Saturday, December 25, 2010

Luang Prabang. Walked to Joma Bakery Cafe, got a turkey dinner sandwich and small chai tea latte to go, returned to the hotel and ate ith wile awaiting the elephant tour. We drove about an hour in the bed of small pickup with a tuk tuk shell on top. I had forgotten my earplugs. We walked to a long speed boat and rode that for a few minutes downstream to where the elephants were. Jan and Dave rode one elephant, Manuela and I rode another. This ride had a park bench on top with a wooden bar as a kind of seat belt. We alighted. There was a delay of some sort before we could continue the rest of the tour package, so we walked and photographed Tad Sae Falls and chatted with some guys from Denmark whom we had seen the night before at The Hive. Our tour guide sped things up for us and removed the delay. Jan and Dave bathed the elephants while Manuela and I watched and photographed. Our tour package was supposed to include feeding the elephants, but for some reason we didn't, but we didn't care by that point. It was enough for me to see other people feeding them. Lunch: included with the package. We ate next to the dock. Motorboat ride, pickup tuk tuk back to the hotel. Rested. Left the hotel about 2 PM, walked along the perimeter of the peninsula. Stopped at Joma Bakery Cafe, encountered Manuela, joined her while she drank a (green tea shake?) and I ate a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream and drank a cappuccino freeze. Manuela went on her way. I strolled the night market already starting to set up then hiked the stairway to That Phousi and watched the sun set with about 100 other people. Strolled the market more. Met Manuela, Lee, and Anna at the start of the market. Dinner at Pizza Luang Prabang, of which neither Manuala nor I will have good memories. Tuk tuk to the hotel. Rested. Tuk tuk to The Hive with Lee and Anna. Encountered Hector and Ramin (from Iran), met Omel from Israel and Chelsea from California. At the bar we saw 3 guys in full Santa suits. The club closed at 11 PM. Afterwards the others wanted to go to another club, but we declined, will maybe meet in Vang Viang, our next stop.