Luang Prabang Day 2

So an early start to greet the monks as they perform their morning ceremony of the greeting the sunrise and collecting alms (yes that does mean 5:00AM) Rather unexpectedly we were permitted to sit quietly and give alms (in the guise of sticky rice) to the monks as they passed, it was important to be lower than the monk and to not have eye contact.

Then off to the morning market where most things that walk the earth or fly or swim in the river were available for purchase or consumption. Birds, frogs, crabs & snakes were all present.

Then a car journey to the site of the best waterfalls in the area, Kuang Si Waterfall. We were so early that the ticket man had to be roused from his slumbers to let us in (we seemed to be ticket No. 2). The waterfalls were swimming holes at the lower end but as you climbed further up the mountain track the large final drop was spectacular. We then had a richly deserved breakfast served with a magnificent view of the falls.

And because we hadn’t had enough of the boat trip we then travelled back to LPB on a slightly smaller vessel. Because of the dam built lower down the river it was a much wider and calmer expanse of water and proved to be a gentle and calming journey.

We followed this by hanging out at a bar/cafe for a beer whilst watching the car ferry ply its trade between the banks.

OK – admit to a sleepy afternoon on our balcony after that -we’d been up a long time

Dyen Sabi restaurant for the evening meal just round the corner down a dirt road had a 2 for 1 offer on sangria – we went with the chicken noodles but the BBQ offering was rather special.