We finished off our time in Laos with 8 nights in the quiet, lush surroundings of Luang Prabang. It was a low-key period of travel where Clare didn't feel that well for several days (the new malaria pills?), sleep was a bit off (surrounding noise around our place), and we spent a lot of time researching and communicating with international schools and agencies about possible teaching work next year. So perhaps, real life moments! Luckily, between all this down time, we did discover that Luang Prabang is quite a magical little place!

Strolling around temples (wats) is the name of the game in Luang Prabang, and there are plenty to go around. At first we diligently looked up the ones we wanted to see and sought them out, but really the best way to discover them is to hop on a bicycle and see what you find. The little side streets of Luang Prabang are incredibly pretty with the shops and cafes integrated into the old French style neighbourhoods, and even after passing through them several times, they never failed to delight. A particular highlight of the area was our boat trip down the Mekong River - a ride so smooth and relaxing that we could have dozed off through the warm, soothing journey! That excursion day ended with a trip to the beautiful Kuang Si Falls to see the pale blue water in the lovely end of the day sunlight. And a quick dip in the cool water!

Troy's photos in the Laos photo album showcase the splendid beauty of this area, but a moving experience not captured on photo needs to be shared:

One evening while walking the town, a volunteer stopped us outside an organization called, "Big Brother Mouse" - a drop-in centre where students practice their English language skills. He asked if we would come in and donate a few minutes of our time, so in we went. For the next hour, we sat and chatted with Laotian high school students - some who come to the centre daily after a long day of school. They had their notebooks with English vocabularly and phrases in them so they could practice asking questions, and they would check how to "properly" ask things like, "What do you do for a job?" They were so keen, polite, and attentive, and we were again reminded how much we take for granted that the international language of English just happens to be the one that we were brought up in. We have met so many local people who are trying so hard to learn this language to have a better chance at opportunities in life, and it was wonderful to see the curious interactions of the travellers and the students at this centre. (Not to be let off the hook, Clare's group taught her how to count to 1000 in Lao, and then quizzed her repeatedly on the numbers!) It was another moment on our travels that showed us that while we are inclined to try and organize and plan activities, if you don't leave space, you will miss out on these beautiful, spontaneous moments.