January 21, Wednesday – Fly to Luang Prabang, Laos | The Escapades of Pookie and Allan

Destination: Laos, Luang Prabang Accommodations: Parasol Blanc Hotel

This morning after breakfast we flew on a two prop plane to Laos. We soared over the mountains and it was really beautiful. People have lived in Laos, the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, for at least 10,000 years.

The capital of Laos is Vientiane and the official language is Lao, but French and English are also spoken. Laos is bordered by China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. It has a population of about 8 million. Farming is a challenge and since it is landlocked, The Mekong River is an important source of commerce.

Luang Prabang is located on a peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers with the mountains all around. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is considered one of Southeast Asia’s best-preserved small towns.

Our plane landed and we went through immigration and met our local leader, Lao. Are is still with us and he will be the one that is in charge, but Lao will accompany us to the different sites and will tell us all the information concerning them.

We took our bus out of the airport, but once we came near the inner city, we changed to a jumbo, the local means of transportation, which is similar to a Tut Tut, but bigger. Buses are not allowed in the inner city.

We checked into our lodging which is actually a beautiful resort. We have a balcony overlooking the grounds and there is a swimming pool and restaurant on the premises.

We settled in our room for a few hours and then took the jumbo into town for an orientation walk. We also visited the night market where there are restaurants and many venders selling their goods. Luang Prabang is much quieter than Bangkok and the streets are lined with beautiful trees. Luang Prabang is known for its peaceful, walkable atmosphere, and there are no traffic lights. Everyone uses turn signals and the drivers are courteous to other drivers.

We had a delicious dinner of authentic Laotian food and then it was back in the jumbo to the resort for a good night’s sleep.