A conversational travel vlog by Nate and Kara Buchanan documenting their first day in Luang Prabang, Laos. They start with coffee and French-influenced bread, tour colonial streets, plan and visit temples (noting entry fees), sample local street food (including a Lao khao soi and peanut-butter banana sandwich), and explore a long night market. The vlog includes humor about being "templed out," plans to see the morning alms/monk ceremony, and personable reflections on local life and vendors.
Questions this video answers
Nate Buchanan
March 18, 2016
20,000 kip (~less than US$3)
Chapters
It's our first day in Long Prabang, and we have no plans. So we're going to start off with some coffee.
They're supposed to have a very heavy French influence here, so the bread is supposed to be really good.
We've had, like, one piece of bread in all of Asia so far.
So this morning, we're going to the coffee shop that's supposed to have the best croissants in all the city.
You want to say something happier for the video?
I would rather you try it, because I'm not going to like this. It's all wet.
So much positivity oozing from this side of the table.
Really going to get to eat, too. You're going to hate this morning's mood enhancer.
She needs it.
It tastes like a dummy. I don't like it.
I'll eat two, and you can get eggs and bacon.
All better up.
The trash, man.
Looks a little different.
In Laos, I love all the little monks walking around.
I've heard the name of the city pronounced, like, 10 different ways. I don't think I can say it right. So for the duration of this vlog, while we're in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang. I'm gonna refer to it as this city.
Does that work for you?
That's fine.
So one of the things that we noticed when we first got to the city is one, it's much smaller than any of the other Asian cities that we've been to, and it has much more of an authentic feel. And I feel like this is the perfect example. So we're on the main tourist road, and right behind me is a school with a bunch of little kids playing. So, like, while it's still a little touristy, it still has a lot of authenticity. Like, people are still going about living their daily lives, and the city's just not completely revolving around the tourists that are here. Plus, check out how cool this colonial street is.
Good luck, Lisa.
Well, tonight, we planned our night in a very sophisticated way.
The hotel that we're staying at gave us this fancy map. There are three large temples located on it. So that's what we're gonna do. This temple right here is supposed to be, like, the prettiest temple in the entire country. So we're gonna start here, work our way down by the river to this big silver temple right here, up to that temple.
Buy some dinner, and then go over here to the river for sunset. So that's the plan.
I've been feeling a little bit tumbled.
Out Lately, she threw a little bit of a fit about having to wear the skirt and the shirt that covers her shoulders right now.
I'm not super excited about this, but we read an article before we left that a girl wrote about being templed out, and she said that this temple was the cure. It's that pretty.
The article is pretty funny. We might have to read it when we get back, and if we do, we'll add it in the bloopers. And we're about to get hit by a car. This one was not on the map, so we're not stopping. A lot of times you have to pay to get in these temples. Cara just said if it's more than US$3, she's going to buy a necklace that she saw earlier for $3, and she's not going to the temple.
I've seen a lot of temples.
This one's supposed to be the cure. Cara.
We'll see about that.
20,000 kip.
What is that, less than $3?
She stuck with me. They barely scraped under Cara's lim.
Well, Kara, did it cure you of your temple disease?
That's nice.
I would not say that it cured me. I'm still very much templed out. But I was more impressed than I thought I would be. It was lots of little shiny temples instead of concrete temples, which was kind of fun, but.
Still don't really care to go in anymore. Do we have to go to more?
Two more. What if we have to pay to get in these?
I'm not paying anymore. I will go buy a necklace.
Kara lucked out. We ran out of time to go see the other temples. We're gonna miss the sunset. We don't. Or if we do. No.
Oh, yay. I would much rather watch the sunset.
Than go to the temple and go grab dinner and then find a spot on the river to watch the sunset. What are you getting for dinner?
There's a street.
There's a street stall with soup. I don't know what kind of soup it is, but I'm gonna check it.
What kind of soup?
Okay. Looks like the Laos version of khao soi.
Yeah.
That sounds so good.
Do I put toppings on it? Put those in there.
And.
Very good.
Does it taste like the khao soi they had in Chiang Mai?
It tastes like a brothier. Like, no, less curry, more broth, but very spicy still. Does that make sense? Yeah, they're big rice noodles instead of the yellow noodles. And the other khao soi?
The truth is, my stomach's Felt a little the past couple days. So I'm going to get something else besides spicy soup.
Can I get a peanut butter and banana sandwich? I think my stomach will appreciate this more than the spicy khao soi. And I haven't had a peanut butter sandwich in over two months. Cup tie.
We're going to miss the sunset.
Cara's order of to go got lost in translation. So while she eats, I'm going to go find the sunset. I'm just going to catch the last of it.
Now that is a peanut butter sandwich. And the bread here is so good. Time to go find Carol.
My mouse is on fire and I love it.
Feels so good.
How's your peanut butter and banana?
Huge.
How much money did you give me?
Maybe 50. How much things did you get?
A ton.
We seem to have found another never ending night market. It just keeps going and going and going.
We have emerged well. You want to keep going down these. Looks like there's a party down there. We ate too early.
Just hit the jackpot on street food.
You want to take a stroll? Maybe tomorrow.
We shall be back.
This place keeps going forever. Another night.
We are definitely coming back here.
Thank you. Cup tie. Do you make this? That's awesome.
You made them? Yeah. Oh, they're great.
Cup tie delight.
Thank you. Thank you.
She was the sweetest person ever. So whoever gets this postcard, you're a lucky dog. She thought I was beautiful.
I can't believe she actually makes those. Yeah, like a lot of this stuff is like sold just by the people that sit here and then they go buy it from somebody else because it's pretty.
Not her.
We were about to go to sleep and I just realized that we forgot to read the definition of templed out from Alex in Wonderland. Keep the camera high to keep this vlog from getting inappropriate. The sensation one feels after visiting their 237th Wat Monastery or Temple, when all of the previous 236 start to blur together in one delirious hallucination of Buddha images, gold stupas and incense. Symptoms include fainting, whining, indifference in the face of unbelievable beauty, and having a complete emotional meltdown in front of a serene and smiling monk.
Just thought that summed it up perfectly. Kara's getting close. She hasn't had her meltdown in front of a monk yet. But it won't be long.
We're going to sleep. We're getting up at five to go see the monks. The ALM ceremony.
I'm equally as excited.
I think it's technically the Lao version.
The country is Laos.
Talking about the country.
Yeah, but the people from Laos are Laos.
No, they're Laos.
They're what? No, they're Laos.
No, he called him Lauan. I heard him on the video.
You heard it first. Here, people.
Laotian.
I think. Lao.
That is definitely some type of hair.
Just remove and move on. That's my strategy here.
Oreo banana milkshake. This would be good for the stomach.
