You Could Stay Here Forever

The travel books warn you that if you plan on just a few days in Luang Prabang, you will regret it and want to stay longer, maybe even a lifetime. The quiet streets, the French Colonial architecture, and the tranquility and beauty of the city quickly captivate the unsuspecting traveler and certainly has taken us by surprise. It is truly lovely.

Last night we had dinner with two women travelers, whom had met one another just recently on their own adventures, one from Australia and the other from Croatia. They had planned to leave Luang Prabang several days ago, but cannot seem to tear themselves away.
Another now local resident, who runs the beautiful "fair trade" store Kopnoi(and whose textiles and crafts she pomotes from the local hill tribes that we are bringing back to the USA to "pitch" locally)is originally from Quebec.
She is now living here because her daughter, 10 years ago, traveled here, fell in love with the city, and NEVER left. Her daughter eventually opened Loas' first bookstore, and now she is married with two children, living in Luang Prabang with her family. The mom, who is incredibly creative in her own right, owns not only the store, Kopnoi, but the cool local bar/restuarant, "The Hive", where we attended the fashion show last week. She too, has made this city her home.

So, it is true what they say....some stay longer and some never leave once they visit Luang Prabang....
We shall surely return to this magical and peaceful place someday. It was a perfect way to close out our adventure.