"HOW IS THAT LITTLE GIRL NOT SWEATING"

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS

Temperature: 34 Degrees Celsius and very humid

Track of the day: "How's it going to be", Third Eye Blind

"Time to get a move on," Alecs says at an ungodly hour, already packing his backpack. Today we are moving hotels to get closer to the city for the extra two days we are now spending here. Thongbay (our current guesthouse) is a 20,000 kip ride into town everyday (about $2.50 US) but that is the only complaint we have about it. "I'm gonna miss this place," I say as we close the bungalow door and look out at the river below our balcony. "Me too" Alecs says, "it sure is the most tranquil place we've stayed in yet." Handing the keys over to the friendly Lao staff member, he ties string bracelets around our wrists for good luck and gives me a purple scarf. Our new guesthouse is moments off main street and the lovely Lao woman who runs it is a wealth of knowledge. After checking in however, it becomes obvious that we are the only guests

here, which is both a blessing and a curse. The staff know our every move  but at the same token they dote on us to no end. We arrive in time for the included breakfast which is available at one of two restaurants down the road. We try a small noodle shop called Pho Hanoi that is supposed to have the best Pho Soup in town. "Is this it?" Alecs says as we circle a hole-in-the-wall eatery at the corner of a dusty street. We flash our breakfast vouchers to one of the staff who nods her head and beckons us into a table. Once inside it becomes painfully clear that the flies severely outnumber the people in the restaurant. I twitch my leg and wave the flies from my face as we order beef soup and fried rice. Despite the dirty, unclean and slightly dodgy looking interior, the Pho Soup is to die for. However, by the time the rice arrives my appetite has disappeared after looking at a guests back covered in flies. We make haste after finishing the soup and escape to the much cleaner streets of Luang Prabang for a day of temples. There are over 30 working temples in the city of Luang Prabang, which is small enough to walk across in an hour. We spend a fair amount of time at each temple along the way admiring the detailed carvings and intricate paintings on each. After visiting many temples it is 

easy for them to begin to look the same, but spending an extended amount of time at each gave us the opportunity to see their individuality. Temples are also home to monks who spend their time maintaining them and studying immensely. Watching the monks go about their day is fascinating and we start to see the discipline involved in their way of life. Our guide at the Elephant camp, Et, told us that monks who have one shoulder bare are novices, when both shoulders are covered they are full-fledged monks who must remain this way for the rest of their lives. Some monks wear a yellow sash around their waist, which is to remind themselves to control their minds regarding something personal - perhaps temptation to have a girlfriend, or killing a fly. Our temple tour ends with a visit to My Library, a not-for-profit organization where local children and adults can use free resour

ces to better themselves, such as Internet, books, cameras, tools - it is truly a wonderful place. After making a donation, we head for dinner at my favorite restaurant. "What are you having?" Alecs asks while scanning the menu. "You know exactly what I'm having," I say without evening opening up the menu. Lonely Planet recommends Cafe Ban Vat Sene for it's free WiFi and feta salad and today will be our third day visiting it. The feta salad is truly to die for - simply a leafy salad with a vinaigrette dressing and the most creamy, wonderful feta you could imagine (more than recommended). "I'm pretty tired," Alecs says yawning. I too could use a good sleep and we consent to walking back to the hotel through the night market.

We spent the next morning sleeping in and Skyping family back home before we headed out to 

 spend our last day in Luang Prabang. "Are we going to head up the mountain today," Alecs asks. "We have to make it up, it's our last chance," I say already feeling the extreme temperatures take

 their toll. We stroll down the main street, past vendors selling steamed dumplings, scarves, wooden elephants and sticky rice towards Phu Si Mountain. "We need to just go for it," Alecs says as we sit on a concrete ledge at the base of the mountain staring at the Royal Palace across the street. We both reluctantly start climbing the stairs which aren't as steep as those in Bangkok, but the sheer number of them more than makes up for that. I start counting the stairs, hoping it will make the time pass more quickly and sure it enough it does. 138 stairs later we are at a plateau where the real climb began - 100

meters up to the temples at the top. We purchased two bottles of room-temperature water and silently started the climb up, only 190 stairs left, we were almost halfway. Although the leafy green trees shaded the steps, the sun enveloped us in a thick hazy blanket of heat. With sweat pouring off of us we keep climbing, counting the steps as we wipe our foreheads and necks. "I think I see the top," I say to Alecs when I finally see the tip of a gold coloured  pagoda above us. 23 steps later we reach the top and quickly find a place to rest. "My shirt is sticking to my back," Alecs says fanning our faces with his hat. "Ya, I think we should walk back to the hotel after this and take another shower," I propose. Alecs nods his head and as if noticing the view for the first time, points at the city below. We take some time to enjoy the impressive beauty of the city, surrounded by looming mountains on all sides with the Nam Kong river to the east and the Mekong to the west. Motorbikes and tuk-tuks meander along the winding streets and the roofs of several Wats are visible below. A family of four reach the top of the steps and two small french children run past us playing with one another. "How is that little girl not sweating," I say resentfully, looking at

 her perfectly dry skin. We spend some time in the temple at the top and moments before we venture back down I notice a very large moth-like bug. "Look at the size of that thing," Alecs says holding his hand next to it comparing sizes. We notice a set of stairs leading down the other side of the mountain and decide to climb down that way. "There's absolutely no shade on this side," I say taking the last sip of water, "but I must admit the view is better." The steep stairs are lined with gold Buddha statues and a wooden sign says the footprint of Buddha is still to come. Mid way down, a small entrance to a cave leads us deep into a cavern filled with images of Buddha, lit by candle. "I'm curious about this supposed footprint of Buddha," Alecs says while we climb out of the cave. While walking along the narrow path lined with silver dragons we come across a small cave with a small sign signifying this is the footprint of Buddha, who is supposed to have been a real person.

 We both peer in the cave to find a larger than life footprint, clearly hand-made. We smile at each other and laugh a little before continuing down the mountain. "I think it's hotter down here," Alecs says when we reach the bottom. "Is that even possible," I pant feeling parched. We crawl along the street at a snails pace barely lifting our feet when suddenly Alecs perks up and darts across the road. "MANGO SHAKES," Alecs says as if he's found an oasis in the desert. We collapse on the wooden benches of a small cafe and order 2 lemon and 2 mango shakes, downing them in a matter of seconds. Feeling pleasantly refreshed we head back to the hotel to shower and book our bus tickets to Vientaine for tomorrow.

Tomorrow we are headed to the capital of Laos - Vientaine - said to be the sleepiest capital on the planet. We are very sad to leave Luang Prabang, but happy to be starting another adventure. Bye for now. Miss you all and love hearing from you.

Alecs and Meg in Luang Prabang