Although we saw no signs of anti-American sentiment in Louangphrabang, last month the U.S. State Department issued a warning of sporadic attacks against American tourists in Laos.
Through all this tumult, Buddhism has remained a constant, and signs of it are visible everywhere in Louangphrabang. You can't walk for more than five minutes without seeing one of the city's more than 30 temples, or wats. They date from the 16th to the 19th centuries and are made of gilded wood or stucco and brick. Even new construction projects in the old part of the city are built of brick and stucco, to resemble mansions the French built, or Laotian-style in wood on stilts.
We began most days at dawn by giving alms (packets of rice wrapped in a banana leaf) to the procession of Buddhist monks on Xieng Thong Road. A drum signaled the start of this morning ritual, in which several hundred monks, their heads shaved, walked barefoot in the mist, carrying black lacquered bowls and wearing only turmeric-colored cotton robes. Natives, as well as tourists, offered them sustenance: The monks rely on these donations for their daily meals. In the Buddhist religion, such good deeds are thought to help ensure a good life.
Our hotel, the Villa Santi -- a former royal residence for the wife of King Sisavang Vong, who reigned from 1904 until 1959, that is still owned by her family -- was in the heart of the action. Not coincidentally, its sumptuous buffet breakfast started at 6:30 a.m., as the monks were finishing their rounds.
Once fortified, we generally went right to the boat pier, a 15-minute walk, for a morning excursion along the Mekong River, a lifeline for the Laotians. Our outings could as easily have been done overland by tuk-tuk -- taxis powered by motorbikes or small pick-up trucks -- but we preferred to soak up the local color and cool breezes along the waterfront.
Riding river currents
On the first day we chartered a wood motorboat and driver for $12 to take us on a morning trip to the Pak Ou caves (about 20 miles away by land). The mist was rising from the muddy waters when we set out, and women were already working in the terraced vegetable gardens along the banks.
The trip up the Mekong took two hours, including our stop along the way at a river village that produces the popular, nutty-flavored "Mekong seaweed," served fried as an appetizer at many restaurants here.
