Gail and Phil: Luang Prabang, Laos, Day 1

Yesterday we flew from Hanoi to Luang Prabang, Laos, which is the former capital, in northern Laos (which the people in SE Asia call "Lao"). The flight was only 50 minutes--but if we had taken a bus (usual transport for people with limited resources) it would have taken us three days! The roads between Hanoi and Laos are not good and the terrain is very rugged--thus the distance isn't far, but the road time is huge.

After our small plane (Forker 77) landed, it turned around on the main runway to taxi to the terminal building. We both commented that the airport reminded us of the Columbia Regional Airport. When we saw the size of the airport we knew this was going to be a small, quiet town. The taxi drive from the airport to our hotel located in the center of town, took about five minutes. As we watched the people on the streets, one thought came to mind: "Our lives are going to sloooow down for the next five days."

Our hotel, the Lotus Villa, is a block from the Mekong River and about two blocks off the main drag. Our room is lovely. It is paneled in solid wood, with a balcony overlooking a central garden and another balcony overlooking the street. We left the AC off last night and opened the glass windows--leaving only the wooden doors with slats on them open so the evening sounds and breezes could waft in. The shower in this place is interesting....just a shower head on the wall of the bathroom. It is open with no curtain, no walls, no nothing. So when you shower, water gets all over everything....interesting design and something we wonder is just Lao style or something that to us seems poorly designed. It works....so that is the most important thing.

People in the States have let us know that they are particularly interested in food, so here's some examples of the food we have had in the first 24 hours here.

Gail enjoying the complementary breakfast at our hotel.



We had lunch at a wonderful place offering a kind of Western-influenced Lao fusion menu. We had fried Spring rolls ...



chicken curry with lemon grass ...



and fried banana and chocolate crepes for dessert.



Last night we enjoyed a "traditional Lao communal meal" at a restaurant run by a Lao man and Australian woman. The menu included sticky rice, which we formed into little balls and dipped into a variety of relishes. This was followed by tilapia steamed in banana leaf which we rolled inside lettuce leaves along with chopped fresh vegetables and a spices. The meal concluded with fresh fruit -- mango, tamarind, dragon fruit, custard apple. We left the camera home, so have no pictures to show of this amazing feast. We ate with two English couples and another from Australia. It was nice to be able to hear about their travels and experiences in Asia. Of course they wanted to hear our thoughts of the upcoming election and other cultural things in the US....i.e., Bible Belt, ethnic diversity, range of accents in US and variety of expressions.

After dinner we decided to try to walk off the meal so we wandered around town. The night market was just closing down and the bars and restaurants were packed with people eating and drinking. We both commented on how quiet this place seems after the hustle and noise of Hanoi.