Luang Prabang

Our time in Luang Prabang was very relaxed - we hung out with a lot of the new friends we'd made on the boat journey and generally just lazed about. There's not a whole lot to do in the town, which is Laos' "second biggest city". In reality it's the size of Stirling and Aldgate combined, but even more picturesque. Given we had been on the move for several weeks now, we were more than happy to have some lazy days. And Luang Prabang provided the perfect backdrop to do just that.
When not chatting with mates, sipping beer, or lying in bed because of the food poisoning we encountered one night (terrible), we ventured out of town to see the waterfalls and took a walk to the town's highest wat, which overlooks the city. (See pictures below).
One night we went out to a traditional Laos feast and musical performance in a large hall, filled with dining tables and a large stage. The hall seated about 150 - and our group of five were the only ones there! A group of about 20 Laos dancers and musicians performed for two hours for the dismal crowd. We ensured they had plenty of claps and cheers though - enough to make up for the lack of an audience.
Another Luang Prabang highlight came on our second to last night. Phil (an English guy we've been travelling with) coaxed us into heading to the pub to watch the FA Cup Final - (soccer for those who don't know) - between West Ham and Liverpool. Despite neither Bol or me being avid sports fans, especially not on TV, we headed along for the ride. Surprisingly I ended up absolutely loving it, cheering with the best of 'em. When the boys wanted to head home before the match was through I was adamant not to miss it, so they assured me they'd organise our guesthouse to put it on so I could catch the end. Very fun! Will definitely go to a live match when in Europe.

After about five days we decided to move on to our next Laos destination - a smaller town called Vang Vien, right in the centre of the country. We were pretty relaxed by then and on arrival in Vang Vien, the relaxation took on a new meaning.

Bol and Phil at the base of our walk to the wat

Having a refreshing dip at the waterfalls

The view from the wat overlooking Luang Prabang