Luang Prabang (part 2 by the adults)

We are up to Wednesday the 19th of February! We have been on the road for a month and a half already! This year is going so fast!
On that day, we did a cooking class. We really enjoyed our last cooking class in Cambodia, so we wanted to try one in Laos. This one was a bit different: we cooked different dishes for us to share after. It was a bit less organised than our last class. We were given things to cut, crush and mix without knowing too much which dish we were making. We still had a lovely time picking up some herbs as they are growing their own, cooking on traditional wood stoves and discovering Laotian recipes. I particularly enjoyed cooking some blue flower to color the sweet sticky rice blue (and it was delicious!). After we finished cooking, we sat with a beautiful view of the mountains in front of us to enjoy our very enjoyable meal. We were so very full by the end of it.
The class was in the Nahm Dong Park, so we walked along the river and small waterfalls there. Emma had a swim in the cold water as she loves it. The walk was good to work out our big lunch!
In the evening, we went to see a small show of storytelling in English, with one musician playing the Bamboo organ. It was very interesting: the stories were about legends from Luang Prabang. One man was telling the stories, his delivery was very interesting and different from shows I have seen before. The stories were supported by the second person in the act playing Bambo organ, which sound a little bit like a harmonica/tiny organ. I enjoyed this show as it was different from what we have seen before. After that, we had dinner at a restaurant nearby and back to our room to sleep!
The next day was a different day. We visited the Big Brother Mouse book shop. This is a book shop created in 2006 by a retired American publisher and 2 Laotian man with a passion for teaching. When they started, they heard a lot: ‘Laotian people don’t read’. And it is true. 50% of 10 years old children can not read a simple Lao sentence. At Big Brother Mouse, they create fun books, to make reading a fun and enjoyable thing. But they wanted to go further and created the Big Sister Mouse school in Luang Prabang in 2016 with only 13 students. They now have 7 schools and 2300 students. They ask for volunteer to come and read, play games and talk in English with the children. And that is what we did.
It was very challenging: we were expected to help teachers, but no. We were sent into classrooms, sat on the floor and each of us (including Andrew and Emma) were sent a small group of kids to talk and play with, with pretty limited resources. The younger ones were preschool kids and knew only a couple of words, if any. We had cards with animal and objects and were trying to teach them those words. Each group stayed with us for around 20 minutes and then we had another group. Some kids were pretty kin on learning, but other just wanted to snatch the cards and mess around. With us not knowing Laotian, it was hard to communicate. We worked with primary school kids and it was a bit easier as some knew a bit more English. We also got to talk and play games with 9-10 years old kids, and it was fun as their level of English was much better. Kev asked one of them if they often have tourists coming and apparently this is a regular (almost daily) thing. I think it is very good for the older kids who have learnt some English and can converse and get better at it, but I am not sure we did any good for the younger one. There was not structure and no support from the teachers there, so it felt more like babysitting. But saying that, some little ones were very happy when they got the right color or the right animal’s name, so maybe it helped a little bit.
Pretty often between “classes”, the kids danced on a couple of songs, and due to my work, I know all about the importance of movement for children, so it was nice to see them moving (even if I wanted to do even more and have them cross their midlines and do more movement, but it was a start!). The school system in Laos is in a pretty bad shape and organisation like Big Sister Mouse are trying to help and make a difference. But obviously they need funds, so if you feel like helping, here is a link: https://www.bigbrothermouse.com/literacy/donate….
At the end of the day, we were pretty tired! But it was a great experience. Andrew and Emma both got a new appreciation for teachers as they saw, firsthand, how hard it was to get kid’s attention and to teach things! I am very proud of both of them, as I watch them sat in the middle of children, trying to teach them words and did not give up for the whole day.
On the evening, we walked around the night market, to find our Laos magnet (we collect one magnet per country!) and a few postcards.
The next day, we went back to the Kuang Si Waterfall, as we promised to Emma. It is truly a beautiful place. I enjoyed taking some pictures of it. The blue-green color of the water and the formation of the waterfalls are truly amazing the see. Emma loves swimming in the waterfall, and she did just that! Andrew does not like cold and evidently, the water was very cold, so he just walked in shallow water and built some little dams. Emma is growing more and more confident and jumped (with Kev) from a tree, 2-3 meter above the water into it. She was very proud of herself and she should (Andrew would have done it too, if the water was warm!)! Both Kev and I had a swim and yes, it is cold when you get in, but you get used to it pretty quickly. The thing I didn’t like was if you stay still for too long, little fish come to nibble on your feet, it made me jumped every time!!!
Near the waterfall, you can also see some moon and sun bears which have been rescued from illegal trafficking. Those bears were used in bile farm (bile from their stomach was use in traditional medicine). They were kept in tiny cage for years with tube inserted in their stomach. Near the waterfall is a sanctuary for them (there are several around Laos, Thailand and Cambodia). Unfortunately, their natural habitat is disappearing fast and there is no protected area for them, so they are safest in those sanctuaries. The aim is to release them somewhere safe, but it can’t be done at the moment. ‘Free the bear’ is an association which rescue bears, take care of them, educate about them and protect them. This is another organisation that you can support: https://freethebears.org/pages/donate.
After that we went back and had a rest at the hotel, then we went to a pub with some nice music and had a game night. Nothing fancy, but those moments are some of my favorite.
Saturday was a school day for us. Kids worked on their math, and we added some information on the document we are creating about the countries we visited. They are learning how to research information and learning about the countries.
In the afternoon, we took a sunset cruise. The river becomes very busy around that time with boat filled with tourists admiring the beautiful Mekong River as the sun slowly set. It sounds peaceful, but there are a few party boats amongst it, with loud music and even some karaoke! But it is still a really nice experience. Our boat was a quiet one and we enjoyed this lovely moment. As the light of the sun disappears, the electric lights on the bank of the river start to appear and it is also amazing to watch.
Today is a blog and packing day, as we are leaving tomorrow for a whole new adventure. Tomorrow we are flying to India!!! Exciting!
We are all a bit sad to leave South-East Asia. Luang Prabang was a lovely place to finish this part of the trip. I am very excited about India as I have always wanted to go there. I am also a bit apprehensive, as it will be completely new to us (I knew South-East Asia a bit). New culture, new food, new challenges and new discoveries are coming our way. We are ready!
Mel

18.2.2025. Blog day and school work day. All day, nothing else. Not very exciting but necessary. On to tomorrow.
19.2.2025. Today we were off to Namh Dong park for a cooking class. It was different to our last cooking class. The previous class we each picked 3 dishes and we worked only on our food. This class we picked less meals and worked on them together. The feeling here was more of a traditional family meal, we all sat around and shared after. It was delicious. I especially liked the salad with an egg yolk sauce the kids made, something I will remember and make at home. They hard boil the eggs, remove the white and slice for the salad. They mash the yolk and mix with mayonnaise, sugar, lime juice and a little water. The yolk made it all creamy, bloody good. Though I will not use much sugar when I make it as I don't like too much sweetness. After we had all eaten, we made our way down to the river for some swimming. It's smaller than we had hoped, with little falls and pools. Emma swam a bit, by herself it was bloody freezing. Andrew does not do cold, so he splashed a little in the shallows making dams. We hiked a little, walked across a small, bouncy suspension bridge and saw some more of the country side. We stopped at a school and picked up the drivers kids on our way back to Luang Prabang (this may not seem important information now but just you wait).
20.2.2025. Mel had heard of a community program that helps Laos kids learn to read. The Big Brother Mouse was created in Luang Prabang, when it was noticed there were no books in Laos and that “Laos people don't read”. Big Brother Mouse helped locals learn Laos and English, often by inviting tourists to come and have conversations with the locals in the evenings. Vastly helping locals learn both. In 2019, a study showed that only 50% of 10 year olds in Laos could read and understand a simple Laos text. Big Sister Mouse was created. This program saw books, created at BBM, sent to schools outside the Luang Prabang area. Tourists are also encouraged to visit these schools to spend a day with the kids, talking English and hopefully helping. We paid a small fee (used to create more books as BBM is a not for profit) and we also bought some books to take with us for the school library. Off we went in the back of a Tuktuk. To the school from yesterday. Us 4 and also someone from Hong Kong and another from France. The only pre-requisite, be able to speak reasonable English (I just made the cut). It was not what we were expecting, at all. We were kinda thrown into it, sat down with a group of preschoolers and given some games. We all know what preschoolers are like, then throw in a language barrier. The little ones didn't know much English(understandable) but were able to say alot of the English words of animals and other objects. It was just a fight to keep all the cards and sheets to myself. By lunchtime, we had sat with around 6 groups of kids and I was mentally stuffed. An hour break was welcomed. We worked a little with older kids at the end of the day, much easier. Kids are kids, non matter where you are. Emma was with me and we had alot of fun with the last group(10-11year olds), we were able to talk and play. But best of all, we were able to laugh and have fun. I think that's were learning becomes easier, if I'm wrong let me know teachers. After we returned, we had made another travelling friend and chatted for a bit over coffee. Later, we hit the night market for postcards and a Luang Prabang magnet.
21.2.2025. We decided to head back to Kuang Si falls, as the swimming would be way better there. We negotiated with a van driver to take us there for half a day and ended up splitting the cost with a couple from England who had the same plan as us. Once at the falls we found a nice spot to swim. Bloody cold, I mean seriously bloody cold. I promised Emma I would go in with her and so I did. Voice got a bit higher when I got in. We had a bit of a swim, it's hard swimming up to a waterfall. Even a small one, as it's always pushing you away. We decided to move up the River a bit and try another spot. We found a bigger area with more tourists, just as friggin cold tho. I noticed I couldn't feel my left heel and the tips of my fingers. Numbness was setting in. There was a huge tree with a cut off branch sticking out that a guy was jumping off. I'm doing that!! I did that. Stubbed a frozen toe on a rock, the fun continues. Emma wanted to jump off the branch. I thought, “she's not gonna do that”. But, she did. Once again Emma surprised me. I helped Emma out to the end of the branch, and we jumped together. After that the adrenaline monster had sunk its claws. We jumped together two more times. Andrew wanted to jump, but not more than he wanted to stay warm and dry. By then everything was numb and I was shaking. That's it, I'm done. Good thing too as we were quickly running out of time. We grabbed our things and set off to the biggest waterfall so Mel could get some pictures. On the way back we checked out the bear sanctuary. A place near the waterfalls for moon bears. Saved from cages where they had their bile harvested. Not enough natural jungle to release them, so here they are. Safe and looked after, but not free. After that it was time to head back to our van, 3 hours flew by. Got some food and relaxed. I was stuffed, I think being frozen must really take it out of you. Later that evening we found a relaxed bar playing some blues and old school music. Had some beers, couple plates of hot chips and played some card games. A good day spent with family.
22.2.2025. Ah good old blog day. Bit of a sleep in, followed by making a cup of coffee and get back into bed to write. After blogging a bit, we packed a small bag with stuff we brought but have now realised we're not gonna use and should never have brought with us. The plan? Send it home. The problem? Even though on the website it says the post office is open, it's not. Any way, we sent some postcards we had and went to find some lunch. We had decided to do a sunset river cruise this evening, so we headed for the river to suss out the options. Too many options, boats everywhere and people selling all sorts of rides and features. We settled on one, “Coconut Cruise”. The kids went on for free and it lasted 2 hours with a drink and snack. After the cruise was sorted we had some time to kill, so headed off looking for a cafe to play some card games. Found one, Melisa Cafe! Nice coffee and really nice desserts. Time for our cruise. We got our drink and snack(Mel and I), the snack was fried river weed. It looks a bit like the seaweed they wrap maki rolls with but it tastes way better, imo. Fried with thinly sliced garlic and sometimes tomato. Sprinkled with sesame seeds. This one had a smoky, peppery flavour to it as well. Well worth a taste if your ever over this way. The sunset was really nice, disappeared behind clouds then a mountain, only to come back and disappear again as we went further down the river. Emma was starting to feel pretty crook, little temperature but mostly tired I think. Maybe yesterday was taking its toll. We walked back to our guesthouse and Mel took Emma up for a shower and bed. Andrew and I went next door for some food. Then up to bed.
23.2.2025. It's our second last day in SE Asia. Can hardly believe this part of our trip is almost over. I am going to use today's blog as a bit of a roundup of my thoughts and feelings of the place. What do I think of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos? I'll start with Thailand, as we only stayed in Bangkok and didn't see the more rural areas. Big, loud music/people and bright lights. Typical of what you would expect from a big city. We will have to do Thailand again but next time leave the big city.
Cambodia and Laos were similar in a lot of aspects. There is poverty, out on display. You can't not see it. People of all ages, working hard every day of their lives. Rubbish, everywhere. We talked to some other tourists and they commented on it, saying why do we bother recycling when they don't. Because “we“ can, is the simple answer. These people don't have any other choice except to use what is available to them and plastic is the cheapest option for them. I'm hoping one day soon this will change. Theres also wealth, hard to miss. Brand new Lexus and EVs and every other major car brands top of the line option. Massive mansions built amongst the forest, behind closed gates. SE Asia has shown me beauty. Beauty in its landscapes, beauty in the faces of its people. I have heard people say they try to rip you off (Tuktuk drivers), they don't. They give you a number, you give a smaller number and usually meet somewhere in the middle. On occasion we were happy with their first offer and took it. They're just trying to provide for their families, and we're only talking the difference of a few dollars. We came across charities and outreach programs doing great work here. We learnt of atrocities that happened in these areas, some not so long ago. I have seen and read things that blew my mind, and disturbed me to my core. I have tried new things and witnessed my kids experience things for the first time. I have felt an inner glow watching my kids grow. I have felt heartbreak after seeing a young child asleep on the footpath trying to sell bananas to tourists when they should be at home in bed. We don't buy from children, no one should. SE Asia has shown me it's best and it's worst.
So after all that, here are some things that I will always remember. Luang Prabang is my favourite place here. It is beautiful, lots to do and the rubbish is better taken care of as it is more of a family area not a party area. Tourists and tourism is the best and worst things for the area. It provides an income for families here, and lots of tourists like to give back during their stays. Then there's the arseholes who think the world is made just for them. Trying to get that perfect photo for social media, but just being a nuisance. Taking selfies with local kids who clearly look uncomfortable but they're too focused on themselves to notice anything going on around them. Being videoed and photod while I helped my daughter overcome a fear and jump out of a tree. I try to exclude others from my photos where I can. I have met a few really nice travellers so far. Tourists annoy the shit out of me. Or as my dad says “bloody terrorists”. In my 7 weeks of travel so far I have learned one thing that will stick with me forever. I am not a tourist, I am a traveller, and that makes a huge difference. Goodbye SE Asia, we will be back.
KevRead more