NBF

Luang Prabang and I got off to a shaky start but we're getting along much better now. I would go so far as to say we are actually quite good friends. Sure, there's an excess of guesthouses, tourists travel agencies and craft shops but that's really concentrated to one area and it doesn't take much to get the feel of the real town. It's a lively, picturesque, quaint and safe place. It's not a flash, brash type of touristy but more of a refined and wholesome one. It's a beautiful place to come and enjoy a very pretty, friendly, laid back town. Every restaurant we have been to, or adventure we have had, there were Laos families there enjoying all that's on offer so it's nice to see that everyone can make the most of all it has to offer.
We embraced our inner tourist the other day and went to see one of the main attractions, the Pad Sae waterfalls. We negotiated a tuk tuk to take us there then had to get a small boat across the river. There were elephant rides on offer and zip lining (which is where you harness yourself to a wire and swing through the tree tops on a series of wires). Health and safety standards were rather on the lax side but as you often do when traveling we somehow overlooked them and paid the (relatively) big bucks for the boys to do both activities.
They disappeared into the trees on a wooden seat on the back of their elephant and when they returned Jed was sitting bare-back on the top of the elephants head giving him orders. I declined take part in zip lining but Rich and the boys got harnessed up. We were slightly on the anxious side when they gave Rich a branch and told him that was his brake but by that time there was no turning back. They set off for their kilometer long zip line adventure and I was mighty please when they emerged from the tree tops an hour or so later.
That was certainly enough excitement for one day!
Other indulgent pleasures we have been taking part in are getting massages, lounging in French bakeries, Jed's befriended a monk and spent the afternoon chatting with him, we've eaten some great food (and not so good!), we've shopped a bit and we've convalesced comfortably.
What's not to love?