We decided that we would hire bicycles and cycle around the city, so after breakfast we headed off to find bikes to rent. After going to a couple that needed our passports as a deposit we eventually found someone who would accept our drivers license and we were ready to go. As I said before Laos is quite relaxed so hiring bikes is a very good way to see the city.
We decided that we would go to get massages and had read that the Red Cross charity give massages and the money you pay will go towards charity projects in Laos so it seemed like the best place to get a massage! The building itself is a bit run down and tired, and the place is a little grotty but the massages were really good and very cheap. We paid 40 000kip (just over 3pounds) for a 1 hour full body massage. The women used a balm which reminded me of tiger balm - but just not as strong- which she rubbed over my body during the massage. And while it is similar to a Thai massage in that they use their body weight to press down on your muscles, she didn't click my joints or twist my body like a Thai massage normally does. This is a not a bad thing because sometimes a Thai massage is more of a workout than it is relaxing :) The massage was very good though and just what we both needed.
After the previous day's heat we decided to have a look online to try and find a public pool somewhere in Luang Prabang where we could go for a dip. We found a bar that has a pool and decided to go check it out. La Pistoche is a bar pretty far out of town, down a side road in between the houses. The drive there was amazing in itself. As soon as you turn off the main road the roads become gravel and the houses become more and more rural. With the mountains all around you it really doesn't feel like you are in a town anymore and we stopped a couple of times just to admire the view.
Anyway we got to the bar and really enjoyed the pool. You pay 20 000kip to use the pool for the day and we also got some fruit smoothies which were really good and we shared a pad thai which was also tasty. I don't think many people know about the place so it wasn't too busy. And later on we were joined by a fair few Laos families who bring their kids to swim too. The pool was heaven in the heat and we lazed around for a couple of hours, reading and catching up on our blogging.
After looking at the map I suggested that we go for a bit of a drive before heading back to the guesthouse. I had seen that there were 2 bridges that crosses the Nam Khan river so thought we could cross both of them and that way see the other side of the river banks too. LP is surrounded by the Mekong river on one side and the Nam Khan river on the other. We crossed over the Sisavangvong bridge, which is a bridge for motorbikes and cyclists only and has some wooden slats over which you can drive in single file. Across the river is even more remote as it is almost unaffected by tourists so it was really nice to cycle through the streets. We then decided to cross the river using the bamboo bridge. This bridge only exists in the dry season, as during the wet season the river is too strong and the bridge which is made completely from bamboo is swept away. Each dry season a family rebuilds it. You have to pay 5000 kip (about 40p) to cross the bridge and this is used for materials and labour to rebuild the bridge next year. While we were crossing the bridge it is easy to imagine that you have stepped back in time and we enjoyed watching the kids swimming and playing in the river below us.
Once we reached the other side of the river we started making our way back. We passed by a temple and decided to stop and take a look. After a short stop, the sunset and river looked too tempting so we bought some beers and took the flight of steps down to the riverside to enjoy the sunset. Halfway through our drinks 2 girls came down with a longtail boat driver for a sunset cruise. We decided to join them. What a great way to see the sunset, he took us up the river for about 30mins before turning around. It was quite an eye opener to see the families washing their clothes and themselves in the river as its easy to forget how poor the Laos people are. They are all smartly dressed and living in built houses, rather than the mud huts and tattered clothes you see in Africa, so you forget that they are just as poor. We noticed that the family a couple of houses down from our guesthouse cooked all their meals on a clay pot in which fire is made outside their house. They obviously have no kitchen and all the food is either cooked in pots on top of the 'braai' or braaied. We saw many people washing themselves and even shampooing their hair in the river, all the while keep covered up in their silk skirts. It was a truly memorable experience and a sight I will always remember.
As a special treat for our anniversary we decided to go to Tamarind restaurant for dinner as we had read good things about it. I will do a separate post on this as I think it merits its own post...
All in all it was a great day and a great one month anniversary!
The pool at La Pistoche
The streets on the outskirts of LP
Sisavangvong bridge
Bamboo bridge
Sunset cruise
Bathtime on the banks of the Mekong
Cooking outside the house
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Location:LP
