Luang Prabang's Main Street
We arrived in Luang Prabang at lunchtime and were pleased to find an abundance of Fench restaurants to eat at. The French influence is evident here through French architecture as well as mainly French translations on signs around the town. This influence in Laos originates from an occupation by the Indo-Chinese arm of the French Empire following the Franco-Siamese War of 1893. The town itself has a relxed feel to it with stunning sunsets and a nightmarket in the evening selling all sorts of local goods.
Fintan putting his years of experience working in McQuilllan Tools to good use!
We checked into a cheap guesthouse on the banks of the Mekong River and got a quick bite in a local bistro. The Hummer has been put thorugh its paces over the last few weeks in China and en route to Luang Prabang, it developed a severe rattling under the chassis at the rear end. Upon closer inspection we noticed that a bolt which connects the main frame to the rear suspension had fallen off, presumably due to the terrible road conditions in China. Dave and Fintan set about to find a replacement bolt in a makeshift moped and tool garage on the outskirts of town while Chuck and Rhys went for a few beers. After several failed attempts, we eventually found a candidate bolt and did a bit of a DIY job.
Dave in his element at the Bowling Alley in Luang Prabang
Potential crisis averted, we joined the boys for drinks and literally got the ball rolling (no pun intended) for the evening! All the bars in the town must close at 12am and after this there is a mass exodus of western backpackers to a single random bowling alley on the outskirts of town, the only place serving alcohol after-hours. The mix of 50 drunk people and bowling balls made for some interesting techniques to say the least!
DAY 65 ROUTE MAP - CLICK TO ENLARGE
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