HEALTHY LUANG PRABANG

Our five days at Luang Prabang was one of the most relaxing, nourishing and replenishing times I've had recently.

We ate well (alot of fruit, meals using fresh ingredients), swam everyday and did abit of walking.

No wonder I had such a healthy glow.

Marketing Strategy, Marketing Magazine December 2009

 

Erawan Shrine, Bangkok

The Erawan Shrine sits on one of the most expensive retail real estate in Bangkok, outside Gaysorn Plaza and a skip away from mega shopping complexes like Central World, Siam Centre, Siam Paragon.



Rumour has it that when the Gaysorn Plaza was being built, workmen kept on dying, something like 5 had died before they decided to put halt and build a shrine to Erawan. The deaths stopped and now Thais and tourists alike go there to make offerings and pray for just about anything. And if you get your wish granted, you're meant to come back and pay for a traditional dance.



The place was packed!

Central World, Bangkok

Wat Xieng Thong

An incredibly beautiful, ancient temple in Luang Prabang, Laos

Temple offering

 For 500 Baht you can go to this temple near our hotel, burn 20 sticks of incense (the air was thick with incense), get your prayers written and get the opportunity to stick them on a box in the back of the temple.

Vietnamese Temple Bangkok

There are some 6 temples in Bangkok which were founded by Vietnaemse monks going back decades.  While many of these no longer have Vietnamese Abbots, they do sponsor Vietnamese monks over to study in Bangkok.

We met one today, at the Vietnamese temple near Chinatown

This temple has had something like 6 Abbots, however the current one is Thai.  There are two Vietnamese monks here.

It's a small world, because this Thay is a Buddhist brother of one that has a temple in Cabramatta five minutes walk from our place.  He comes from the Central region and knows alot of Walter's monk friends.

Le Meridien Pool

Sooo nice, we're here literally every afternoon!!!

Walter checking his emails.

Ancestor Temples

Came across this ancestor temple in Bangkok.  It's a Chinese concept to worship ancestors rather than any one god.. so inside there are no statues but areas to burn incense and make offerings to ancestors.

Wat Po and Amulet Market

Haven't  visited Wat Po for ages and forgotten how wonderful it was.  We saw the usual sites, like the awesome reclining buddha (which never fails to make me feel calm), had a massage at the temple massage school, which was air-conditioned, a wonderful innovation since we were there last; I was recovering from a sprained ankle and of course the masseur knew it and worked on it for what seemed like hours, it was soooo painful, but it does feel better today.

From there we took a walk to the amulet market and along the way meandered through the street market, which sold everything from knives, dentures, screw drivers watches, amulets, and of course food.  There was a cute stand that sold sooo many cute small amulets.

Finally we had to (of course) have a snack.  I had the black grass jelly with coarse brown sugar chilled with huge ice cube.  Walter had hot, fresh tofu in ginger syrup, there was a tube like addition which I hadn't seen before.

 

 

Finally I saw a stand that sold crab cooked in just about everyway

 

Gone Local Luang Prabang

Walter laughs at me because I've decided to wear all local clothing.  Well actually, the locals don't wear them, they sell them to tourists like me.

As you can see today's combo of fisherman's pants and hill tribe top, with Lao Beer t-shirt underneath is my attempt to support the locals.  The gorgeous backdrop is Wat Xieng Thong.

Was tempted to carry a local weave bag and don on a local cotton scarf, but even I think that would be a tad too much!

Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang

 
We visited one of the larger temples in the main part of Luang Prabang.  I had no expectations because I've grown used to the local relaxed pace.  I was unprepared for the ancient magnificence of the Wat.  Sure it wasn't as well kept as the Thai Wats, but the history of the place was in your face, raw and intimate.

The glass mosaics adorning the exterior of some of the buildings we're stunning, depicting human forms or my favourite the stylised bodhi tree.  These themes can be found on the woven material which are sold all around town and in the night markets.

Everyone kept a very respectful atmostphere except two loud giggling Thai girls and a small group of Viet tourists that got in everyone's way trying to take holiday snaps.

Infected by Luang Prabang

We knew it was a small town, we knew there wasn't that much to do, we knew the population was around 40,000 for Laos' second largest city, but we were determined to do everything there was to do... that is until we got infected by the Luang Prabang bug.

On the first night we noticed everyone, including the hordes of backpackers were taking things at a leisurely pace, even the tourists were relatively quiet, the main street, which turns into an incredible night woven crafts market was busy, but quiet.  There's even an unofficial 11.30pm curfew.

But gradually we're finding ourselves alsos settling into the idealic (idle) Luang Prabang pace.  Morning consists of breakfast on our verandah, then Walter checks emails, while I read Huo's A Thousand Wings.  We may potter around dour glorious Mekong Estate Villa a little and then head for lunch.  For the past couple of days, it's been the delectible L'Elephant in the main part of town, the grilled buffalo is our favourite at the moment, but their chicken larb is not bad, either.

Then we take a stroll around town, have coffee and return back to the Mekong Estate for a swim and afternoon nap.

We'll then go back to town for dinner, check out the night markets, have a late night snack and head off home.

We really did have plans to be more adventurous, check out the caves, temples, fly to Vientiane, float down the river in Van Vieng, but alas, we've caught the Luang Prabang bug... and we're staying here, a few times, I've even said we'll sell up and move here forever.  Today, there was a brief shower, which made the place even more perfect.

Sadly, already, it's almost time to go, in two days time we head back to the chaos that is Bangkok for six days before we head back to the rat race in Sydney.  At least we're at the gorgeous Le Meridien Bangkok, don't know much about it except it's new and it's highly rated by tripadvisor.

Cocktails before dinner

Our hosts at the Mekong Estate kindly hosted cocktail drinks to welcome us.  Took this pic before everything was set up, the backdrop was just to die for.  The owners knew I was from Vietnam and layed on a fried spring rolls, fresh rolls and a gorgeous vegetarian wrap.

We were sorry we had to go, but dinner calls at a local restaurant.  Walter had read about some local Luang Prabang specialties including:

River weed in sauce made from dried buffalo skin, the river weed looks I guess like sea weed!

And watercress salad.

We also ordered something random from the menu which turned out to be a soup with a strong flavoured herb, tasted very local!

MEKONG ESTATE, BREAKFAST

I've already raved about the Mekong Estate, which overlooks the Mekong River. Breakfast was aslo splendid, was a three course affair, fruit platter, choice of fried eggs and selection of breads and croissant.

Served against the glorious backdrop of the Mekong River.

MEKONG ESTATE, LUANG PRABANG

Due to lack of time, neither of us planned this holiday, we decided to just get to Bangkok, book the first couple of nights of accommodation and book the remaining hotel, airfare as the spirit moved us.  Which led me to describe this holidays to friends as 'backpacking'.

Having noticed our convoy of luggage, alas, I think backpacking wouldn't be the appropriate description. 

But here we are at gorgeous Luang Prabang and the last minute accommodation, the Mekong Estate.  The owner has a fascinating story.  He left Laos prior to 1975 and lived and worked in France for 20 years, he has excellent English and he says even better French.

When he returned to his home town, Luang Prabang, he bought and renovated a place by the Mekong river.  So many people approached him to rent out his place that eventually the idea came to develop it into villas to rent out.  He has something like 3 in the same row, which has rooms upstairs and downstairs. 

Mr Khamphanh is the sweetest, most sincere gentlemen and he's assembled a group of people around him who are equally warm and lovely.  He's renovated the villas himself, even built all the wood furniture, set up the free guest Wifi.

He even picks you up from the airport and takes you back, which is fantastic for first time visitors like us.

Our  room (I think all rooms) have views of the Mekong river, through french doors.  The pool is immediately outside our Villa. Air conditioning is new, but the place is surprisingly cool without it.  The place does not accept reservations from families which children or large groups, which suits us fine.

Breakfast comes each morning on your verandah or anywhere you choose on the property.

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS

Laos Airline was a delight, at first I was a little scared because it was a propeller plane and a little dated.  But actually both the landing and take off were extremely smooth.  About 20 of us, mainly foreigners weren't convinced upon boarding.

The interior design was, shall we say, a little on the theme park side of interior decoration.  And having to walk across the tarmac to board also didn't help.

 What probably troubled me most was the check-in signage at Bangkok Airport which was very matter of fact about firearms:  Passengers who would like to load firearms into the aircraft, please contact airline staffs at check-in counter.

Anyways, it was more than a pleasant flight, if a little slow... what do you expect from propellers?!  The flight took almost 2 hours with lunch being the highlight, tiny pork salad rolls, a slice of chocolate sponge cake, two slices of apple, all individually wrapped in cardboard squares and clear glad wrap.  They came in a cute card board box.

I can tell I'm gonna like Luang Prabang!

Gardenia flowers

 We started a fragrant garden 3 years ago, which includes, various types of jasmine, frangipani and gardenias.  While we've lost a few plants on the way, I'm glad to say there's been many successes.

The potted jasmine plant and the jasmine vines you've seen.  Well here's the pic of the gardenia near our back door that is starting to bloom.

Clothes from Hare Krishnas

For Dewali we went to the Hare Krishnas in North Sydney.  We were hoping to get dinner as well, but couldn't wait that long.

I did pop into their shop and bought lots of gorgeous things including incense and incense holder and this top which I wore today when we went to a Laura Riddell's art exhibition in Dural.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Walter and I went up to Hornsby Heights to visit dear friends, Lynne and Mike.  They live in a wonderful house originally built by them over 30 years ago which still overlooks the bush. 

Majority of material and furniture was wood and alot of windows and open space makes the place look so homely and well, just perfect.

The neighbours keep chickens which roam the street.  Just gorgeous!

Jasmine pride

We have the star jasmine in a pot at the front of the house, and we're reminded that it's there when we come home or come out the front by the intense perfume at the moment; end of October and early November are peak blooming time it.

The bursting white flower, intense fragance is just divine.