Sackarinh G-house, Luang Prabang, Day 5

It is our final day in Luang Prabang, and after a nice lie in we head out and grab some bikes, so we can see more of the city before we go.
Our first stop is the market, where we get a nice breakfast, and eat enough rice to fill us up for the day ahead. We head off aiming for a clothes market in which I saw some shirts I wanted to by, but unfortunately they're too big. Its not a completely wasted journey though as there is a pretty cool art gallery opposite that we walk around for a few minutes.
We head off again and we see a sign for a place called Utopia. This place was mentioned on a list of things to do that I put on here a few days ago, so we decide to go for a drink. What a place it is! Right next to the fast flowing Mekong, we sit (or more like lay down as we are on mats with a small lift at the end that are a lot comfier then they look) and immediately feel relaxed. The view is great, and the design of the bar is also great. It feels like a very dance back garden, with a few massive bombs that must have been dropped around here sticking out of the ground in decoration. The tea is excellent again, especially Amy's ginger tea. Apart from quiet music from the bar, that is quite a way a distance from where we sit, it is almost silent. We could sit here all day, but as midday rolls by we feel we should do something, and sadly leave it behind and head off again.
We head over the Mekong on a bridge we spotted at Utopia, and find ourselves in a much more sparse part of town. The big buildings and shops are much fewer, and it is plain to see that this is the poorer side. We bike around a bit before finding ourselves on a dirt track. After a few minutes we see a small cut through and follow it until we reach the Mekong again, and see the bamboo bridge we saw on the first day here, but this time from the opposite side.
To be truthful, without biking for miles and miles, there really isn't too much of interest on the outskirts of the city, and eventually we decide to go back to the old quarter and grab a sandwich.
With dinner packed and ready, we bike along the Mekong again, until we reach a lovely picnic area where we stop and eat. A friendly local tries chatting to us but we can't really understand what he is saying so just laugh when it seems appropriate for most of the conversation.
After dinner we drop the bikes back off and try booking a bus for the next day to Nong Khiaw, but in the end decide to try our own luck in making our way to the station.
After resting in the room for a bit, we head out for tea at the market again. It is like walking a gauntlet as you head down past the many stalls, and try not to have eye contact with any of the screaming ladies asking for your custom. As soon as you pick up a menu and hear them telling you to sit down, it is very awkward to say no and walk away. In the end we sit down on an empty table before checking the menu, which results in Amy not having many veggie choices. It is too late to leave now though. Fried rice it is.
Luckily for Amy, and mostly for me, she is cheered up by a delicious nutella and strawberry crepe on the way home. We get back in the room and watch a movie before going to sleep, ready for another travel day tomorrow.Read more