Pretty Prabang

Close up of art on the wall of the Wat - similar to in the throne room
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Luang Prabang is a 6 hour minibus ride from Vang Vieng, and is famous for its archeticure - another world listed site.   The bus ride here was amazing - the road snaked ahead clinging on to the side of mountains, while peoples houses were perched in the couple of metres beside the road and the drop off into the valley below.  The Laos houses are made of weaved bamboo, very picturesque but clearly showing how much poorer people are here than in the other countries we have been too.

Grand palace
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After spending the first morning having a look around we took a tuk-tuk to a waterfall 30ks out of town for a swim (it is very hot in Laos).  The waterfall was very beautiful - spilling down the hill into many different pools for swimming in, and was a strange milky green colour.  I didnt take my camera as I was afraid someone might take it while we were swimming, so you will have to imagine it sorry!

The next day we went to the museum which is in the old Palace, where the Laos monarchy used to live until the 1970's when they were kicked out.  The palace was more a like a grand house, the presidents palace in Vientianne (from the outside) was much more "palace like" than this palace.  But the throne room was very cool - painted a deep red colour with mosiac tiles in a metallic finish showing images of people.  No cameras were allowed inside so again this is up to your imagination.   I then headed off to the main Wat of Luang Prabang - more interesting was the walk there beside the river and cute houses, and seeing the young teenage monks in their bright saffron robes smoking and yelling things that I couldn't understand out to me as I walked past.