It’s a slightly chilly morning when we head for the Nam Khan river front for breakfast at around 10am. The sun hasn’t yet made an appearance, but the clouds burn off by the mid-morning and we are in for another glorious day. After breakfast we wander along to check out progress on the bamboo bridge which seems to be coming along apace. All the supports are now in place and the basic structure reaches this side of the river. Down on the Mekong river we find a boatman to take us across the river to the village of Ban Xiengmene, there being no bridge linking Luang Prabang with the other side of the Mekong. This village is the start of a one-and-an-half hour circular walk taking in several temples. So map in hand we set off to explore. The route takes us through the rather dilapidated street market and we walk out beyond the village and into the countryside. It’s a pleasant walk along an dusty unmade road passing a couple of villages of roughly made shacks, a small rural bus depot and what appears to be the local beer wholesaler. We meet a few Lao along the way who regard us curiously, including three men trying vainly it seems to repair a broken down jumbo. It is only when we reach a ford across an unexpected river about an hour later that we realise that we have lost our way! After a detour down a rough track which takes us nowhere, we decide to retrace our steps and by the time we arrive back at Ban Xiengmene to find the temples we are too tired to visit them and in any case it is time to meet up with our boatman. We may come back! In the evening we get some street food and a nice bottle of Castillo del Diablo with the intention of relaxing in the guest house garden. But our plans are foiled by the owner and his family who are entertaining friends and we end up retreating to our room instead!
We are staying at the Vilay Guest House. It is in a great location a short walk from the night market and the temples. Most of the guest rooms are in a separate block at the back of the colonial style house in which the French owner, his Lao wife and extended family live. As a consequence there is a strong feeling of staying in someone’s home rather than a guest house. All of which is fine until it comes to using the facilities. Then the computer is being use by one of the family, the family is entertaining in the garden, or the owner is chattering loudly with friends late into the evening just outside the bedroom window! Misguided priorities perhaps?! We are planning to move and spend our second week in a bungalow either across the river (if the bamboo bridge is complete) or another guest house in town if we can find something we can afford amongst all the boutique hotels.