The old royal city of Luang Prabang in Laos was the destination of our travel to South East Asia this spring.
Luang Prabang is a small town in northern Laos, where the river Nam Khan joins the Mekong. It is a rather touristy spot with many hotels and cheap guest houses accommodating mostly backpackers and groups of young people. Many of them seemed to be doing their gap year.
What's for dinner?
drying chillies
Christusdorn (Euphorbia spec.) decorate many window sills and balustrades.
a huge wasps' nest
Luang Prabang lies on both banks of the river Nam Khan. Each year bamboo bridges are built across which are swept away when the monsoon season comes only to be rebuilt the next season. During these huge yearly floods the water levels rise between 9 and up to 20 m high.
the joining of Nam Khan with Mekong
There is no bridge across the much wider Mekong and all transport is done by ferries and taxi boats.
house boats on the Mekong river
Some of the owners live in the back of these very long taxi boats.
The town's main attraction, though, are the numerous working temples and monasteries and a few hundred monks who live in and care for them.
early morning alms collection
crossing the Mekong
(to be cont'd)
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