Laos: Luang Prabang and Vientiane

Once we arrived at Luang Prabang, we made our way directly to the hotel, as the sun was already setting. We got all checked in, then had dinner.

The next morning we had a guest speaker, an American who started a learning library. We visited the library in town, and it was really amazing to see the work she had done. After that, we walked along the quaint and narrow streets of Luang Prabang. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site, and understandably so. It is so quiet and the French colonial architecture reminded me a little bit of New Orleans. We visited a couple of temples, had lunch, and then some free time in the afternoon.

The following day we were up for our flight to the capital of Laos, Vientiane. We made our way to the hotel and had dinner there. The next day we were up for our explorations of the city. We stopped by the presidential palace, two temples, a large reclining Buddha and the symbol of the country, a large golden stupa. We had lunch, then some free time, then a guest speaker from the Mekong River Collective, which was interesting. We had a farewell dinner, said our good byes and then went to bed.

The following morning we were up to pack and get ready for our flights. We flew to Bangkok and enjoyed the lounge while waiting for the flight to New Zealand. This time in SE Asia has been great, but I am ready for the next segment of this adventure: islands!!!!