Sackarinh G-house, Luang Prabang, Day 3

We wake up today ready to tackle another dreaded viewpoint. This one is only a few minutes walk from our hotel, so at least it doesn't tire our legs getting there. We walk up to the entrance and take a look inside a small temple that contains a very old mural which I guess depicts the life of Buddha. It is really interesting as the cracked paint and worn wood leaves a powerful feeling. It feels like a real place of worship, and three Buddha statues gleaming in contrast to the rest of it tops it all off.
As we head up we pass the bird sellers. Apparently it is lucky to release a bird from the top of the hill. We decide against it in the end as it makes us sad to see the tiny cages they are kept in, but it is a nice thought and when we see a woman doing it on the top it does look cool.
Luckily, the path to this viewpoint is proper steps, and we walk up slowly, knowing it won't be a long one as we can already see the bright Gold monument at the top. Our legs are still feeling the strain that the roads and hills of Vang Vieng left on them, and start to ache despite the short distance, so it is a relief when we arrive at the top. There is another temple there where some locals are praying, and a large Golden stupor, but none of these are as impressive as the views. From all sides the views are great, and we look out over the town and the Mekong that snakes through it. The hills in the background are also great to look at, and we find a spot in the shade and chill our for a while.
On the way down there are a few more sights, such as a small cave containing some Buddha statues, and what is supposedly the footprint of Buddha. It is huge, and some entrepreneurial youngsters try and charge us after we look at it, but he receives nothing but a 'nice try' from Amy.
Back down and after another giant fruit shake, we head to the national museum. It looks cool, but we wince at the 30,000 kip entrance fee, and opt to have a walk around the neighbouring temple instead. It is a stark contrast to the one from this morning, with its many decorations glistening in the sun, and we'll deserves it's reputation as Luang Prabang best.
It is still only early afternoon, and we go for a wander around the small alleyways and streets that cross through this town. We walk through food markets selling everything from chicken feet to fried banana, and markets selling h and m t-shirts for about twenty quid. It is lovely to walk around at the slow pace that is instilled into you like a drug when you come here. With temples every few minutes and brightly coloured bars and restaurants, it is very hard to get bored.
Before we know it we have done a loop and end up back near our hotel in the old quarter. The sun, that has been neglecting Northen Laos since we travelled up, finally comes out, and we celebrate by having a few beers in one of the cafes near our hotel. We sit on a table on the street and watch the world go by as one beer turns into two.
When it comes to tea time, we eat near our hotel again, and have a few more beers before we go back to the room, and Amy almost immediately falls asleep. She may blame the exertion of today's exercise, but I think we all know the reason for it.
Anyway, tomorrow we are up early for a trip to the famous Kuang Si waterfall, so it is best we stop drinking now and get some sleep. No-one would want a hangover on these bumpy roads!Weiterlesen