We found a room at a cute little guesthouse off a side street near the morning fresh produce market. 80,000k with a shared bathroom the owner mamma and pappa are very kind and speak good english.

After breakfast at JoMa Bakery 50% off yesterdays croissants and changing money to kip we went to the Royal Palace and Phi Si. The Royal Palace had been redone in parts by the last king who didn’t even rule with mosaics of chinese glass. The entrance fees are high here. At Phi Si we talked to some monks one who was reading the life of pi in english. They asked where our boyfriends were and when we were getting married. We asked why birds were being sold in bamboo baskets and what was done with them. Loa people set them free at the temples to become free..

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After visiting yet another wat we went to lunch at a place along the mekong river and had noodle soup. lunch was an extravagant 59,000k!

We went to the cultural show at royal palace with traditional loa dancing and minority dancing. one of the tribes did an amazing dance involving lifting large urns of water in their mouths and dancing around.

We again did dinner along the mekong in a beautiful setting with laterns in the trees it wasnt as good as lunch but was 59,000k again. the sticky rice was delicious a local speciality. There was a car ferry plying the mekong it was a catamaran made from two canoes with a large platform and a motor an interesting looking craft. families in their large boats that  they were using as homes and to ply up and down the river with goods were tied up for the night and fishing boat lights were dotted across the water like a star filled sky. it was peaceful scene with the sound of engines carrying across the water.

We walked through the night market the road was full of stalls all selling the same thing making you wonder about why someone didn’t break the mold ! i bought a little outfit for my nephew henry which he will look cute in and a latern for my garden from the night market