Monday 22 nd
of December 2014
and I arrived to my hotel around 13 thirty in the afternoon, well, it was a guest house. It is the holidays coming up and there was really not much to choose from on the internet. But when you book a room at a place called Luang Prabang Oasis - Villa Namnuea you expect a wee bit more than this.
The room was not bad, of course, no desk for me to work at while updating my web page. Never mind that, I put the TV on the floor and I pulled the TV bench to the bed and I used it as a desk.
I was going for a shower before leaving for town, no water, just a few drops and old Band-Aid© laying around. Dirty and nasty. I told them in the reception and they asked if I wanted to change room. Well, maybe when I'm back from town.
My room
My room
Shower
The worst since I was in India 30 years ago
Shower
The worst since I was in India 30 years ago
The hotel
The hotel
Click HERE
for bigger map
If you ever come to Luang Prabang walk in the direction of the arrows and you will have the traffic on coming.
One way traffic and no surprises coming from behind
I left the hotel/ Guest house and I was happy that they never bothered to send me a reply on my inquiry for another room for 3 nights. It was full according to agoda and hotels.com but I decided to try and I sent them an e-mail. No reply and I managed to find a hotel for those days, so onenight here, and that is enough.
I turned right when I left my hotel and I walked down the street towards the Mekong River. I was searching for a place with fresh baguettes and I wasdelirious with anticipation when I left my hotel.
I walked down the street until I saw a square and there as a big house with a sign about coffee and stuff so I went to check it out. I passed a girl selling some coconut snacks on the street.
Looked like something they sold in Thailand and I decided to try. It was 5000 Kip or rip, or is it tik they call the dollars around here. That is about 20 Baht or 70 Cent for a small leaf (about 6 of the coconut surprises) with these snacks.
I had a chat with the girls before I entered the coffee shop next door. It is nice in Laos, you can speak Thai and life is pretty easy. I was soon running in to a disappointment. We remember when Iwas in Vientiane a few years back. My Teacher asked me to buy bread for him.
Seriously, the baguettes in Bangkok, or Sweden, or where ever in the world are as good as here. But now we're in Laos and we have to eat baguettes. And OK, when I'm in Bangkok I'm on diet and I cannot eat baguette.
But no one knows about my diet inLuang Prabang so it is a “GO AHEAD” for baguettes and other things. They sold cakes and pastries outside the coffee shop. I went inside and I took a seat. I asked for a pot of tea and I asked for baguette.
They told me that I had to buy it outside and I went to check their baguettes, instant disappointment. I squeezed the Baguettes and it was like squeezing a sponge. I returned inside.
They had bagels on the menu and I asked what a bagel was, he showed me a picture. Not what I wanted but I was hungry. Well, the tea was good, but I made a mental note not to come back. And afresh baguette is hard and crispy, not like a sponge.
I stopped at the girl with the coconut snacks and I bought another leaf full before I continued down to the Mekong River. Just before I reached the road going along Mekong there was a travel Agent with bus trips and cars for rent etc.
I went inside and I asked how much it was for a car. She told me it was 130,000 Scooby Doo Dollars per day and I asked how much it was with a driver. Now she pointed at a motorcycle.
- No, I don't want to rent a motorbike
She asked what I wanted to see and she gave me a price list to go see different tourist attractions. I told her that I wanted to go alone and she was yet again pointing at the motorbike. I will not rent a motorbike, I would like to have a car and a driver. Well, I will have to investigate when I'm back from the cruise.
Maybe they have the car service at the hotel where I will stay when I'm back from the cruise. I crossed the street and I was looking down on the Mekong River. This was obviously a landing place for boats crossing the river and there was a TUK TUK coming with a load of girls dressed in what I suppose is some traditional Lao clothing.
Mekong River - A cross river landing place
Girls going to cross the Mekong River
Other side of the Mekong River
Boats on the Mekong River
Boats on the Mekong River
Traffic on the Mekong River
Traffic on the Mekong River
Cross river boat service
Cars coming of the boat
I really enjoyed my afternoon constitutional
A beautiful town
It was a beautiful walk along the river with beautiful houses
And of course, garbage everywhere
I think this is the hotel I'm going to stay at after the cruise
Another landing place
I had been walking towards North East following the Khem Khong Road until I reached the tip of the peninsula. North side is Mekong River and South side of the peninsula is the Nam Khan River.Nam Khan River join Mekong River at the top of the peninsula.
It had been a very nice walk and Luang Prabang is very beautiful, then imagine if they could have been taking care of their garbage. The shore line is so full of garbage you're better off not looking down to the Mekong River. What a disgrace this is.
I had passed people playing some games throwing steel balls at something and it have been really interesting to see the life going on along Mekong River. Well, except for all the people asking me if I want a tour on Mekong, taxi and other stuff.
But it had not been so bad. They have made some kind of look out platform at the tip of the peninsula. There were 4 tourists sitting there and one old local lady.
I started to speak with the old lady. She was enjoying the view and it was really beautiful with thetwo rivers joining each other. The rivers were maybe 30 meters below us with a step filled with green trees on the opposite side of both of the rivers.
There was a big boat looking like a canoe passing below u when I arrived to the lookout place. There was a wooden bridge crossing the Nam Khan River and it was full of something that looked like navigational aids.
But it was looking like plastic garbage stuck on the bridge from when the water level was higher, nice! The canoe, power driven passed underthe bridge and disappeared on Mekong River. The 4 tourist girls disappeared and it was only me and the old lady remaining.
I asked her why they threw the garbage everywhere and she told me that they had not got an education about garbage.
Of course, I asked her if she thought it looked nice with all the garbage lying around. And as no surprise she said no, it looked terrible.
- So then you don't need any education. Just do what feels natural
Nam Khan River joins the Mekong River
Nam Khan River joins the Mekong River
On the other side of Nam Khan River
Kingkitsarath Road starts where Khem Khong Road ends. And I thinkthis is at the point of the peninsula. Khem Khong goes along the Mekong River and the Kingkitsarath Road goes along the Nam Khan River south of Luang Prabang. I could hear music from down the Kingkitsarath Road and I started to walk down the road in a South Westerly direction.
The first house on the right hand side was a restaurant. Well, all houses have so far been restaurants, hotel and guest houses. There were a group of people sitting on the terrace drinking beer, and it was only girls and they started to shout at me. But as I have given up drinking I crossed the street.
And the girls could not abuse me when I was on the other side of the street, well, unless they started to run. There was a big restaurant looking like a temple and the music was on full blast. So this is where the music came from. There were around 10 people sitting there and they were drunk.
I had a few pictures of the Nam Khan River before I left. I continued towards South West on the Kingkitsarath Road. And I was getting hungry. So it would be nice to run in to a place with a “real” baguette and a giant pot of Earl Grey tea.
I took a few pictures from the restaurant
I took a few pictures from the restaurant
Nam Khan River
Working in the field
Water coming from town, we can only imagine what’s in the water
Walking along the Nam Khan River on Kingkitsarath Road
Walking along the Nam Khan River on Kingkitsarath Road
Walking along the Nam Khan River on Kingkitsarath Road
Walking along the Nam Khan River on Kingkitsarath Road
Walking along the Nam Khan River on Kingkitsarath Road
Walking along the Nam Khan River on Kingkitsarath Road
Walking along the Nam Khan River on Kingkitsarath Road
Another wooden bridge across Nam Khan River - Toll bridge
Another wooden bridge across Nam Khan River - Toll bridge
Another wooden bridge across Nam Khan River - Toll bridge
Walking along the Nam Khan River on Kingkitsarath Road
I was hungry and I passed a coffee shop/ bakery and I went inside to have a look for a baguette.There was a Thai family in front of me and they ordered cake. As soon as they were ready I asked for the baguette. First I wanted to feel the baguette, and yes, it was like a sponge. But I askedthem to grill it for me. Of course, with cheese and ham.
I got their biggest cup of tea, not much to write home about so I asked for two of them.
The baguette came, grilled so it was not so bad. But it was not fresh and it was in the size of a super tanker. I could have finished the “super tanker” but I left a wee bit as I had discovered that they had Mango crumble.
I asked if they had whipped cream and they had.
- Vanilla sauce?
- We have vanilla
- DOUBLE EVERYTING!!
The vanilla was something that looked like water and I made a mental note. Next time I will ask them to put vanilla ice cream on the Mango crumble before heating it up. It was excellent, but inorder to avoid embarrassing myself I didn't order a second one. But I will be back.
I continued down the Kingkitsarath Road along the Nam Khan River. I passed above the stairs going down to the wooden bridge and it was there I discovered the toll booth, or at least I think it was a toll booth. I'm pretty sure it was. We were at an intersection, the road continued along the Nam Kham River. And I had theoption to turn right and go up a hill to the town.
Looking down the road along the river and it looked like there was nothing and I asked a guy what was down the road. He told me there were restaurants so I continued along the Nam Khan River.
I walk until I pass an entrance to yet another temple and the temple is on top of a hill with stairs leading all the way up. And allthe visitors were running up the stairs.
I came closer and it looked like a sport team outside the entrance. That explains it, they are exercising using the stairs up to the temple.
The toll booth
The toll bridge
The toll booth
An no, I will not try the bridge
Imagine the lynch mob of villagers chasing me after the bridge have collapsed
Running up the stairs
Not long after I had passed the temple the restaurants and bars started to line up on the right hand side. Seems like all the houses in Luang Prabang are restaurants or hotel/ Guest houses. Andthe people you see on the streets are tourists, except for the “taxi” and “tour on the river” people.
Reminded me of the town at the southern most of the Key West Islands in Florida.
Luang Prabang is a beautiful place (take away the garbage) but I would go crazy to live here.
But it is a lovely place for a few days. You can see the sights and foock off out of here, no timeto get bored. There are pubs, but I can imagine that I would either have been bored or bannedfrom all the places in Luang Prabang and chased from town. So 2 or 3 days here will be just perfect.
Nam Khan River bended to the left and I could see the bridge leading to the airport. The road mad a 90° turn to the right and I was back in the middle of the town again. I had been walking around the whole of Luang Prabang in about 3 hours, including two stops for “snacks” and several stops for a friendly chat
No lack of opportunities to get drunk in Luang Prabang - And Beer Lao is better than any Thai beer
No lack of opportunities to get drunk in Luang Prabang - And Beer Lao is better than any Thai beer
No lack of opportunities to get drunk in Luang Prabang - And Beer Lao is better than any Thai beer
No lack of opportunities to get drunk in Luang Prabang - And Beer Lao is better than any Thai beer
Here the road turns 90° to the right and we leave the Nam Khan River behind
Walking back towards the “city centre”
Back in the “city centre”
I was back on the street where my hotel, well, to call it a hotel is a wee bit too much. I have notbeen living this bad since I was in India 30 years ago. It was 6 o’clock and it was getting dark.
Not much to do but to return to my room as I skipped the “getting drunk” option. And they will come to pick me up at 06:30 tomorrow from the Mekong Cruisesfor the Luang Say cruise up Mekong River to Huay Xai.
I have asked the hotel to wake me up at 6 o’clock, actually a longsleep for me as I have been up 5 o'clock the last two days.
But as I was going to update my web page I might need a Pepsi Max. I walked around town looking for Diet Pepsi or a Pepsi Max and I came up with sip.
I went in to one mini mart and when I came out the shy was all red. It was a very strange light over town and I took of my glasses to clean them.
It didn't help and I thought it was because of the dust in the air. Sun is setting and it was a beautiful red coloured air in town. I gave up the Pepsi idea and I bought ordinary not so good tasting Diet Drinks.
Coming out from the mini mart
Restaurant opposite from my hotel
Back at the hotel
I asked them if they had fixed the water in my shower as soon as I was back at the hotel. Well, they had not been in the room after I left and we went to look at a new room. There was a littlewater in the shower but no water in the sink.
This hotel might be the worst place I have ever been living at, and that includes Salvation Army in Bombay back in the 80's.
There was a desk, well, that was good, now I have a place for my computer. The chair was the most uncomfortable chair I have ever been sitting on. I would have preferred 12 hours on the Bangkok to Mahachai train any day. There were 3 beds in the room so Ihad plenty pillows. I was happy about the pillows until I got to bed. The pillows were hard as concrete.
But I had 3 quilt and that was necessary as it was very cold. It was not easy to fall asleep as it was cold and the pillows was like concrete. Or was it because of 4 cans of Diet Drinks?
Or maybe it was because of my sore ass, I had spent the evening updating my web page and thewooden chair at the table was a nightmare, and that’seven though I had put double pillows on the seat.
One night only and thank God the hotel was full for the days when I come back from the Luang Say cruise. And thank God that the never replied on my e-mails. I will stay well clear of the Luang Prabang Oasis - Villa Namnuea in the future.
Oasis, where to they come up with bullshit like this?It is like Wilderness Safari writing that Kalahari Plains camp was a luxury tented camp! Isn't there laws against scams like this? In Sweden there is, or at least here was before the whole country started to go down hills.
Well, anyway, Luang Prabang Oasis - Villa Namnuea had internet, at least for the most of the time and I could listen to radio on the internet while updating my web page. I turned off my computer at midnight and I went to bed as I have a 6 o'clock wake-up knock on the door tomorrow morning.
I will take off to the slow boat bringing me up the Mekong River tomorrow morning and you just have to click HERE
to be in the middle of the Mekong River cruise adventure.