We arrived in Luang Prabang on Friday morning and did not have a hotel reservation. At the airport, we met a fellow traveler, Laura, who mentioned she was going to a guesthouse that may have another room available. We decided to share a tuk tuk to the city (about 4km away) and see if we could stay at that same place. After a short drive, we got into town and realized that Laura’s guesthouse did not have any available rooms but the guesthouse next door-Levady had a room. We quickly snatched that room and started our adventure.

It was only later in the day that we realized we had struck gold-the guesthouse was in the most beautiful enchanting alley covered in trees and flowers. The location was perfect, right between the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers leading to a beautiful Wat (Buddhist temple). We walked through the temple every time to get to the many cafes, restaurants and sights the town has to offer. We spent the first night in a regular double room and switched the next day to the “deluxe” room-a second floor wooden room with a balcony! Now we had front row seats to the alley and Lao life!

Right across from our guesthouse was a Lao family that seems like the local community center. Every day we watched people come in, sing, dance or act in a show. One afternoon as we were hanging out on our porch, we managed to capture it on video!

In Levady guesthouse we had the opportunity to stay with a family of three generations and observe how they live. One thing that is clearly very different about the way of life here is the absence of separation between work and private life. Your home is in most cases your place of business be it a guesthouse, a café , a stall at the night market, an art gallery or a massage/spa shop. People live where they work, sometimes on the second floor and sometimes in the room right next to yours. The whole family hangs out together while some members work, it would be as if my mom, grandma, nephews and cats all sat together with me in my cubicle back in NY.

Previous:   Journal: Wednesday, Dec 26 2007
Next:   Art in Luang Prabang