Tag Luang Prabang
Many of the people I’ve met on this trip seem to be masters of the ancient mystical art of hanging out as they get stuck in places for days. I am but an amateur of the art, and after staying a few days in one city I start to feel restless. So, eye healed and the major sights of Luang Prabang ticked off from the list, I set out towards Vang Vieng. I was there back in 2009 so didn’t have to come back but I wanted to see how much has changed since then. You see, back then Vang … Read the rest
It’s like I’m not in Laos anymore, the mountains are still green but they are covered in grass rather than jungle. Here and there dark grey, almost black cliffs shoot up, bare rock against the blue sky. The lower slopes are covered in a kind of tall grass with white plumes at the top that makes it look like some giant has shaken out an old feather pillow over the hills.… Read the rest
When I awoke this morning my eye was much better, well enough, I decided, to go sightseeing. A short distance from Luang Prabang lies the Kuang Si waterfall. Right next to it is a center for rescued bears. I’m not an animal lover so I didn’t find it that interesting, but if you are, you will like it.
When you approach the waterfall from below you will see a number of smaller subfalls and pools, each more beautiful than the previous ones. You can go swimming in some of them and normally I would … Read the rest
The cave is long and dark, a single candle at the far end and the light spilling in at the entrance are the only sources of light. I shine my flashlight over the walls, there in the corner is a raised platform in a kind of alcove. On it a number of Buddha figurines in faded gold against the bare rock walls. The only sound is the wirr click of my camera and the soft humming of the ticket lady at the entrance. I put down the camera, turn off the flashlight and just listen for some moments in the … Read the rest
I’m in a cave and all around me, on shelves and ledges, are Buddha figures, hundreds or even thousands of them. The biggest is about a meter in height and the smallest roughly the size of my finger. They show the Buddha in different postures, standing, sitting or reclining, and they are all in a different state of wear, some old and pock marked, with faded, chipped paint, some new, the gold still sparkling in the light coming in from outside. It kind of reminds me of the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, the same kind of feeling of being … Read the rest
On the way to Luang Prabang I got some kind of infection in my right eye. I went to a small clinic and got some antibiotic eye drops and was sent on my way with the promise it would heal within a couple of days.
At first it seemed to work, the pain lessened and it got a bit better, but when I woke up this morning it seemed to have gotten worse. I went to the hospital where I was told they didn’t have an eye doctor but they sent me to a separate clinic in town. The doctor … Read the rest
The roof is steal with a high peak, the sides sloping down towards the ground in layered curves. The low walls and the pillars lining the central aisle, four on each side, are decorated with an intricate patterns in gold and red. At the back of the room is an altar adorned with Buddha figures and bouquets of red and white flowers, and behind that, a gilded Buddha statue with a shimmering orange sash across the torso, the statue is so large it almost covers the back wall. A group of people, probably around 30 of them, sit on the … Read the rest
Today I’ve had a relaxed day walking around central Luang Prabang, checking out the various temples and museums.
I started with Luang Prabang national museum which contains the royal palace as well as the Prabang temple. The palace is suitably luxurious and besides showing off the various rooms has a number of royal gifts on display. You aren’t allowed to take photos inside but it’s interesting. The Prabang temple is newly built but very elaborately decorated, it’s really impressive. It houses the Prabang Buddha a statue that was given to the king of Lan Xang kingdom (historic kingdom in Laos) … Read the rest
The sign says “No photograph” but they can’t stop me from taking one without a camera. In front of me is a kind of gilded bas-relief depicting two griffins facing each other and on top of them two fantastical snakes facing away from each other, their tales entwined in the middle. Behind it a stepped dias done in red and gold, at the top of which is a kind of pavilion, two pillars on each side supporting a stepped roof. Under the roof is a small gilded Buddha statue, standing erect with palms facing outwards. At the foot of the … Read the rest
My next goal was Luang Prabang, northwest of Phonsavan. It’s a fair distance between the two and I had heard that the roads were bad so I was expecting a long and arduous journey. Turns out that the road was one of the best I’ve been on in Laos so far and I was able to go relatively fast. It still took me the whole day to get there, but I could stop as often as I wanted and didn’t need to stress.
Just a few shots along the way
After checking in I went for a short walk before … Read the rest