It's worth mentioning that the landscapes in Laos are sheer beauty in it's simplest form. Laos is a really special country, with the simple, basic necessities of life in plain in view of any conscious observer; which is emotionally moving and refreshing. It almost makes you dread the return to the inevitable materialist world to which we helplessly appear to belong. The inaccessibility (unless you fly) also adds to it's charm and laid back feel. Any bus or boat journey of under 6 hours duration is considered a breeze; there is certainly nothing charming about being cramped up in a rickety old bus however, complete with the highly travel-sickness-prone local passengers, for long lengths of time, regardless of the views outside the windows which occasionally is unavoidable J .

The scenery we passed between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang was just spectacular. This country is just so lush and green, and trees grow with vigour up the impossibly steep hillsides and rock efficacies. The bus swings up and up through the hills one blind corner after another and precariously around hairpin bends on the gravel edged roads, with deep vertical walled precipices to one side which drop into deep, thick jungle valleys and the craggy rock face of the hill above on the other.
Although not heavily populated, we passed village after village situated along the roadside. Small wooden houses on high stilts to defend against the annual attack of the monsoon rains, and tiny wood and cane huts which open up as random grocery shops or act to store a family's rice stocks. Unidentifiable animal parts lie drying on wooden skewers, chickens roam free in the road and underneath every house, scratching like automatons in the dirt. Uncomplicated rural life like this is just so attractive to the traveller's eye.
Finally spilling out at the southern bus terminal on the edge of Luang Prabang, Adam bolted urgently to the nearest wall, desperate for fast relief. Promptly after emptying his over sized bladder, about eight of us weary bus w****s decided to split the fare for the short ride into town, and squeezed into a Songatheaw truck like Indians at a post office counter! Enjoy your creature comforts "Zig Zag" followers while you can, because if you want to engage in independent travel you must be prepared, as this business is hard work!
Arriving on the eastern side of town one street back from the mighty Mekong, we were struck by the quaintly lavish facades of the dozens of guesthouses and private hotels. Our driver was surely licking his lips, like a hyena hovering over a lion's kill, at the hefty commission he was banking on should we decide to stay where he had selected to drop us. His ability to read the minds from the most subtle of facial expressions of the foreigners, gave-away that no-one really knew the lay out of the 'Old Capital'.
Further down to the main strip was unfortunately not much different in price than by the river, and had Lana gob smacked at the 1000% inflation in four years on the discovery that the standard asking price was between $20 to $35 USD per night. She clearly recalls haggling with a hotel owner for a room for $2 USD instead of $3, which she also eventually won! What had happened?
We were lucky to find the last, well run down double room for 50,000 KIP in a small guesthouse down a side alley in the city centre close to an attractive Wat (Buddhist temple). Ridding yourself of that uncomfortable, grubby feeling you get when you sit for too long on hot dusty public transport with a warm and relaxing shower, and a change of clothes (though not necessarily clean) cannot be beaten J .
The European presence was sensed as strongly as a Jedi senses 'The Force'. A subtle breakout of boutique wine bars and Belgium beer cafes seem to be a growing trend. Fresh fruit shake, and crepe stalls are still aplenty, the healthy option always countered seductively by it's polar opposite; with an abundance of pastries and tempting home-made cake stands (that sell arguably the best doughnuts in Laos)!
Luang Prabang itself is centred above a sharp, sandy meander where the Mekong meets the Nam Ou river, and has a small hill called Phu Si in the middle. The main street acts as an artery, leading to a T-junction and the broader Mekong waters. It's flanked by two quieter parallel streets on either side.
The steep banks of the river front (of which are efficiently used as vegetable gardens) have been crowned by a mini-esplanade along the ridge beside the roadway, which sports pretty dining areas linked to the mix of basic and finer dining restaurants. The restaurants' kitchens are situated opposite, across the streets in what appear to be the homes of the locals. Other trendy cafes, cocktail bars, handicraft shops and some fantastic photo and Art Galleries fill in the commercial spaces in between. At night fairy lights and candles illuminate the otherwise dark waterfront.
On the central street there is an abundance of tour companies offering everything from bus tickets, river cruises, jungle treks, mountain biking and Elephant Safari's - enough to keep any banshee actively occupied, and out of trouble (or not) for several days. We planned only a couple of days' stay in Luang Prabang hoping to be able to travel up river by boat, and opted out of the tours.
Having said this, the majestical city and its definitive charms has a way of making you stay longer in the blink of an eye, and we were unable to resist the lure to take a trip out to the large limestone waterfall (Tat Xiang Si) and it's cascade of natural swimming pools 30km outside of town. We shared a Tuk-tuk with Amit (the Israeli friend we had made in Vang Vieng) and two other girls. Enjoying the ride we realised that if we had hired bikes and ridden out there it would have taken all day and been the cause of much pain, which we witnessed on passing more ambitious and dedicated to their budget travellers who had endured the obvious struggle.
On arrival, we were surprised to discover a small handicraft village at the entrance, and once inside was another big surprise - a collection of rehabilitated captive bears. We believe they were all Asian Black Bears and they were big! They were clearly rebelling against the zoologist's description on the informative sign. Defying the very meaning of the 'solitary animal' and 'sleep during the day, whilst becoming most active at night' remark, we witnessed them play chase and wrestle together very happily. They appeared very active that morning at least, and we watched for quite some time as they climbed the trees and clambered up the playground style apparatus that had been installed for their entertainment! We then started to comprehend what the actual consequences might be, if by chance we managed to encounter a Grizzly in Alaska or Canada in the near future??
The waterfall really is a beautiful spot, which is why it now gets so many visitors, foreign and Laos alike. We took the path to the left hand side and climbed up the steep slope to the top, and although we couldn't see much through the trees it was possible to wade through the stream at the top and peer at the vertical drop where the water tumbled over the edge 80 metres down into a white noise roar in the pool below. Because of the moisture in the air and the heat, the resultant humidity, and smell of the vegetation enhanced the tropic jungle feel.
We descended down the other side; slipping and sliding on the smooth rocky pathway which was covered in an equally slippery layer of dust. We realised why most people were taking this route up and the option of the constructed steps for the way down. At the bottom the textbook 'me-in-front-of-waterfall' photos ensued, before we walked back to the lower cool turquoise green pools for a swim. Adam was straight in, swinging off the thick knotted rope attached to a crooked old tree in no time at all. Lana edged her way into the freezing cold water and following brief submersion found she could not breathe from the cold and to swim in this without a wetsuit was just not viable!
We were astounded at the extent of the historical and cultural sights in town that were harboured not only in the centre but also in the more secluded pockets of the city. There are numerous Wats (possibly over 100 in total) throughout Luang Prabang, and although some are very austere and others highly elaborate (and most have resident monks) for a real Wat enthusiast all are worth a visit. The examples which appear substantially older, whether a consequence of fewer foreign visitor interest or just inconsistent maintenance, retain more character and a clearer impression of the 'real Laos'.
Positioned on the summit of Phu Si, up a stone staircase and accessible from either side, is the impressive golden stupa known as That Chomsi, which overlooks a large portion of Luang Prabang with it's needle like tip piercing toward the stars through the thick miasma. It's no longer free to ascend the 100m high hill, which is a shame for a public space, but because of the characteristic Laos haze the views are colourless.
We crossed the river to the Hmong village on the other side, paying the fee to enable us to cross the precarious bamboo bridge, to a women in a shack at the start, who was presumably guaranteeing us protection from the Mekong troll living beneath the frail, rotting structure. We quickly realised the affluence of the tourist part of Luang Prabang did not extend a neighbourly hand beyond it's immediate boundaries. Most noticeable was the amount of rubbish strewn through the bushes, compressed into the pathways and also lying loose through the streets. Some noticeable remains of a bygone era inside the grounds of a Wat allowed us to recognise the religious significance in Laotian history. It was nice to observe in the village the looms the ladies use to weave silk close-up. It looks more complicated than learning to play the harp and also very time consuming, but sadly the prices in the official boutique shop were just not affordable to the standard-wage foreigner even with their holiday fund surplus.
Having exploited the fantastic walking street night market which sets up every evening under bright red canopies with low frames you find yourself ducking and diving amongst, we decided to move on the next day. We had had our fill 3 nights running of the delicious whole barbequed Mekong Fish (complete with lemongrass inserted in place of it's stomach), multiple Beer Lao, and afraid of becoming too habitual, agreed to yet another punishing 8 hour bus ride on to Phonsovanh.