Wat?

Another day of walking, eating and getting massaged.  I'm beginning to feel like high priced beef.  That is not a complaint!  I'm thoroughly enjoying days moving slowly by while I relax and just breathe.   Since there's a wat (pagoda) on every corner, I figured I might as well take photos.  Because of Luang Prabang's UNESCO World heritage status, they are the best maintained I've seen in Asia.

Lunch yesterday - a delicious sandwich on great French bread.  Camembert, cheddar, tomato, onion, lettuce and salami.  $2.50 and came with a view of the Mekong river.

I went for a light breakfast today.  I was excited about the "bread, butter, cheese and jam".  Laughing cow.  Oh, well.  The bread is the best I've ever eaten.

The fruit plate that comes with breakfast every morning.  Banana, mango, watermelon and a mandarin orange.  Full breakfast is included with my room at the Nam Khan Riverside Hotel.  Always hard to choose - eggs and sausage?  Banana pancake? Mango shake or pineapple shake?  I'm feeling very spoiled.

Manicure gone mad!  Or, a statue in front of a wat.

The wat

Offerings in front of the wat.

One of the buildings on the monastery grounds.  I assume it's either classrooms, dorms or both.

One of the many hotels in town - an old home on the Mekong river, converted and restored.

There are a lot of tourists - this is the height of high season - but if you walk away from Tourist Street (I swear that's the name of the street), you can enjoy some quiet time.

Huge stag horn ferns.

If you click on the photo to make it larger and look carefully, you'll see three women working together on food prep.

Confluence of the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers.

Trash bin.  Myanmar, are you paying attention?

Not sure what these are called.  Grave markers?  Photos and dates of birth/death of family members were shown.  On the grounds of a meditation center.

Giant drum.

Another view.  One of the things that I've been enjoying here is walking in the evening and listening to the sounds of chanting and singing of the monks at every wat.

I loved the leaf shape of the metal screen on this window.

A monk. 

Another wat.

Spirit house.  Some are very fancy, some are not (this one is in the latter category.)  A Buddhist friend said they are used to appease angry spirits and keep them out of the house.

Another wat.  I told you there are a lot of them.

MLT, this ones for you.  At the restaurant where I had lunch today you can dine in a tuk tuk.  They swear it is romantic and your relationship will last forever if you dine there.

My view at the restaurant.  The Nam Khan river.

My lunch at the Indestructible Rock Restaurant, which was fabulous.  Lao steak (with garlic, onions and tomato) and the most unusual mashed potatoes (in the bowl) I've ever had.  The combo was delicious.  I also enjoyed the iced coffee.

Not sure what these ladies were doing.  They were clearly working on something - my guess is gathering the tiny cockles I saw at the nearby barbecue place the other night.