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Luang Prabang is one of
the most
enchanting towns in the world. Deservedly, it has been declared a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO, and all restoration and construction is
carefully
monitored. Once a backwater of the French Indochinese colonies, Luang
Prabang
has changed very little over the years. The atmosphere is simply
magical. |
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Many people in Laos live in
what we
may think are garages, wide open to the street. I discreetly peeked
inside
many homes, and always received a kind smile in return. The people of
Luang
Prabang are not rich, but their natural elegance and hospitality
delighted
me. |
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The town is built on a
dramatic finger
of land between two majestic rivers, the Mekong and the Nam Khan. There
are many scenic hills in this exceptional natural setting. |
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The colors are evocative and
the architecture
so haunting that it is sometimes difficult to pay attention to the
enormous
potholes in the semi paved streets. |
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I dropped by the elementary
school
and I had a chat with the French teachers: Mme Souvannaly, Mlle
Khambang,
and Mlle Sengdala. Later I sent them a big package of markers and
crayons
without much hope that it would make it (all my postcards got
lost).
Months later, I got an email of thanks from them and I was so pleased. |
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I also walked through the
hospital
grounds. It reminded me of the older hospitals in France when I was a
child.
The sign says "Service des Tuberculeux." My guidebook said "If
you're
sick, go back to Thailand quick." |
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Rush hour, Luang Prabang
style. |
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The somewhat turbulent Mekong
in Luang
Prabang. I saw teenage monks walk down many steps to the river for a
swim. |
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The more placid Nam Khan gets
quite
low at the end of the dry season. People cultivate the fertile river
bed.
Two months later, I was told, the water level would be much higher. |
