Luang Prabang

The morning we took off for Luang Prabang we were treated to a massive down pouring of rain that provided a nice end to the Lao New Year, since it cleared the smoke from the air and provided us with our first unimpeded views of Laos. Disappoint they did not. In the early morning light the limestone cliffs were magnificent, touching the sky all around us. Ridgelines extending miles up the river previously cloaked in a thick haze. We had entered a completely different world, fresh and clean and full of beauty. My head was on a swivel the entire ride, trying to take in all the spectacular views that had suddenly materialized out of the smoke.

The ride from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang was tackled in two days, with the first day to the unexceptional Pak Mong, a way-point for those on longer journeys. Luang Prabang was a 110k ride through rolling hills backed by beautiful limestone cliffs. We started early and rolled into Luang Prabang before the heat of the day set in, a beautiful town lying at the convergence of the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers. If I wasn't so far behind in the blog I would spend a little more time describing our time there, but I am that far behind, essentially Luang Prabang boiled down to a series of disappointments.

Our attempt to see the normally beautiful Tat Sae waterfall fizzled out due to natural causes. Somebody tried to tell us before we paid for admission that it wasn't worth it since there was no water. We nodded and said we'd think about it, but ultimately figured it would be worth seeing even if it wasn't gushing. Turns out when he said there was no water, he meant absolutely no water. The falls were bone dry, leaving us with a beautiful views of moss and artificial sand bag walls. Truly epic. So sad because in full flow the falls look unbelievable with a series of steps of cascading turquoise water leading down to the river. Pak Ou cave also provided us with a less than memorable experience. Maybe it was the cost of the ferry and the admission that soured it for me, but for one of the Holier sites in Lao, they did not use the money all that efficiently to help with the upkeep. Again less than memorable.

Luang Prabang did have its moments, a beautiful sunset from a hilltop shrine, my first view of the mighty mighty Mekong, and an noverall mellow atmosphere despite the abundance of tourists. I'm sure I've glossed over quite a bit, but I imagine if you're reading this you probably don't mind.