There's no rat like a dead rat

The morning monk's round, called the Tak Bat,  is a living Buddhist tradition.  Our walk today took us away from the "tourist zone" and into everyday Luang Prabang in search of men in orange.  (We're not talking more than a couple of blocks here.)  Having found our monks, we carried on and eventually circled around and came upon the bustling morning market.  You name it, it was there.  Live piglets to raise, chicken and fish and the butcher department, colourful fruits and baked delicacies that we had no idea of.  Best to say that pictures were better than samples, at least first thing in the morning.  Oh, and the woman with the very fresh fish - still breathing - and the very dead rats.

Very much in chill mode we wandered and wondered.  It's quite cool in the mornings, usually around 17C, so ideal for our biggest trek of the day.  It's overcast, but once the fog lifts around mid-morning, and the sun comes out, it warms up to 30C.

There is plenty of adventure to be had here (see photo below).  You can spend a week learning to be a Mahout, although where that will be of use later is a big mystery.  Perhaps on a gap year CV.   These two middle-aged ladies opted for the more serene sunset cruise on the Mekong.  One beer included.

Our afternoon is spent quietly reading, by the pool if there was one, and contemplating where we would have dinner.  Robin suggested the Blue Lagoon, written up in the Bankgkok Airways inflight magazine.  Their Chilled Papaya Soup with a hint of curry was refreshing yet rich in flavour.  Robin really wants to get the recipe for her husband.