I didn't consider it possible to be hotter at a higher elevation and a more northern latitude, but it is. Laos is cooking. It's at about the maximum level of heat for the day, and I'm seeking refuge inside this air conditioned oasis. Waves of exhaustion pass over me in about 30 minute increments, and it becomes necessary to either sit in the shade, find a cold beverage, or go indoors. My saving grace today is the umbrella I remembered to carry with me. I find myself taking deep breaths, walking very very slowly, and my eyes seem to almost be half way closed. I think I'm relaxed...
Besides the heat, Luang Prabang is absolutely stunning. This is a very charming town with brick pathways that lead through flower and tree lined lanes amongst a mix of housing styles. There's pockets of simple wooden walled traditional Lao houses amongst light-colored colonial style buildings with dark wooden shutters and French doors. The trees and plants are blooming and the overall city's color scheme seems to be a mix of greens, white, brown and orange. The orange offsets it all in a fantastic way: tree flowers, monk's robes, and small banana leaf and dandelion shrines that locals make to place at the base of Buddha shrines for prayer. Buddhism is everywhere...it permeates this place. Two rivers, the Mekong and Kahn join together at the north end of the city and form the peninsula on which all this loveliness is located. I didn't know anything about it until arriving, but it's a UNESCO world heritage site and, although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it has been donned "the most beautiful city in Asia." It's certainly lovely...
With my eyes soaking in the delicious colors and my body completely dripping, I feel calm and slow. It's impossible to rush here, first of all you'd pass out, but it's more about the relaxed pace of life. When I landed yesterday I understood how a person could come to Southeast Asia and get stuck. It seems like a very easy place to just hang out and be for quite some time.
So, to beat the heat and to get out and around, I am heading to Kuang Si waterfalls tomorrow to begin a few days of 'homestay' with a Lao family. I will be living in their house at the base of the falls where I will be able to completely relax, soak in the limestone pools, swing on the rope swing, and learn how to cook traditional Lao food. I think I may stay there for the rest of my trip, but I'm struggling with whether or not I really want to stick to one spot. I suppose I'll figure it all out when I figure it out. The only thing I really have to do is be back here on May 13th for my flight back to Bangkok...still 5 more days to mellow out to the point I'm merely a puddle on the floor...well, I'm pretty close now actually.
