Laos day 5 – Luang Prabang

We are enjoying the atmosphere of Luang Prabang so much that we have decided to stay here for another week.  So today we visit the Laos Airlines office to check that we can change the date of our flights.  This gives us the opportunity to explore a bit more of the town.  Of course, we should have brought the airline tickets with us, and when we get to the office they can’t help us without sight of them.  We make our way back to the river front via the Dala Market.  This used to be one of the primary markets in Luang Prabang, but has recently been rebuilt and is now almost exclusively handicrafts and jewellery within a modern building resulting in a cross between a covered shopping mall and a walk through market.  And it is virtually empty.  As we reach the river we inspect the progress of the bamboo bridge which is now almost finished.  Steps have been cut into the river banks and handrails have been added.   We go in search of the Tamarind restaurant which has been recommended to us by the American couple we met a couple of days ago and this takes unto the back streets between the Mekong and the main street.  There is absolutely no traffic on these pretty streets and we wander the lanes passing temples and the occasional shop and restaurant.  The Tamarind turns out to be a tiny restaurant overlooking the back of the Wat Si Boun Hueang temple, where if you come around 5pm you can sit and listen to the monks chanting evening prayers.  Serving authentic Lao cuisine, this is an attractive restaurant which also offers cooking classes and is clearly aimed at, and is very popular with, tourists. We manage to secure a table overlooking the street and the Wat across the road.  In the evening we have cheap eats in the street food market..