I'm travelling in Southeast Asia: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia. My descriptions are very "wordy"...

Saturday, July 24, 2004

Laos : Luang Prabang : Night Market

Luang Prabang is the second largest city in Laos. It feels like a sleepy provincial place in the South of France. A lazy coffee by the roadside felt civilised after all the chilli and garlic of Thailand. The town had style – at the night market almost everything was beautifully designed and handcrafted. The wares seemed mass-produced – they were so perfect and yet the range of colours and designs was limited. But these were simply the traditions – old women nimbly weave and stitch cloth without even making measurements. The Luang Prabang night market looked beautiful – the dim glow from bare bulbs illuminating umbrellas, lanterns and myriad silks. It was so tricky to look round – stall holders would unfurl everything they owned at the slightest sign of interest. It had a lazy charm.