looks like a giant posing by a local selling her favorite - Watermellon.  Her friends and her thought it was funny that we wanted her picture.

We had a temple right in front of our hotel.

Bob thanking our hotel staff...wait, he's a giant too!

Our room right at the end of the pool....the water in the pool was crystal clear, only the tile was green giving the illusion of green water.

The pathway to our room where not only we travelled but our luggage did too...tough work hauling the luggage.

Bob following the path to see where it took him.

The last hurdle for our luggage - that is our room door.

The beautiful Kuang Si Waterfalls that we visited in the afternoon on Feb 21st.  All though our trip we have benefitted  from the reduction of tourists from China...our guide said the crowds are usually crazy!

The bridge to the top.  Naomi couldn't make it all the way because her knee was super sore...too much climbing at the caves in the morning.

Our guide for the day.

Tiered levels of the falls.

Bob decided to cool his feet and enjoy the little fish eating at his feet - no charge for the fish.  We have seen where you pay for this "fishy business" at spas in other countries but this service was free!

Swimmers enjoying the fresh water.

We got to enjoy a Lao bear sanctuary on our walk up to the falls.  Bob could have stayed here for hours talking to one of the bear keepers.

This was our morning climb to see the Pak Ou caves.  The good news is most of our climbing here was down because we walked over to the caves from a little village first via the jungle.

This ramp kept sliding off the steps and needed to be put back as tourists loaded back onto the Mekong River boats that brought them to the caves.

Just a little steep.  What a workout!

The awaiting longboats from the caves.

The number of people gives you a sense of the Caves size.

Buddhist people come to the caves to leave offerrings.   Tourists come to look.

Thank goodness for hand rails!

We are now in the upper cave.  Bob and our guide.

Before going inside you can buy an offering and make a donation to the caves...sort of mandatory for the donation.

See the large Buddha on the right...well they keep calling Bob the "Happy Buddha ".

The upper cave entrance doors built right into the limestone.

Our hike from the village to the caves.  Up the hill, then down the hill repeatedly...tough on Naomi's knee for sure.

It is their dry season and they do alot of controlled burning to help enrich the soil.  It was fairly smokey in Luang Prabang as a result....lots of controlled fires happening 

Very dry for both hills and rice patties. 

School at the little village been before our walk to the caves.

The village women spend their days weaving items to be taken to market in Luang Prabang.

Construction of homes in the village improved from days in the past.

Children are the same everywhere...they just love to have their pics taken.

The gardens the villagers grew right beside the Mekong river - very fertile land because of annual flooding.

Water buffalo by the river

Laotions dredging the Mekong for gold.

Shows the smoke from the controlled burnings done this time of year to fertilize the soil.

The Chinese are building the railroad bridge - note no tracks to it at this time.  Their goal is to have trains running from Beijing to the Vietnamese coast...an ambitious project that is deserted right now due to Coronovirus. 

We had our very own long boat for our trip up the Mekong - just Bob, Naomi, Huan (our guide) and the captain of the boat.  No Naomi did not get to drive the boat.

Bob and Huan  on our long boat.

Our very own Captain.

A great day on the Mekong in Luaang Prabang.

Happy Buddha  enjoying the ride.

Night Super cruise boats on the Mekong.

That is a wrap for Luang Prabang, Laos.  We are glad we got to experience bit of the culture of Laos.  Our next blog will be of Siem Reap, Cambodia...stayed tuned.