21.07.2004

Luang Prabang

Laos effortlessly surpasses every country we've been to so far, in every way. That statement is truer the further north you go. If I were spirited enough to write something really special and memorable about Luang Prabang I would. Right now. Anyway.

The urban scene is just so civilized here: little brick-paved roads and alleys with clay tea-candle-style street lights and the most amazing Wats and crumbling colonial buildings. Although less-crumbling now - UNESCO world-heritage listing in the early 90's and enforced development guidelines show through - the place has got more character than any town we've visited. I urge everyone who's considering quitting their job to wander the world seeking adventure and beauty to use Luang Prabang as the standard. Seriously.

The hooded, terraced, limestone pools we visited yesterday are fed by waterfalls that seem to roar down from every possible angle. Tilt your head away from the main waterfall feature if you want to press your pre-programmed [gasp now] button - cause you'll see endless other waterfalls through the gaps in the rich jungle foliage - gravity at it's breath-taking best. Palm fronds bigger than any I've seen. Well, not palm fronds but massive leaves like you'd cut off to wave to visiting dignitaries if you were an African king's servant.

The stunning visual combination of white and blue limestone pools, rich green Laotian jungle, and misting waterfalls gives you the sneaking feeling someone's tinkered with your perception - it just doesn't seem real.

Tomorrow we rent motor bikes with Dan and Niki and head north to get lost in some little villages for a few days. Our charitable bent has been responsibly refined so this time we're bringing a whole lot of writing pads and pencils to spread the scourge of literacy to local schools instead of tooth decay and begging. (This is just another reflection of how caring, considerate, and socially aware we are, and should not be construed by the reader as a gift that doubles as a guarantee we will get food and shelter in the villages we come across.)

Words are the only things we're dealing at squareapple right now cause pictures are just impossible in the current environment, but expect a flood on the market soon, cause this memory chip is getting heavy.