Excursions from Luang Prabang

One day Monique (who was still putting up with me, unbelievably) and I braved the heat, rented bikes, and struck out towards a temple I had spotted from the top of Phu Si mountain. 

Waaaaay over there. 

It was about a twenty five minute bike ride to Wat Pa Phon Phao, a meditation wat about five miles out of town. It was well worth it- the temple was beautiful and unusual, an octagonal building with two main stories that tapered into five.

The views of the city were lovely.

We went inside and were greeted wordlessly by a nun in white robes with a traditionally shaved head. She urged us to climb the stairs from the first floor to the second. Then there were more stairs leading to the smaller third level, then more to the fourth level, which was even smaller, then to the fifth, a windowless room the size of a closet. There weren't any windows, but there were sort of portholes, just a few inches wide and set six and a half feet off the floor. I reached up with my camera and pressed the viewfinder out.

That's no good- change the focus.

Better.

Much better.

There you are, LPB.

The other little excursion Monique and I took out of the city was to the Kuang Si Waterfalls. About 45 minutes away by tuk-tuk, the water is an unearthy aqua and is shockingly, wonderfully cold.

 

The surrounding jungle features lizards:

...butterflies clustered in the sand, which raise up and flutter in an ethereal cloud around you when you walk near them:

And massive Asians sun bears!

Actually, they're confined to an excellent bear rescue center near the entrance to the falls. But the reserve is in the jungle, so technically the bears are too.

Next: The Plain of Jars