Magical Laos And The Fountain Of Youth

By Daniel Simon Resnik on August 25, 2015 in Other

Our aircraft is was surrounded by impenetrable dense cumulous clouds as far as the eye can see as we begain our descent into Luang Prabang in Laos. Suddenly the sky openeds up and for the first time we glimpsed the lush green jungles that envelopesmother the mountains and hills. Golden spires from temples couldan be sparingly observed peekring out amongst from the thick under-growth and the colossal murky Mekong River and snakeding its way through the countryside, seemingly cutting the country in two. is the colossal murky Mekong River.

On arrival, our first impression of the ancient town of Luang Prabang, g (a UNESCO World Heritage site) located in north central Laos, is was the tranquility and lack of crowds. The languid pace and relaxed feel of this charming city takes took me by surprise. This is was not the bustling Asia I was’m used to. The absence of motorbikes, general traffic, horn blowing and pollution means you can leisurely walk down the main street and uncover a city largely unaffected by the 21st century.

Along the main road, palaces, temples, pagodas and museums ensure Laung Prabang has exudes thea mystical charm of a land that time forgot. French Indochinesea architecture (remnants of the French Colonial rule in of years gone by), restaurants, bars, antique stores and material shops selling the most vibrant coloureds of silk weare most prominent, with most the majority of buildings no higher than two levels.

Early the nexton our second morning, on the advice from of our guide, we walked to the main street once more to witness the a sacred daily ritual by local monks called the Buddhists Alms Giving Ceremony. Through the shrouded mist the monks appeared marching in single file, clad in bright saffron robes, to collect offerings of alms (sticky rice and fruit) from locals and tourists.

Later on we ventured to the Kuang Si Waterfall (the largest in Luang Prabang), about 40 mins driveminutes’ drive from town. On the way we stopped off at a local Hmong settlement called the Ban Ou Laolum village, which that looks like a movie set that has been knocked up for gullible travellers.

The small community compriseswas made up of rickety old wooden dwellings, some languid apathetic cows, manic chooks, lazy, bonyscrawny dogs and lots of beautiful, giggling kids, buzzing with excitement. The bush telegraph kickeds in instantly and word quickly gets got around that tourists are were in town. Hastily, stalls are were set up in the hope we may might purchase some local trinkets.

Not long after contributing to the local community coffers, we arrived at Kuang Si Waterfall. After Aa short walk through the jungle later and well before we could see the falls we could hear the falls water powering and surging down its mountain path. well before we see them and Mmoments later an we were confronted by an enchanting waterfall that appeareds to descend from the heavens,. It ends itsit’s long journey coming to down the mountain by a crashing halt into in a pool surrounded by limestone rocks at the base of the mountain. and Tthe exploding spray gives that exploded on impact gave off a spectacular mystical icy blue hue. From here, the water continueds its journey till eventually it comesonly slightly further before coming to rest in a crystal clear natural pool where you can swim in the crystal clear mountainous waterwe were able to indulge in a refreshing swim.

We observed a group of monks deep in conversation, congregating near the edge of the water. With the sun’s rays filtering through the trees and jungle ferns, the setting takes certainly took on a mystical aura, but s. Suddenly the spiritual moment is was shattered as one of the younger members of the monk congregation disrobeds and chargeds towards the edge of the pool and proceeds to completed a flawless backward somersault into the magical waters of Kuang Si before surfacing to the cheering and clapping of his excited Monk mates.

High above the pool the more adventurous travellers are lininglined up to swing from a rope that hads been procured tethered to a large tree, enabling you to swingthose game enough to catapult themselves into the water. All of my life I had wanted to swing like Tarzan from a rope deep in the jungle and here I was finally doing able to fulfill the fantasy it in the mountainous hills of South East Asia. It was exhilarating!

Since the beginning of time man has been searching for a magic elixir, the a fountain of youth. Well, on this day we found it, albeit if only for a short time, in this enchanted waterfall deep in the mountains of Luang Prabang.
All that was left to do was return to our hotel to freshen up, and explore the night markets, and embark on oura favourite Asian pastime:; eating.

FACT BOX:

WHERE TO STAY:
Go to www.paradises.com

HOW TO GET THERE:
Vietnam Airlines
www.vietnamairlines.com