LUANGPRABANG

One just has to believe! The guesthouse we are staying at is located near big Buddhist temple, so our day begins with the sacred songs and mantras. Today, we head to visit two waterfalls we’ve found at the map: Tad Kouang Si is described as bigger one; however, Tad Se with its bluish-white cascades is definitely more impressive. It’s also good with the lack of tourists since it’s harder to get there. It’s especially hot today and I can’t even think of anything better than riding bikes and swim in refreshing waters of cool clean mountain rivers on a day like this. The celebration begins in the evening and the main part of it is all kinds of pyrotechnical shows. It bangs and explodes in every narrow street of the town and sometimes I get a feeling I am at a firing ground. A big symbolic boat is being made at the temple; later tonight it, decorated with the candles, will drift down the river with hundreds of smaller boats. There is only one bar in the town where one can have a drink and some music after 11PM. The music is not really what we like, but we have our own CD’s with us. Now this must be first time Latvian band Brainstorm is playing in Luangprabang! However, it looks like it’s only us who are happy about it. Okay, we put Paul Simon on: the reaction is still the same. “Do you like the music?” Janis asks a backpacker-woman sitting next to him. She only shrugs: “I better listen to Shakira.”