Exploring Luang Prabang
Walking Through a Residential Area
Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This designation is due to its European influenced architecture fused with traditional Laotion culture. The town is also the former capital of Laos. Vientiane is the current capital.
The morning is a cool 17° C but it 
is going up to 28° today. We have a great breakfast at the hotel. Besides food, I also order an iced coffee . I don’t usually do coffee or excess caffeine and this one was so strong it could knock out an elephant. Needless to say, within a half hour I’m feeling dizzy and high as a kite. Note to self: no coffee tomorrow.
We walk through residential streets towards the UXO Museum (UXO stands for UneXploded Ordnance). The streets are pretty in an unspoilt, authentic way with many unique touches including the sock plant and sausages drying in the sun.
UXO Museum
The UXO Museum is horrifying and interesting. From 1964-1973 Laos was the most bombed per capita country in the world. In this time period 260 million bombs of all types were dropped on the country by the USA. Click here for more details. Since 1995 the USA has given 391 million dollars towards destruction of these bombs but the whole process is slow going. Click here for more details. Children in Laos are taught about how to be careful regarding the many un-detonated bombs but people continue to be hurt and killed.
Wat Visounarath
We next visit Wat Visounarath which it the oldest temple in Luang Prabang. There are many temples here. I love the architecture and artistry in these Buddhist temples.
Riverfront Walk
We make our way to the waterfront street which follows the Mekong River. The day has turned really hot but I keep my long sleeve SPF protection shirt on not only to protect me from the sun but also because you need to be covered in all the temples.
I stop for a fresh coconut water. It’s so refreshing but I have learned through past experience, only to have one coconut per day. If you have more, things get really ugly.
Wat Xieng Thong and Main Street
Our next stop is Luang Prabang’s largest temple; Wat Xieng Thong. The reflective tiles really shine in the sun. The mosaic pictures on the walls are beautiful.
Main street is filled with temples of which we often stop. Monks in their bright orange robes are everywhere. We stop at one of 
the temples to check out a meditation exhibit. I would like to take a meditation session with a monk but John is not that keen. I also see a place that gives indigo blue batik classes. I am very interested; John not so much.
On our way to the National Palace Museum, I trip going up a curb and fall on my front. “That’s pretty early into the trip to injure yourself, even for you” John says, while picking me off the ground.
Fortunately I am not flat chested which saves me from injury except for a few scrapes.
National Palace Museum
I clean myself up in the museum bathroom and am glad that I brought my own toilet paper because, as in many places, there are none in the public washrooms.
The Palace Museum is interesting. I go in first while John waits because security won’t let him in with his man purse. He goes in without said purse when I finish my tour…questioning why they let me in with my purse and not him with his.
I notice that they have a Laos costumed ballet every Monday, Wednesday and Friday near the palace. John suggests that I might want to go to that on my own.
Mount Phousi
We head to a waterfront cafe for refreshments before heading to Phousi Mountain to watch the sunset from the temple at the top.
After over 360 steps up, we find that hundreds of other people had the same idea.
I’ve been working out at a gym since November and it is amazing how much easier it is to do the stairs since the New Zealand in March or the Japan trip in October. I didn’t use a single bad word on the way up.
Near the top there was a vendor selling many tiny cages with two little birds in each cage. The idea 
is that tourists buy the birds then set them free at the top of the hill. I am tempted to buy it just to set them free but then I figure that it will just encourage them to catch more birds. Just sad.
As I mentioned, it is packed at the top. John loves his sunsets so he is determined to stay till the end. I decide that I don’t want to walk down with the crowds so I take a few shots with my phone hand stretched above the crowd and then head down.
Evening
After dark, John and I head to a pretty little restaurant that has a good menu and also Prosecco. I try the local river seaweed as an appetizer (John chose fresh spring rolls) and main courses were stir fried noodle and shrimp and Bai Krakow ) something with egg and chicken). Drinks, appetizers and main course come out to $12 CAD each.
We walk through the night market on our way back to the hotel.