Today is our last full day in Luang Prabang, and while we really do want to go see the water falls, we make a decision to do that on another trip, and just stay here in town visiting the National museum (that used to be the Royal Palace residences) and the myriad of Wats that are on virtually every corner of this little town. Seriously, I don’t even know how many Wats there are here – the maps don’t even list them all. I think I read there are over 30, and that sounds about right because you literally stumble on a Wat where ever you go here.
We start our morning with our great breakfast – although this time I’m smart and just tell them I don’t want anything – so I only get the small “welcome” fruit plate. They actually have to bring a table and chairs from inside to the patio for us because the hotel is fully packed with Chinese tourists and they are all out here eating breakfast. And eating. And eating. The whole Asian culture is amazing with the amount of food they can intake and still be skinny as rails. If only we could eat like that!
As it is, there are still a ton of people on the hill in various stages of climbing, resting and panorama viewing. And everyone is sick! There are more coughs, sniffles and sneezes on this mountain than Dayquil could handle. I swear the whole continent is sick. Sigh. While Ed is getting over his cold and my is slowly abating, we certainly don’t want more germs so we make our way quickly around and ahead of anyone we think might be infectious.
There are two ways up to the top of Mt. Phousi, and we choose to take the stairway on Royal Palace side, since that will be our 2nd stop of the morning. As it turns out, we should have come up on the other side of the mountain (so we could see the Naga staircase and the Wat and caves built halfway up the hill) then descended here. But we didn’t know any better, so again, that will have to wait until next trip. (Yes, we like it here enough that we are planning our next visit!) So, anyway, we climb our way up the zig zagging stairs to reach the temple and Stupa at the top.
There are supposed to be fantastic 360 degree views from up here, but as the years have gone by, the trees and foliage have grown very tall impeding your view over most of the historic part of town. There are however, great views out to the West, looking over the Mekong River…
…and even better views looking South over the Nam Khan river with the mountains on the horizon.
It’s getting jam packed up here on the viewing platforms by now too, so we make our way back down the mountain and head over to the National Museum and Wat Ho Prabang.
Holy cow! What we hadn’t counted on were the crowds! Chinese New Year coupled with the weekend. What were we thinking? Clearly, we weren’t. But we are here now, and there is no turning back!
We enter the museum grounds, pay our entry fee and make our way past King Sisavang Vong’s statue (again)…
…and over to the lockers – where I have to store my back pack. The locker room is jam packed, and there isn’t a locker available. At all. It is a little confusing, because people are milling around and there isn’t an information or rules sign in sight, and not even a person at the door. We just keep walking back and forth trying to make sense of what is going on, when finally some one with a uniform tells us to just wait because nothing is available. Ok. So, organization and information are not their strong suits here. Finally someone comes back for their belongings and we snag a locker for the backpack. I take out my small cross body purse, and leave the big bag in the locker, then we walk through the garden to the museum.
We should have taken pictures of the garden, just because it is packed with people – everywhere. Sitting on the lawn with bags strewn around them (obviously the designated bag watcher, while the rest of the group went inside), people with dogs (dogs? really?), people obliviously wandering around snapping pictures, bumping into you, cutting you off. And remember – we ARE OUTSIDE IN A LARGE GARDEN with walking paths. You get the idea.
We do make it to the museum building fairly unscathed, go up the stairs and take our shoes off (as required) then get in line to go inside. As we approach the ticket taker, she sees my purse and says no bags. What? NONE? No, none at all – not even little bags like this one that has been fine all across the entire world (literally) when I’ve had to put the back pack in a locker. At this point, we are ready to throw in the towel – but – darn it – we’re here and we’re going in that damn museum if it kills us! So, Ed waits by the entry door (fortunately in the shade with benches) and I run – literally run – barefoot (because I’m not wasting time putting my freaking shoes back on) back across the huge garden area – shouldering oblivious Chinese out of my way – to the stupid locker room to leave my little purse in the locker. Now its all the way back across the entire width of the garden to the museum entryway and, finally, we can enter. Of course entry lady has to have the parting shot and tells me to put my phone away – no pictures allowed. I’ll tell you what you can do with the phone lady…. LOL
A few deep breaths later, and we are inside the royal residences. We enter into the King’s reception hall which now has a bunch of paintings and statues and murals depicting Laotian life. Next is the Throne Hall which connects the reception hall with the private family residences. The King and Queen’s thrones are here (of course) as well as displays of crystal Buddhas. The most interesting thing in here though are the walls. They are decorated in glass and mirror tile mosaics which are incredibly gorgeous, and incredibly amazing for the time and craftsmanship it took to create them. I’m thinking of sneaking a picture, but then think better of it. After the locker “incident,” no way I’m getting kicked out of here now.
Up next is the Queen’s bedroom, which is incredibly large and beautifully, if not as sparsely, furnished. A connecting door is open to the King’s bedroom, which you can see glimpses of through the doorway. Walking around the corner brings you to the King’s bedroom itself, which is smaller than the Queen’s, but nonetheless well appointed. Next is the dining room, then in the library a display of musical instruments and dance costumes. There are placards and explanations pretty much everywhere (in English as well as Lao) which helps us to understand at what we are looking.
On the way out, we visit the Queen’s reception room, now containing paintings of the Kings as well as friendship flags and replica sculptures from other museums. The final room was the Secretary’s reception area, now turned into display of all the gifts from other countries. There are numerous display cases filled with priceless jewels, statues and from the U.S., a replica of the Apollo 11 – the moon landing spacecraft. Yeah. Nice. At any rate, it’s cool to look at all the swag, and realize it is grouped by country type: socialist and capitalist.
We retrieve our shoes and head out back, around the residences to the Royal Garages and King’s cars, trying to figure out why there is a large, fake rooster standing on a 2nd floor balcony across from the palace.
Again, no photos. Why? Who knows, because these cars aren’t in any great condition. There are two old Lincoln Continentals (1960s vintage), an Edsel Citation (which was the King’s primary vehicle) and a really poorly kept Citroen DS. There is also a river barge the King used to take on the river to visit his gardens. But the most interesting things are the biographies of the King’s drivers hanging on the wall. There are 4 of them, all driving for the King for years, and all, of course, ending their service in 1975. Made for great reading.
Our final stop on the property is the Wat Ho Prabang, which contains the Phabang Buddha, the most sacred of Luang Prabang’s, and actually the country’s, religious icons. Shockingly, no pictures are allowed in here either, so we circle the Phabang, a beautiful gold carved Buddha and examine the gold leaf studded walls and pillared temple.
We walk around the outside, where we can take pictures of the ornate gold inlaid walls and carvings, and the great Naga on the stairs.
It’s finally time to go back across the grounds, retrieve the back pack and set off on the Wat Walk. First stop, Wat May Souvanhnaphoumaram, right next door to the Museum.
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