Laung Prabang is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The entire town is a UNESCO world heritage site, and the title is well deserved. As you walk down the town center and all its little side streets, you are immersed in the beauty of its old colonial architecture mixed in with a tropical landscape and snippets of local life. When you stay within the town center and look at the buildings around you, you very much feel like you haven’t left the Western world; you’re surrounded by tourists, little café’s, wine shops, art galleries, and boutiques- all very much catering to the overwhelmingly French tourist population. It’s when you start to stray away from the center that things start to get interesting. You begin to see the way in which locals have made these French colonial remnants their own; Lao and Communist flags hang on every corner and small businesses and homes peer through 19th century doors. Between colonial buildings you find breathtaking historic Laotian wats and palaces that persevered through times of turmoil. The town strikes a perfect harmony between old and new, Eastern and Western, traditional and foreign.

On our first day we roamed around the city and went to the incredible Wat Xieng Thong. This place is so amazing I could never find the words to properly describe it. When we arrived it was around 6 pm, and all the tourists had emptied out, which made our experience so much more special. We were welcomed by the sound of monks chanting their evening prayers, a sound that overwhelmed and deeply moved me. We stood at the door of the wat and just listened in awe. The image of these beautifully ornate golden doors outlining a group of monks in their saffron gowns bowing before a golden Buddha was just unreal. Mike and I looked at each other and both understood that were witnessing a very special moment.

When their prayers were over we walked out and watched the sun set over the Wat and the monks doing their evening chores and playing around. It was such a peaceful, real moment. We left Wat Xieng Thong with a smile on our faces and a sense of affirmation for the choices we’ve made and the path we’re on.

Our last day in Laos found us in a cramped tuk tuk on our way to a local market for our cooking class. It was fascinating to learn about the different herbs and vegetables they use in Laotian cooking, and see how traditional ingredients are produced and sold. We wound through never ending rows of vegetables and fruits, pinched our noses while we plunged into the dark rows of bloody butcher shops, and stared in wonder over the strange sea creatures that flopped around in ice buckets. You can see why this was my paradise and Mike’s hell- such a devout carnivore never enjoys seeing where their meat comes from.

The class itself was amazing, and I’m so grateful to Mike for having found it. We spent the afternoon cooking in a tropical paradise learning so much about traditional Laotian flavors and why they prefer them, and practicing some pretty interesting techniques (like stuffing chicken in a small reed of lemongrass…try it, it’s SO difficult). Mike was such a champ and conquered every dish that was thrown his way, and even tried a piece of beef tripe! At the end of the day we left with our stomachs full, and a great little book with recipes (I’ll post our favorite one on the food page).

Luang Prabang was so incredible I am already dreaming about when we can come back, but for now on to another big adventure in Myanmar!