Back in Hanoi post overnight train….the original plan was to chill out by the lake, get breakfast, chill some more, and then head over to the airport for my early evening flight to Laos. In hindsight, this was a dumb plan. I had underestimated several factors. Just how early 4:30am actually was. Just how dark it would be. And just how tired I would be from not sleeping well on the train. Okay…it was time to activate plan B. I didn’t actually have a plan B, per se, but I have found that it helps in Vietnam to be able to think on the fly. So, plan B. I walked out of the train station and into the first hotel I saw, woke up the guy at the desk, and got myself a room.

After a much needed nap and shower, and one last walk around the insanity that is Hanoi, I headed to the airport for a 6:30pm flight to Lao PDR (aka Laos).

I have two random remarks about Vietnam before I close this chapter and begin my time in Laos. The first is that the Vietnamese appear to have no issues regarding personal space. Me? I have my three foot radius rule. The rule is, if I did not invite you into my three foot radius, then you do not belong there. The Vietnamese seem to have no such rule. It's a bit unnerving. You are standing looking at something with only about a foot in front of you, and you suddenly have eight Vietnamese people all up in your space. And they are little, so they can squeeze right in. Which brings me to my second remark. My mother and several other loved ones, were (perhaps still are) worried that I was going to be kidnapped. That someone was going to pick me up and sell me into slavery or worse. I get it. White girl. Alone. Very foreign country. Yeah, I get it. When I got to Vietnam, however, I realized that this fear was slightly unrealistic for one simple reason. I am bigger than 90% of the people here. I am a good two to three inches taller than all of the women (most of whom cannot weigh over 85#) and about the same height as most of the men. My point is this...I could totally take them. They are unbelievably tiny here. I could snap some of them like twigs. Not that I would...but you see what I mean.

Anyway.....overall, I liked Vietnam, but with the exception of Halong bay, did not love Vietnam the way I wanted to. That being said, I wouldn't have traded the past week for anything.

And so I finally made it out of Hanoi and landed at the lovely Luang Prabang airport (the flight was very, very delayed….as in almost didn’t happen delayed). I then, finally, made it to my guesthouse (The cab driver pulled up in front of a street and asked me “this it miss?”   Ummm….who’s the cab driver here? Keep in mind it’s 11pm and very dark. And I have never been to Laos before. Are you really asking me if this is where I am supposed to be? Aren’t I paying you to know? Turns out he didn’t know and we had to call the guesthouse for directions.).

Many travellers that I've talked to thus far have said to me "Oh, you're going to Laos? You will love Laos."

And they, so far, are right. Laos is breathtakingly beautiful. Which makes it that much sadder that it is also the most bombed country in history.

During the war in Vietnam, the US military dropped more bombs on neighboring Laos than it did worldwide during the entire Second World War. Up to a third of them failed to explode. Now, more than 30 years since the was has ended, unexploded ordinances contaminate more than half the country’s land and kill around 200 people each year. It is both heartbreaking and scary.

But in spite of this, this town is absolutely lovely. Luang Prabang lies between the banks of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers and is everything that Hanoi is not. Peaceful. Calm. Charming. No one has honked their horn at me all day. Bicycles outnumber the motorbikes. You do not have to think about crossing the street. It is 85 degrees and sunny with a nice breeze. I am in heaven. Did I mention that Luang Prabang was originally a french colony and is known for their bread and baked goods? I may never leave this place.

I walked around today, getting both the lay of the land and sunburnt. It's a small town, and after one day, I feel confident enough to go without a map. My guesthouse is....let's call it rustic and leave it at that.

So it was a good first day. But....as nighttime falls over Luang Prabang and I have to confess something. I am in trouble. Here is why:

First of all, I have found what I am going to call “food alley”. Okay, so basically what happens in food alley is you walk up to a man holding plates. He gives you a plate and, in return, you give him 10,000kip. You then can fill your plate with anything you like from the line. Hot chicken, pork, fish, veggies, rice, spring rolls, deep fried asparagus….they even have fried bread (Oh. My. God.) and fresh doughnuts. All for the bargain price of about $1.20 depending on your exchange rate. I am easily going to gain ten pounds. Not to mention the fact that there are bakeries everywhere you turn and fruit shake carts on every corner.

Reason number two why I am in trouble. When the sun goes down here, this incredible night market springs up out of nowhere. Everywhere you look there are beautiful bags, fabrics, wood carvings, lamps, jewelry and more. Now listen…yes I’m certain the market is there only because the tourists are there. And yes, I’m certain that many, many things have just been imported from China, but still…..I have an obsession with souvenir shopping. How in the name of all that is good am I going to get this stuff home? I am screwed. :)

So that's all for now folks. No pictures today because I am just too tired to upload all of them (I think my camera may actually catch on fire the way I've been taking photos). I promise though, pictures will follow. I hope this finds you all well and enjoying your turkey with lots of family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving all!