Laos Update - Nov 4

4 November 07
Louang Prabang, Laos
I think I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm not going to be able to spell many of these towns correctly.
We've spent 2 days in Louang Prabang, who's entire old city is a UNESCO world heritage site. As the country has been torn over centuries in different directions toward the Siamese, the Burmese, the Chinese, and the Vietnamese, LP prides itself as having withstood many of the assaults. Its old town is close and old, with a strange mix of colonial French and traditional Laotian architecture. Yesterday was spent visiting the Wats and seeing more Buddha images than we could have ever imagined, and today was spent boating up the Mekong to a couple of caves where the Laotians keep some buddha images which aren't quite worthy of a temple, but aren't quite ready to be tossed out yet. The boat ride was a step back in time, as we cruised among the jungley hills and past densely rural villages. The caves were interesting to be sure, but seeing this ancient landscape is certainly unforgettable.
Chaz has a bit of the GI bug, and we're hoping our magical western medicine mops that up in short order. The food has been good, but I think he's been tempting fate by rinsing his toothbrush under the faucet.