Arrived in Luang Prabang, Laos, on Sunday evening after a short flight from Chiangmai. First saw the town at night, and was immediately enchanted by its candlelit riverside cafes, attractive guesthouses, and narrow stone streets. Since Sunday I have decided that Luang Prabang is one of the best cities in all of Southeast Asia, if not the world. It is so sleepy and cute, with friendly people. There is a shadow of french colonialism in the architecture, though it is mixed with the many Buddhist wats and Asian-style buildings that make the town so enticing to the visitor. There are amazing cafes and bakeries all through town- they easily rival those in North America or Europe. There are used bookshops that show movies every evening and travel agents that provide free internet for their customers. The main street is full of art galleries and handicraft shops, and at night the street closes down to become a bustling night bazaar. I love this town! Of course, I just wish I could stay longer, but unfortunately our time demands that tomorrow we head on our way...

The only thing that has marred our time in Luang Prabang is that Elizabeth unfortunately contracted one of the traveller's stomach sicknesses from something she ate on our first night here. So she basically spent all of yesterday in bed trying to recover, while I wandered the city and took photos for both of us. She has been much better today, though still has not managed to eat anything and is bothered by a rather severe stomach-ache. She is a trooper though and managed to accompany me this morning on a boat ride up the Mekong to visit an ancient cave filled with Buddha statues. This afternoon we were supposed to visit a nearby waterfall, but we both scrapped that plan in favor of spending some time in Luang Prabang and getting foot massages and facials (an hour and a half of pure heaven for a mere $6).