First Day in Luang Prabang

On Tuesday, the day after I took the long bus ride up from Vientiane, I started my exploration of Luang Prabang. It is a small city and the main street was just a quick hop from my guest house. I woke up early and walked around the city first. The city is filled with foreigners, it seems like there are more tourists then locals. I went to the waterfalls on a tour. It's a 25 minute minibus ride out to the falls. After I got off the bus I met a nice Korean man and we walk up the falls together. After hiking the falls for a short time I go swimming which is very nice and cools me off from the hot and very humid day. I decide to book another tour to go to the Pak Ou caves and an elephant ride tomorrow.

Trip to Luang Prabang

Monday February 28: I took the morning bus to Luang Prabang, in order to get a good seat I got up at around 6:45. I hadn't been up this early in Laos since the first few days I arrived in Vientiane. Madame Xuyen got up with me and helped me carry my bag out to the front of the house. It was quiet and still dark outside as we stood waiting for the tuk tuj driver to pick me up.

The driver picked me up and drove me to the northern bus station which is about 20 minutes away from Xuyen's house. I bought the VIP bus ticket and waited to board. I was near the front of the bus which was nice. The trip was a very long ride. Until Vang Vieng, the road is bumpy and slow but after Vang Vieng the road takes you up into the mountains. As you sit on the bus and watch the road twist and curve endlessly, and as the bus slowly creeps up the steep incline, you wonder if the bus will make it or if it will slowly start rolling backwards. We stopped a couple of times to let people on and off the bus, for bathroom breaks and once for lunch. I left Vientiane around 8 am, when the sun had just risen and I arrived in Luang Prabang at around 7 pm just as the sun had finished setting.

Donkoi Theater Performing at the hospital

The young leaders group from Donkoi went to the hospital to perform on Saturday. They had puppets which they used to sing Old MacDonald had a farm and sang "A Little Love." They also drew pictures for patients and read books. After going to the hospital I met Dr. Lilah and her friend Dr. Margaret for lunch at Madame Xuyen's house. 

Donkoi Children Theater Performance

The Donkoi Children Development Center young leaders group went to a medical conference to perform. They sang the song, "A Little Love." They did an excellent job and was fun to see the kids in action!