Luang Prabang

This is such a picturesque city. French provical houses and buildings nestled next to the Mekong, and surrounded by hills. Very good place to just hang out, and you can get silver jewelery made.

All in all my favorite small city so far. It is a good place to take a break from travelling and just take it easy.

Was here for the buddah easter, each wat was decorated in hundreds of paper lanterns, hanging and on the ground. There was a prosession of paper lantern boats, and dragons through the town with explosions of fire works, bands, tradiationally dressed 'mascots' for each wat etc. The procession made its way explosively down the main street and parked at the main mosque where the mekong and the Nam something river meet. Everywhere around the city the banks to these huge rivers is step, and inaccessible. The wat has a series of step and wide staircases that lead down to the river. The boats where carried one by one down the stairs and attached to long boats in the Mekong, before being towed away.

At the same time everyone bought 'flower boats' These were flower arrangements the size of cakes that everyone buys, they have candles and incense on them. Each looks extravagent, I will have to show you the photos. Everyone in the town takes there boat down the stairs and launches it into the river - it brings you good luck for the year.

I lit my first fire works in a long time, as instructed by the local kids. There where explosions everywhere for the days before and after. Farangs were the target of many firework missiles of the small but very loud variety!

I was speaking to an Australian girl who saw a gang of young monks around 12 who threw fireworks at the boat she and her boyfriend were travelling in and mooned them. The monks are not always reverant!

I still have to go to the buddah cave where people store there buddah statues of all sizes, and visit to clean them once a year.