Click here for photos, then hit the button at the top.

Luang Prabang...Gem of the East! Previously the country's capital, but not since the mid 1500s.

After what felt like two weeks (but was only two days) travelling down the Mekong, we finally arrived in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO world heritage town, and one of the prettiest we've seen in S.E.Asia. So we got lazy, and wallowed in its' old-style beauty and slow rhythm.

There's a trip to a local waterfall near Luang Prabang ...which is apparently AMAZING! A sore topic...but no...we didn't see the waterfall, instead, we decided to explore the old quarter - something one can usually do in a day - we made it in three. Admittedly, it is tiring work...walking, that is. And much of it was interrupted by angry scalp-bruising rain. Clearly, the trip to the waterfall was just not meant to be...

The Red Cross have a centre here, where we had originally gone to give blood, but the blood bank being closed, we had a massage instead. Saunas were also available. The Red Cross is diversifying its' services these days.