Luang Prabang, Laos - A Wonderful Little Town
Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 3:19PM Luang Prabang was such a fascinating place to be for four days that I couldn't help but take many, many photographs. I have decided to make several individual entries here on my blog, rather than one large entry.
The old French colonial town of Luang Prabang (pop. est. 56,000) in west central Laos is a noted UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and with good reason.
Although I was in Luang Prabang a month before the start of the busy tourist season, it was still a very active little town, especially in and around the city centre market.
I have a photographic infatuation with the draymen . . . those who push carts by hand. They are still widely used in and around crowded marketplaces in Asia (and Africa) as the best way to get goods in and out of the crowded lanes and alleyways.
If you didn't already know that this town was on a large river, the goods in the town market would tell you.
You would also learn from the market that there was still a lot of manual labour being done nearby.
The ubiquitous Asian 'tuk-tuk' takes on a slightly different flavor in each country in the region . . . these are the Laotian version.
Since we were going to be in town for four days, we decided to employ our own tuk-tuk for the duration. We were very lucky to hire this 18-year old who spoke very good English . . . and doubled as a tour guide.
This is a very good way to get to know a small town. If you see something interesting/photogenic, just ask to stop.
Luang Prabang was a very, very clean city. They take pride in their World Heritage Center designation.
We asked our tuk-tuk jockey what might be interesting to see . . . he recommended the Craft Center. He was correct, it was fascinating.
The Craft Center was a collection of old wooden buildings in a tropical garden setting.
The craft that was being practiced here was silk-making, natural dying, and weaving . . . here recently dyed silk being dried in the sun.
Such marvelous colors . . . and all from natural plant-based dyes.
Silk worms. We took a brief tour of the silk-making facility by a very eager young man with very good English wearing a badge that said "Trainee." The tourists are coming!
The silk worms spin these silk pods for their larvae. These must be unwrapped. There are many grades of silk, some fine and some rough and coarse.
The rough raw silk.
Ancient knowledge: what plant juices produce what colors.
The Craft Center was also a woman's fair trade cooperative for silk weavers.
Such fine and beautiful work (available at the gift shop).
Artistic hand-weaving is hard and intricate work.
From coarse raw silk to beautiful textiles.
A display of old silk patterns in the museum.
The Craft Center had a marvelous tree house with views to everywhere . . . but I was chicken, I mean, in a hurry to get some water.
As it turned out, we weren't the only ones who were finding the Craft Center interesting that morning . . . a crew, and talent, were filming a piece for Lao TV.
After the Craft Center we rode around for a while in the tuk-tuk looking for a recommended French Café and lunch . . . and taking photos out the back of the tuk-tuk along the way.
We found our French Bakery & Café where we had a delicious meal out on the sidewalk.
These street hawkers walked by on their way into the town center. They seemed to be practicing, or taking their first foray along the sidewalk . . . getting ready for tourist season to begin.
After lunch we went back into town and walked around among the shops.
The shops were bulging with goods in anticipation of the 15,000 mostly French tourists a day who would begin to arrive within weeks. The fashions and styles were really wonderful. My wife bought several fabulous outfits here.
I'm sure the sight of this old Citroën will bring a big smile to the French tourists.
I love the feel of this old town.
Well dressed patrons of a high end fashion shop.
This little guy sat quietly out in front of his parent's shop.
The Luang Prabang School . . . right on the main street.
Coffee shops, textile stores, and curious shops dominate the old downtown now. When I first visited Luang Prabang 22 years ago there was very little in the way of catering to tourists . . . the World Heritage Center designation seems to have changed all of that.
Another of the many fine boutiques.
Of course Luang Prabang is not entirely a tourist town. There are the daily needs of the Lao who live here to be met. A lovely hardware store.
We knew of a favorite place the locals went to for breakfast of hot congee and fried bread, in this parade of shops next to the river.
The proprietress readying the side dishes and the strong thick milk coffee.
This is what we had come for: Lao congee, fried bread, and strong milk Lao coffee. Based on chicken stock, it was full of goodness!
There were several variations on the menu for the delicious congee - like a raw egg that cooks in your congee!!!
Just across the road from our congee shop was the mighty Mekong River.
When we arrived, our hotel shuttle driver said we just missed the famous boat races held the previous week. In my wondering aground town I came across these beauties stashed in the back of a Buddhist temple. WOW!
Stored at the same Wat was this carriage . . . apparently there is a parade too.
Luang Prabang is a photographer's dream . . . new brooms for the Wat.
Even the garbage cans are interesting . . . .
. . . this pile of ceremonial votive items were stacked up around some garbage cans . . . 
One of the most interesting and important activities one does when visiting Luang Prabang is to wake up at 5:00am and go out to the street and participate in the almsgiving. Your hotel or guesthouse may organize this for you.
A small covered basket is filled with rice for distribution to the monks who will file past.
And . . . as the sun is beginning to light the sky, the line of monks begin to walk up our small lane.
Monks on their morning walk for alms.
A small amount of rice is placed in each monk's bowl. Town folk take more substantial food directly to the Wats. 
Some of the monks were surprisingly young.
Many monks, over 200, passed our spot across from our hotel. It was a very moving and spiritual experience.
The last monk . . . he may have overslept . . . I am not sure . . .
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