Fun in First-Gear:
Cruising in Luang Prabang

A few days in Luang Prabang provide a healthy dose of heritage, culture, and blissful downtime, as one adapts to the unhurried local way of life.

As the sun set over the mighty Mekong, a mist was beginning to settle, and the dense jungle and jaw-toothed limestone peaks had begun to transform into dramatic silhouettes, yet shimmering golden stupas could still be seen in the distance. I had arrived in Luang Prabang by longtail boat.

Longtail Boat to Luang Prabang

For centuries, this royal city has been the spiritual and cultural heart of Laos . Snuck in the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, and encircled by densely-forested mountains, the city's languid charm has been inspiring, ad intriguing travelers for many years.

It is important to rise with the lark in Luang Prabang. In the town's main thoroughfare I found a throng of vendors selling khao niew (sticky rice), to those who wanted to make merit. Locals lined up by their homes and shops to greet over 300 saffron-robed monks carrying big black lacquer alms bowls, who had filed out of their temples in a procession which seemed to float down the roadway. Out of a population of 15,000 residents, there are over 500 monks in Luang Prabang!

Almsgiving in Luang Prabang

After making my offering, I walked over to the bustling morning market Talat Phousi. Threading my way through the stalls brimming with fresh fruit, fish, meats and vegetable, I reached a section where breakfast was well underway. People were eating sticky rice with grilled fish, along with curries and spicy salads, such as Som Tam, green papaya salad. There were also fresh baguettes and sandwiches costing only a few cents each. I went for the traditional fur, noodles in a rich broth; adding ground chili, lemon, sugar and shrimp paste, and finishing with a glass of strong, bitter, filtered coffee, sweetened by thick condensed milk.

Luang Prabang is best explored by bicycle, and having secured one, I rode to the Royal Palace Museum on the Mekong riverbank. An intriguing hybrid of Lao-French colonial architecture, it was built by the French Administration from 1904-1909 as the palatial residence of King Sisavang Vong. At its gate, the striking crest of Erawan symbolizes the former Lao Kingdom; a gold, three-headed elephant. The palace's sweeping, multi-tiered roof with wide overhanging eves is typical Lao and extremely beautiful. Its aura is further enhanced by the pillars surrounding the outside gallery, holding up the eves with their sculpted fleur-de-lys. Once inside, Italian marble stairways, French mirrors, Czech chandeliers and lacquered and gilded Laotian furniture create a unique fusion of styles.

The Royal Palace

The walls are adorned with portraits of King Sisavang Vatthana and family, who reigned until 1975 when the Pathet Lao communist forces conquered the country. The Communists did not want a king, both ideologically and politically, and it is thought that the King and Queen were sent to die in a mountainous exile or a brutal re-education camp in the late seventies. No one knows for sure, and debate, in Laos at least, remains taboo. However, an appreciation of royal style has been revived in Luang Prabang in the interests of tourism.

From the Royal Palace , I rode to Wat Xieng Thong, a 500 year-old monastery at the north end of town. A feast for the eyes, the multi-tiered sweeping roofs of glazed tiles seemed almost like angel's wings. The colorful bougainvillea, frangipani and hibiscus, as well as towering banyan and palms add to the serenity. On the back wall of the temple is a glass-encrusted tree of enlightenment set in a red painted wall. Inside the main chapel are gold-stenciled pillars holding up a ceiling covered with dharma wheels.

Wat Xieng Thong

Under UNESCO criteria, Luang Prabang has been divided into three zones: the old quarter remains much as it was and no new structures can be built only interiors can be renovated after the plans have been approved. Many delightful, family-run guesthouses accommodating only around I0 people can be found here, as well as small shops, boutiques, galleries and cafes. Just outside this area is the peripheral zone, where new construction is permitted, but which must blend with the overall design of the town. Finally, there is the natural zone along the riverbanks where they are working to preserve the environment.

mong the traditional wooden homes, I found exceptional examples of the Lao-French architectural style. In addition to the tiered roofs and louver shutters for ventilation, concrete steps led to second floor, much like in Paris and Montreal. The scrollwork below the gables and eves are awesome when one thinks of the time and effort it must have taken to produce such intricate work.

The sun was now about to set, so I set off for Mount Phousi, the highest point of Luang Prabang. To reach it, I climbed a 328-step stairway that snakes up through heavy vegetation. Part way up, there's a fork that leads to a small temple built in the 16 th century.

Wat Phousi

It is best to walk up slowly. There are a number of landings where you can rest and catch glimpses through the foliage of what lies in store. At the peak, there's a revered golden-spired stupa built by King Anurat, yet it is quite something to just gaze at the quaint town stretching lackadaisically below, enclosed by patchwork-quilt rice paddies and stoic mountain ranges.

Sunset on the Mekong in Luang Prabang

But the sun was now falling, and the rivers and sky were turning into saffron tones, which then deepened into purples-the colors of nirvana.