Day 106 Always take the elevator 21 May 2012

Today Ana claimed the day. She twisted her ankle going downstairs for breakfast reminding her that when there is an elevator – use it. Slight swelling and some pain didn’t stop us from heading out for food- yes all we do is eat- when you have to go out every day for every meal it becomes a big deal.

Martijn was wonderful tending to Ana’s foot- he got her ice (twice) – a great feat in a country that does not really use ice, he bought her a bandage from the local pharmacy using “wrapping” sign language and he let her rest with a chick flick (movie) – Maid in Manhattan.

This was also the day where while we were resting there was a very loud thunder clap that sounded like a canon on our balcony was fired. Martijn jumped off his seat and Ana reacted like she always does, with wide eyes and panic in her scream. 

Our hotel displayed the following. Tomorrow we will find out whether Martijn has grown back his hair.

Day 105 Vientiane Sightseeing 20 May 2012

The day started out at Joma cafe (are you noticing a pattern?) for brunch, after which we intended to go bicycling around town. After the meal we decided to walk instead, only visiting the two major sites, the temple Wat Si Saket

and the Lao version of the Arc de Triomphe. 

On our way back we played two games of bowling and Ana was so nice to let Martijn win for a change. Bowling was not very easy since the floor was very slippery, making balancing quite hard when releasing the ball, at least that was Ana’s excuse.

Tonight we actually went to two places for dinner. The first was a Japanese Lao fusion restaurant that was boring, served extra small portions and was over-priced. We felt like we only had an appetizer so we went back to last night’s place and shared a main course of tasty local food.

Day 104 Arrive in Vientiane19 May 2012

We both arrived tired in Vientiane, since neither of us had much sleep on the bus. After sharing a pizza and checking out the local Joma Cafe, we took an afternoon nap and ended the day with some great Lao food.



Day 103 Night bus to Vientiane 18 May 2012

Today we spent getting ready for the night bus to Vientiane. After packing, our hotel generously allowed us to stay in our air-conditioned room until departure at 7PM. That just gave us enough time to stuff everything into our backpacks and have one last lunch at Joma Café. The night bus was slightly different from the ones used in Vietnam, in that we shared a little cabin.

Gezellig (cosy) and romantic. That last sentence is open to interpretation between the two of us.

Day 102 Relax more in Luang Prabang 17 May 2012

A good night of sleep, a late breakfast, Café time at JoMa Bakery, a close shave, strolling around the night market, dinner at Tamarind topped off with a nice massage. A day full of Luang Prabang charm.

Day 101 Exploring Luang Prabang 16 May 2012

Today we took a walk around Luang Prabang exploring the sites. First was the Wat Xieng Thong, which is Luang Prabang's most famous monastery.

  

We had lunch at the Art Café- a variation of our tuna sandwich and bagel sandwich- over-looking the river.

We walked up the Phu Si hill to visit Wat Pa Huak, check out the views and chat with some 16 and 17 year old monks.

Back at the hotel we freshened up  and then headed out across the very wonky foot bridge for dinner at Dyen Sabai. Tonight we had Lao fondue – which consists of a pit burning stove where you cook meat on a dome pot and veggies and eggs at the bottom of the dome in soup broth. It was a fun activity.

Day 100 Forced Resting Day in LP 15 May 2012

We had all the intentions to go out into Luang Prabang and explore the sites it has to offer, but after breakfast in the garden a dark cloud descended and the heavens opened up flooding us. So we stayed the in the room for the three-hour thunder/lightning/rain storm, watching some movies on our computer. When the sky cleared up we were hungry and headed out to JoMo’s café once again. Martijn enjoyed a classic tuna melt while Ana had a bagel sandwich. The banana cake and the brownie are also pretty good.

After a stroll and some relaxation back at the hotel room it was time again to eat.
We were impressed by the dinner at Tamarind’s the night before so we made reservations for their Luang Prabang special menu tonight. The menus included eggplant and beef stew, buffalo laap salad, coconut milk steamed fish, salad, sticky rice and riverweed chips with a dipping platter.

  Although very tasty a bit too spicy and slightly less impressive than yesterday’s feast.