Ubon, BKK and Laos 2018 Page 6
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Back at the Manoluck hotel, all but two of us opted to catch forty winks. Jim Curtis and Neville Wareham refreshed from the trip down the Mekong, joined with the Thai contingent for a jaunt to the Tat Kuang Si. Legend has it, that the falls were formed when a wise old man digging deep into the earth, revealed the waters of Nam Si. After the waters came to Kuang Si, a Golden Deer made its home under a big rock protruding from the falls. The sound of the water falling on this rock (cont below) |
created an enchanting echo, that drew people from as far away as China. Sadly an earthquake in 2001 caused the rock to fall away so it's no longer visible. Some tourist attractions in this world enjoy serious overhyping and leave you feeling a little underwhelmed when you finally see them. According to Jim and Nev The Kuang Si, this large cascade of pale turquoise blue water that tumbles from the thick jungle above into perfectly sculpted limestone tiered pools below, might just be the ultimate highlight of their trip to Laos . |
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Dinner for our last night in Luang Prabang was at a riverside restaurant. As we ate we were unaware that a special treat was awaiting us. Dinner over a traditional troop of musicians and dancers were waiting to entertain us. For myself and I think the others, it's quite endearing when these troops perform. I got the feeling this troop was a family business. Laos people have to be very inventive to earn a crust, so why not turn your family hobby into a money spinner? The format of the show was based loosely on the Baci ceremony.
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The addition of the little girl to the floor certainly added to the charm of the performance. Eventually a 'Pah Kwan' was bought out and we were encouraged to join in. Neville was the VIP chosen to light the candle atop of the Pah Kwan and a picture of him appears in the slideshow. We were encouraged to line up in front of the the stage and join the performers in a rendition of 'Auld Lang Syne'. As we left, we rewarded the performers individually with a monetary gift for their endevours. They were certainly good value for money. |
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The pickups transported us to one of the two night market's for some last minute souvenir buying. This was a large market where the vendors laid their goodies out on the floor. There was a lot of variety and I now regret not taking the time to buy some gifts for those back home. I couldn't see anything that appealed, but being of the male gender I don't have the shopping skills required to spot the 'hot item'. Luckily Gill and Sandra have an eye for the unusual and purchased a very ornate cuddly elephant for me to reproduce here. |
The night was hot as we exited the alleyways at the far end. I didn't fancy trawling back through again so we made our way back along the road to await the transport. Young Backpackers were well in attendance showing the popularity of not only Vang Vieng but also Luang Prabang. At a road junction a policeman sat in his box directed us to a shop with tables and chairs outside to sit. It was here that I spotted this ancient BMW motorcycle and spoke to it's very proud shop keeper owner. He was very happy for me to take its picture. |
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Sunday November 18th and we are due to travel back to Vang Vieng. Up well before breakfast and I take a walk through the quiet streets near to the hotel. Some people are about but as the Saibaht is due others are sitting outside their homes with food for the Monks. Back at the hotel after a quick breakfast our cases are packed and will be transported to the coach on the outskirts of town awaiting our joining them. Before we leave Luang Prabang, we are to visit a couple of the most iconic site's in the city. |
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Wat Visounnarath. The most ancient temple of Luang Prabang. It was originally erected in 1515 and was rebuilt in 1898. Within the walls you will see that Pathoume or That Mak Mo (know as watermelon stupa because of its similarities to the fruit) which is a stone stupa built by king Visionarath’s wife. Destroyed and rebuilt many times over the ages, it is under repair once again.
Back in the buses we drove to Wat Xieng Thong.
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Wat Xieng Thong is characteristic of the Luang Prabang style and features an elaborate tree of life mosaic, intricately carved walls, rare Buddhist deities and a 12 metre high funeral carriage. Also known as the ‘Golden Tree Monastery’, The temple is strategically situated close to where the Mekong joins the Nam Khan River. Famous as the location for the coronation of Lao Kings and as an important place for significant annual festivities. The original temple was created in 1560 by royal King Setthathirath and narrowly missed invasion on several occasions. |
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Back on the coach and we make the reverse journey to Vang Vieng. I was paying more attention to the journey this time as i knew what to expect. The driver re-enforced his credentials by skillfully avoiding an accident when, a pickup truck came around a bend on the wrong side of the road. The hazardous nature of the lives of the people especially very young children, living between a cliff edge and a road, with large coaches, tankers and articulated vehicles thundering by, would be very worrying for any parent.
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The influence of China in Laos is massive, especially because of the Hi-Speed railway from China to Singapore. Because of the country's mountainous terrain and many rivers, the project entails building dozens of tunnels and some 170 bridges. It's not immediatley obvious what's under construction here because of the scale of the earthworks, but the rollover shows in greater detail the entrance to the tunnel mouth. Presumably there is another tunnel under construction directly opposite, beneath the road the coach was travelling over as the shot was taken? |
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The images above were taken in the early stages of the climb up to the top of the mountain range. At the top of course, was the restaurant where we were again to eat lunch.
Our table again was the one next to the sharp drop. With that in mind we again avoided alchohol, instead choosing to pose for pictures showing our bravado to eat without fear.
Another act of bravado occurred when Jim Curtis, who'd been pursued ardently by Nancy, one of the Thai ladies on the trip, could resist her advances no longer and proposed!
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On we went to Vang Vieng, in places crossing the direct line of the Hi-Speed railway, as the road twisted and turnd to follow the curvature of the mountains. We arrived at about 17:00 hrs but instead of parking at the airstrip, we drove on south well out of the town to park up beside the river. On alighting we walked to an orange suspension bridge that leads on to the Tham Chang cave. Tham Chang is famous for its beauty of numerous beautiful stalactites and rare stalagmites. Tourists have to pay a small entrance fee and climb a couple hundred steps. |
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Our bags had been collected from coach by the hotel pickups. They returned for us and we were taken to the Vasana. That evening we ate our last dinner in Laos as we would be exiting the country the following day. The Thai's ate at a different restaurant as they needed their chili
and spicy Som Tam. After dinner we walked back through the town
finally arriving in the vicinity of the hotel. The ladies after an exhausting day, decided a massage was in order to prepare for sleep. The male contingent sat in a bar opposite which was reminiscint of the bars in Khok Talat fifty years ago.
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Slideshow
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