25 Days of Laos (Part 14)

This is a journal of our 25-day trip around Laos on a rented Honda FTR that we fondly called Mustafa. It starts with a long bus ride from Hanoi to Laos and ends with a longer bus ride back to Hanoi.

Day 18: Luang Prabang to Kasi
The next day, we packed up our things and headed to Cafe Bat Van Sene for our last breakfast in our favorite cafe. When we got back to the Khem Khong View, we were ready to hit the road. But, our bike wouldn't start and we had to wait for someone to come and fix it. The good thing is that the owner of Jules Classic Rental had a lot of contacts in Laos. And, he was able to ask a mechanic in Luang Prabang to pick up our bike and have it fixed.


We ended up leaving Luang Prabang around 12:30. Since we knew that we weren't going to make it to Vientiane before dark, we decided to spend the night in Vang Vieng. Although the motorbike problems held us back, our spirits weren't dampened because the landscapes that we passed on the way back to Vientiane were more beautiful because of the noon sun. It was the perfect time to take pictures. 

Taken from one of the view points indicated in the GT Rider Map

UH-OH!

 As we made our way through the town of Kasi, however, the weather suddenly changed. The skies became darker and then the rain fell in torrents. Although we had our rain gear on, it was impossible to drive through it. So, we had to stop by a shade in one of the houses that lined the streets. We were lucky that the rain fell when we were already in town and we weren't stuck in the middle of nowhere. It rained for a long time and we were lucky that the owners didn't mind having us in front of their house. They even asked us to come inside but we didn't want to intrude. And, we wanted to leave as soon as the rain lifted.


When it finally did, it was starting to get dark so we had to stay in Kasi. Since truck drivers use this town as a stopover, we were able to find some guest houses along road. We ended up staying in a small bungalow by a farm. We had dinner in a nearby duck restaurant and karaoke joint which seemed to be popular in the area. It wasn't the best dinner we've had in Laos but we were happy to find a place to stay and something to eat.


Day 19: Kasi to Vientiane
The next day, we headed for Vang Vieng with a craving for a greasy breakfast. We reached Vang Vieng around 10 in the morning. And, we found a nice, quiet restaurant where we got some cheesy garlic fries and toasties. The place had a unique motif -- It was filled with monkey figurines.

We finally reached Vientiane at around 4:30 PM. We decided to stay in the Mixay Guest House where we got a fan room for around 90,000 kip. The room we stayed in was very clean. And, there was a shared veranda outside our room. After we've taken our bags into the room and chilled for a bit, we headed to The Pizza Company for a pizza. 



The Journey Continues:

• Part 15
• Part 16
• Part 17
• Part 18

25 Days of Laos (Part 13)

This is a journal of our 25-day trip around Laos on a rented Honda FTR that we fondly called Mustafa. It starts with a long bus ride from Hanoi to Laos and ends with a longer bus ride back to Hanoi.

Day 16: Luang Prabang
I began the day with a walk around town, visiting temples. Since I seem to have a problem with directions, following the walking tour in the Lonely Planet was a bit difficult for me so I ended up wandering about and visiting temples that catch my eye. Funny enough, I seem to have ended up visiting the lesser known temples in Luang Prabang.


The first temple I visited was Wat Siphoutthahat Thippharam which had a charming old, temple. I loved the faded drawings on the door and the intricate carvings on the aging posts. Here, I got to have a chat with one of the monks and he told me that there's a newer version of this temple that has been built in the complex. Although I politely told him that I would check it out later, I didn't really feel like taking pictures of new temples. The old ones have more character.

Aging Gracefully

When I left the temple complex, I passed the Nam Khan River on my way to the next temple I was going to visit.

My next stop was the complex of Ban Aham where I found the That Makmo (also known as the Watermelon Stupa), Wat Aham (also known as The Monastery of the Opened Heart) and Wat Wisunalat (also known as Wat Visoun). I probably got there at the right time since I didn't see any tourists in the area. There were some stands selling cold drinks, post cards and other souvenirs though. But, the vendors didn't bother me and I was relieved. Having lived in Vietnam for some time, I've quite gotten used to bracing myself for vendors or stall owners who would actually go in front of your motorbike so that you'd go to their stalls.

The Stupas Around Wat Aham

Wat Aham. The temple has two guardians: Ravana and Hanuman from the Ramayana epic. The white monkey on the left is the Laos counterpart of Hanuman, Phalak Phalam.

The Doors of Wat Aham

On the site where Wat Aham was built there used to be a a shrine for worshipping the guardian spirits, Pu No and Na No (Phou Nheu and Nha Nheu). This was built by Fa Ngum, a prince who was raised in Angkor. King Photthisarat, the ruler of the Lan Xang kindom, however, destroyed this shrine and created a monastery. He also banned the worship of guardian spirits. According to local superstition, the destruction of the shrine of the guardian spirits caused the misfortunes that followed: diseases, drought and crop failure. So, after the royal capital was moved to Vientiane in 1563, the spirit shrine was rebuilt. Years later, around the mid-twentieth century, the shrine was once again destroyed. This time, however, no misfortune occurred since the two guardian spirits have now taken the form of the two banyan trees that can be found in the monastery grounds. And, during Bun Pi (Mai Pimay), the Laotian Lunar New Year, the guardian spirits are remembered in the "Dance of the Masks."

That Makmo

Wat Wisunalat. Luang Prabang's oldest operating temple.

At around 10, the grounds started getting filled up with tourists. And, I decided to head back to the Khem Khong View Hotel. From there, my boyfriend and I decided to have brunch at the Cafe Bat Van Sene.

That night, we decided to get a light dinner -- A sandwich from the Scandinavian Bakery. On our way back to Khem Khong View, we ran into some friends from Hanoi. And, we ended up having a chat and some drinks before heading home.


Day 17: Luang Prabang

We didn't really intend on spending one more night in Luang Prabang. As far as we were concerned, we were supposed to be heading back to Vientiane that morning. But, because of the rain, we ended up having a lie in and spending the day chilling and shopping.


We spent the afternoon in Dyen Sabai which is across the Nam Khan River. It's a really serene location with cozy mats and cushions for you to sit on. You get to have two cocktails for the price of one during Happy Hour. And, they've also got some board games for the worn out tourist who just wants to chill.

The Footbridge

The Nam Khan River

On our way to Dyen Sabai, we passed by Wat Xieng Mouane. What made the temple different is that it had Chinese guardians instead of the Ramayana characters or the dragons.

Wat Xieng Mouane

We ended the day with a few drinks at a bar and a last visit to the night market where I got to buy some gifts to send home. 

The Journey Continues:

• Part 14 
• Part 15
• Part 16
• Part 17
• Part 18

25 Days of Laos (Part 12)

This is a journal of our 25-day trip around Laos on a rented Honda FTR that we fondly called Mustafa. It starts with a long bus ride from Hanoi to Laos and ends with a longer bus ride back to Hanoi.

Day 14: Muang Sui (or Nong Tang) to Luang Prabang

The next day, with empty bellies, we left early for a 184-kilometer trip to Luang Prabang. We didn't have a good start, however. The weather was really bad and we had to travel in the rain.


At some point, the rain fell in torrents and became difficult for us to see the road so we had to stop by one of the tiny shelters along the road. Huddled in a corner to avoid the water streaming from the leaking roof, we spent around half an hour in that shelter, not realizing that we could've stayed in a noodle stall in Nam Chat around 10 kilometers away.


When the rain lifted a bit, we decided to make our way to the nearest town which as I have mentioned was 10 kilometers away. There, we had some noodle soup while waiting for the rain to let up. Less than an hour later, we continued our journey to Luang Prabang.


A few kilometers away from Nam Chat, the road was muddy and slippery. Our bike slid and we ended up falling on the muddy road. Luckily, none of us got hurt. And, my camera and my laptop were both intact. We were a bit grimy after our spill though. We got on our bike and had a really chilly drive to Pukhoune. The way to the peak was very wet and misty.


When we finally got to the tiny restaurant that we used as a stopover when we left Vientiane from Luang Prabang, the lady who owned the joint wouldn't let us in until we've removed our grimy shoes and rain gear. After I've changed into dry clothes and gotten some Oreos, Pringles and some drinks, we talked about staying in Pukhoune for a night if the weather doesn't change.


Fortunately, the sun came out and we jumped on the bike to head for Luang Prabang. And, we got there in time for dinner at The House where we had some of their famous fries with curry sauce.

One of the views that you'll see as you travel from Pukhoune to Luang Prabang

Day 15: Luang Prabang
When I woke up the next day, I was surprised by the amount of energy I had despite our nasty trip the day before. Since I woke up earlier, I decided to walk to the Luang Prabang National Museum on my own. 

The National Museum

One of the cannons outside the palace

Built in 1904 during the French colonial era, the Luang Prabang National Museum used to be the Royal Palace of King Sisavang Vong and his family. It's location by the river is carefully chosen so that official visitors could disembark and be received below the palace. The palace was turned into a national museum after the Royal Family was taken to re-education camps in 1975.


At the entrance, I paid around 110,000 kip for the entrance fee which included an audio guide which enhanced the tour for me. I didn't just look at the displays in the museum I learned why they were there. I enjoyed looking at the rooms that the the former King and Queen stayed in. According to the audio tour, the King couldn't visit the Queen unless there was a white flower on her door. I thought that was a very nice way to communicate. Couples do need their space once in a while.


Another thing that caught my attention was the secretary room which is filled with diplomatic gifts from Laos' visitors from various countries. Among these objects is a piece of moon rock from one of the Apollo missions. There is also a small flag of Laos which the inscriptions say have been taken to the moon and was returned to earth to be given to the Royal Family.


The Phra Bang, a Buddha image which was taken to the city by King Visoun during the golden age of Lan Xang and was the reason why Luang Prabang got its name, can be found in the Royal Palace Museum.


After I've finished listening to the audio tour, I took my camera out of the locker room and headed back to Khem Khong View to wake my boyfriend and up and get some breakfast. Yes, it was very unfortunate that cameras aren't allowed in the museum and I couldn't take any pictures. I was able to take some pictures of Wat Ho Pha Bang.

After having breakfast in our favorite Cafe Ban Vat Sene, we decided to climb Mt. Phousi by going up the long, winding the staircase. At the peak of the Mt. Phousi was a beautiful temple and a breathtaking view of the city below. And, to make our climb more worth it, we decided to buy one of the caged birds and set it free. According to their practices, freeing this bird would give you good karma.

We spent most of the day chilling by the Mekong River. That night, we decided to head to the night stalls for some barbecue. On the way back to the Khem Khong View, we stopped by the night market to do some shopping.


Quick Travel Tips:


Luang Prabang National Museum (Royal Palace Museum). I paid around 110,000 kip for the entrance fee which included an audio guide. The audio guide is optional and you can enter the museum for a smaller fee without the audio guide. It is worth the extra amount though. Before entering the museum, remember to put your cameras in the locker. Otherwise, you would be rudely disturbed by the head attendant who wouldn't wait for you to finish a track from your audio tour. 


Mt. Phousi. The entrance is around 20,000 kip. It's actually much better to climb this during sunset.



The Journey Continues:

• Part 13
• Part 14 
• Part 15
• Part 16
• Part 17
• Part 18