Falling in love with Luang Prabang

Leaving Luang Prabang, I felt a pain in my heart. Then I knew I really had fallen in love with it.

Due to the one-hour difference between local time and Beijing time, I felt time went slowly in Laos. In the morning, I woke up naturally, took a long shower and found the snack shop had not yet begun its business. I made a cup of coffee and came to the cloister in slippers. Looking up at the towering trees, I couldn’t help wondering: When was Luang Prabang established? Who established it? What does “Luang Prabang” mean? How long did the French colonial rule last?

I had too many questions, but the shop owner Mimi, a young Lao woman, could understand none of them. When a guest went out, Mimi would stand by the door and say in Lao: “Take your time!” She had a soft voice and a gentle expression, filling your heart with warmth.

Alms-giving is a unique sight of Luang Prabang in the early morning. Under a line of nostalgic street lamps, devout men and women spread bamboo mats on the ground, put down alms and eagerly wait for the arrival of monks. The day has hardly broken when a group of monks dressed in orange robes appear in the first rays of the morning sun. Following an old monk, they are humble and meek, barefooted, carrying small bamboo baskets on their backs. They pinch a small lump of glutinous rice, take a banana and an orange and put them in the bamboo baskets. Seeing this, you would feel peace of mind as if you were worshiping in a temple.

If you like taking pictures, the classic cars and French-style buildings that can be seen everywhere in Luang Prabang are the best props. The tuctucs------ big motor tricycles as colourful and festive-looking as floats, are actually cabs in Luang Prabang. I invited a tricycler to pose for a picture with me and I asked: “How much?” He showed his palm and said: “Fifty thousand Lao kips.” I was surprised and put out two fingers (ten thousand Lao kips equal eight yuan). We both laughed and I captured this happy moment with my camera set to burst mode.

In Luang Prabang, a paradise of barbecue lovers, almost every food can be barbecued. This includes chicken, fish, beef, vegetables and fruit. They are good and you can’t afford to miss them, and the grilled shrimps are the best. It even tastes better than the crab and is a real delicacy.

The golden colour of Lao beer is like the sunset glow on the Mekong. During the evening of Luang Prabang, when the waters and skies merge into one colour, you can sit by the river and sip from a glass of beer; the pure coolness will flow into your body like air and brings you serenity.

Falling in love with Luang Prabang

Leaving Luang Prabang, I felt a pain in my heart. Then I knew I really had fallen in love with it. Due to the one-hour difference between local time and Beijing time, I felt time went slowly in Laos. In the morning, I woke up naturally, took a long shower and found the snack shop had not yet begun its business. I made a cup of coffee and came to the cloister in slippers. Looking up at the towering trees, I couldnt help wondering: When was Luang Prabang established? Who established it? What does Luang Prabang mean? How long did the French colonial rule last? I had too many questions, but the shop owner Mimi, a young Lao woman, could understand none of them. When a guest went out, Mimi would stand by the door and say in Lao: Take your time! She had a soft voice and a gentle expression, filling your heart with warmth. Alms-giving is a unique sight of Luang Prabang in the early morning. Under a line of nostalgic street lamps, devout men and women spread bamboo mats on the ground, put down alms and eagerly wait for the arrival of monks. The day has hardly broken when a group of monks dressed in orange robes appear in the first rays of the morning sun. Following an old monk, they are humble and meek, barefooted, carrying small bamboo baskets on their backs. They pinch a small lump of glutinous rice, take a banana and an orange and put them in the bamboo baskets. Seeing this, you would feel peace of mind as if you were worshiping in a temple. If you like taking pictures, the classic cars and French-style buildings that can be seen everywhere in Luang Prabang are the best props. The tuctucs------ big motor tricycles as colourful and festive-looking as floats, are actually cabs in Luang Prabang. I invited a tricycler to pose for a picture with me and I asked: How much? He showed his palm and said: Fifty thousand Lao kips. I was surprised and put out two fingers (ten thousand Lao kips equal eight yuan). We both laughed and I captured this happy moment with my camera set to burst mode. In Luang Prabang, a paradise of barbecue lovers, almost every food can be barbecued. This includes chicken, fish, beef, vegetables and fruit. They are good and you cant afford to miss them, and the grilled shrimps are the best. It even tastes better than the crab and is a real delicacy. The golden colour of Lao beer is like the sunset glow on the Mekong. During the evening of Luang Prabang, when the waters and skies merge into one colour, you can sit by the river and sip from a glass of beer; the pure coolness will flow into your body like air and brings you serenity.