So I got into Luang Prabang last night and wandered around a little trying to find a place to stay. The taxi dropped me (and two other travelers) off near the night market. It wasn’t long before I started to remember different things from my time here about five years ago. Before I showed up, I really couldn’t say what the city was like mainly because I think I was confusing Luang Prabang with other towns in Laos. Like I said though, I started to remember as soon as I made it into the city… or rather the night market.

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is probably the most popular city in Laos; at least the most visited. It’s a small quaint city that has narrow streets that all seem to end at the river. There are two rivers here, the Mekong, which I came down yesterday, and another that I can’t remember the name. It really gives the city a nice feel that wherever you go there is a river very close by. It is also packed with temples.

Last night about 6, when the taxi dropped us off at the start of the night market, a festival was just starting and the main street where the night market sits was just jammed with people. The festival seemed more like a parade of dragon floats and school kids singing and chanting than it did a festival though. Along with the hundreds of tourists lining the street there were just as many proud parents snapping photos of their costumed children. The parade/festival lasted about three hours and I feel fortunate to have had a chance to have seen it.

This morning I was woken up at about six from the sounds of a small café preparing for the coming customers. What a nice thing to wake up for though, tables being slid along the ground, pots and pans being rattled, and the workers laughing and joking. What a pleasant experience, especially at six in the morning. :)

I spent the morning wandering along the river just taking photos and trying to remember more of my time here before. Some things were coming back but much I feel like I seeing for the first time. An example was before when I was here, it just seemed more ‘real’ and authentic and this time I feel like I’m in a theme park. It is something that I don’t like at all. There are tourists everywhere and they aren’t the backpacking type either, more like Grandma and Grandpa being driven around by air conditioned mini vans, which is to me is the worst kind of touristlao.