The first full day in Luang Prabang, there is a chill in the morning air as cockerels and dogs start their day in full cry. The lane my guesthouse is on must be one of the prettiest in the central part of town. There are two wats at one end and the small lane has some of the oldest unrestored houses still left in Luang.
As I sit outside in the leafy patio having eggs, fresh baguette and strong Lao coffee, the temperature starts to lift and the lane starts its morning activity. Water sellers come by with large polypins of fresh water, dogs trot happily along the lane, off to see their neighbours, children on their way to school and stray novice monks off on errands.
Finishing breakfast I sorted some laundry, 8000 kip per kilo (60p) and headed off on a walk, first along the Mekong side of the peninsula and then back down the Nam Khan side wandering into wats as the fancy took me.
I had lunch at a place called Utopia set up on the bank of the Nam Khan on a suspended deck of bamboo with vegetable gardens below on the fertile banks. Sitting on axe cushions and mats it was a great way to spend an hour eating warm Lao chicken salad and a fruit shake. Kids playing along the waters edge and small boats drifting gently by, their sole occupants casting nets into the river. The airport runway is a little further over the far bank and occasional turbo-props swing in low to land, buzzing overhead.
After lunch I walked on to Wat Visoun in the warm sunshine and then back up to the Dara Market and suddenly it was 5pm. So walking back up the main street past the evening Market setting up under bright red canopies I stopped off for an iced coffee and watched the scene unfold. The Market now spans the main street from the Phousi hotel right up past the national museum and scatters and overflows down side streets and sois. It seems much bigger than when I was last here and I always wonder who's buying all this stuff. People in the town tell me numbers are down so far this year, up to 60% and with so many new hotels and guesthouses it looks like the boom years could be over for a while. I couldn't help noticing the hike on airfares to get here and away and the American family of six waiting for visas yesterday had to shell out $210 just to get into the country. Add to that the generally inflated prices here in LPB and it looks like the bubble is about to burst. Still, it's a pretty wonderful place to live as long as you remember those rose tinted specs. Perfect climate, exquisite backdrop, charming locals and steak au poivre when you need it.