We are to kick off at 8.30, I had a good nights sleep and aimed to get I to town by 8.00 I could have a coffee before picking up my guide and mountain bike for the day.
The town has got French colonial history and that ' laissez fair' type of approach is so apparent here. Lao people are charming but the pace of service is a few notches down from other places I have visited on the trip.
We left about 8.45, the bike was ok and the ride out of town was fairly flat. This time of day it was warm but pleasant. I still can't get my head around the traffic. It seems they drive on the right, unless the road looks better on the left. There is nor a lot to the town and quite quickly we wear getting out into the country side. Along the way we passed through small villages. Ducks, turkeys, dogs, chickens a d the occasional buffalo were diving and darting across the road. Clearly a poor country but a lot of nice SUV's on the road.
Our first stop was the temple of Wat Xieng Muan. World heritage funds have been used to set up a school teaching novices and monks the art of Mural painting. We took time out to wander around the temple. It was much more basic than some I have visited but some very pretty painting and it's location was fantastic
From the temple we visited a local co-operative that had been set up for silk weaving. I was surprised that the silk scarves and table clothes etc are all hand made here. It takes around three weeks to make one table cloth and they sell for around $20.
More cycling through little villages, the scenery was just stunning, it was starting to warm up now but the roads were pretty flat. The gears were getting a hammering to conserve energy. There is the same problem with logging as there is in Northern Thailand (although I don't thing the Laos take it as seriously. Neighbours China have a huge demand for hardwood and Laos provides a lot. That said, there are still many Elephant parks around the north to cater for the retired elephants and the tourists.
Our next stop was the waterfalls at Tat Kuang Si. To get there you have to take a long boat across and down one of the tributaries of the Mekong. I met a coup,e of Aussie girls waiting for the ferry, one of them was taking a 150cc motorbike across Cambodia. The bike had been bought and renovated, it was a honda and it was 53 years old!
The waterfalls were just spectacular, at the bottom there were elephants bathing and as you moved upstream there were hundreds of menthol green pools and water cascading. Amazing....
After a long morning in the saddle it was a perfect opportunity to cool down and I took it. The water was a bit chilly at first but very very refreshing.
I had a simple lunch of Miso and rice then we headed back. I did have a passing regret that I had not taken a TukTuk as we still had about 15km to ride. And it was bloody hot.
A couple of hours later we cycled into Luang Prabang. I was, once again wet through, I couldn't tell if I had a sun tan or was just filthy. Such was the dust on the road I suspect I will have black snot for days.
After handing the bike back my first stop was the French cafe and a Pineapple frappe followed by a mixed fruit frappé . I was just so thirsty. I could have had beer but I was sticking to my own advice. Besides which I suspect I would have been well pissed before my thirst was quenched!
Back to the hotel for a well earned rest and a shower. I checked with reception what time I needed to get to the bus station. The Laotian receptionist did not speak a word of English so we communicated using pictures. My drawing of a bus and a clock and a moto got the message across. I would be picked up at 7.00am and the bus leaves at 8.00.
I couldn't quite convey that I don't actually have a ticket and should I? We shall see.
I'm trusting Sarah has done her job....
Tonight I will go into town, have a wander, a couple of beers and some Dinner. I can also upload the blog on the French cafe's wifi.
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Location:Luang Prabang - Northern Laos
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