Luang Prabang

I'm back online. I was going to go to the night market but I've spent SOOO much here on so little, the free internet was the cheaper option. For a country that is so poor, I seem to be spending an astronomical amount on nothing. Nevertheless, I think Luang Prabang is one of the loveliest places I've ever visited.

Luang Prabang is serene and romantic. As I strolled along a tree-lined street with houses dating back to the French Colonial era, I could feel my worries slowly melt away and my heart lighten. The prospect of a relaxing massage may have contributed to this change but I don't think it was just that. There's something intangible about this place. Something peaceful and zen-like. Luang Prabang is a perfect balm for the soul. My aromatherapy massage was divine. I'd never had a massage in my life until I started this trip. And today's was the third and most aromatic. I requested the "lemongrass-refreshing" scent. Firstly, because as you will recall from my last blog entry, lemongrass should apparently repel the mozzies. Secondly, I was feeling tired and needed a wake-up boost. I fell asleep twice during the massage. But now I feel refreshed. And marginally attractive. I haven't lately what with all these bites. I hope I'm not left with scars...... Ok, no more mention of insect bites.

Tomorrow we leave for the Thai border on a "boat". The trip should take 2 days. We're stopping over at villages for the nights. I need to remember to recharge my iPod and camera as most of the villages will have about 1 hour or less of electricity when we get there. Perfect for Light Grafitti photos I reckon as the villages will be near pitch black. I'm going to recruit Steve for this experiment. I also need to stock on snacks. Oreos maybe?