Night Market in Luang Prabang
Night Market in Luang Prabang, Laos
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Laos, my homeland. And one of the most memorable moments was the time that I was in the Northern Province in the city of Luang Prabang. The city of Luang Prabang is situated in the semi-mountainous region in Laos where the Mekong River flows graciously through it. During the day, you will see tourists of all sorts, old and young, from various European countries like France, Denmark, and Finland to name a few. There were also tourists from neighboring countries as well such as Thailand, Korea, and China. I had great pleasure talking with many of these tourists asking how they were enjoying themselves in Luang Prabang. One of the most interesting and amazing moments of all during my stay in Luang Prabang was after sunset in the main four-way intersection of the city. This is when the town comes alive with a whole new picture. It is the night market where all sorts of merchants coming from various nearby villages and towns come and set up their market to sell. The various merchants have all sorts of different items to be sold in the market such as jewelry, arts and crafts, and traditional clothing all uniquely made and handcrafted according to it’s localities of village and tribe. There are also many food stalls and some great restaurants that cater to locals and tourists along the two aisles of the closed off street of the night market. As I walked through the cool tropical November night in the busy street of the night market, I was very much in awe by the various souvenirs, cloths, bags, traditional cloths, jewelry, and paintings of various qualities and prices. So, I stopped by one of the many vendors and took a look at some jewelry. A particular bracelet caught my attention and I was drawn to its beauty and how it was intricately made and handcrafted. Naturally, I then proceeded to ask about the price and the friendly merchant quoted 700,000 kip. We bargained
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Laos, my homeland. And one of the most memorable moments was the time that I was in the Northern Province in the city of Luang Prabang. The city of Luang Prabang is situated in the semi-mountainous region in Laos where the Mekong River flows graciously through it. During the day, you will see tourists of all sorts, old and young, from various European countries like France, Denmark, and Finland to name a few. There were also tourists from neighboring countries as well such as Thailand, Korea, and China. I had great pleasure talking with many of these tourists asking how they were enjoying themselves in Luang Prabang. One of the most interesting and amazing moments of all during my stay in Luang Prabang was after sunset in the main four-way intersection of the city. This is when the town comes alive with a whole new picture. It is the night market where all sorts of merchants coming from various nearby villages and towns come and set up their market to sell. The various merchants have all sorts of different items to be sold in the market such as jewelry, arts and crafts, and traditional clothing all uniquely made and handcrafted according to it’s localities of village and tribe. There are also many food stalls and some great restaurants that cater to locals and tourists along the two aisles of the closed off street of the night market. As I walked through the cool tropical November night in the busy street of the night market, I was very much in awe by the various souvenirs, cloths, bags, traditional cloths, jewelry, and paintings of various qualities and prices. So, I stopped by one of the many vendors and took a look at some jewelry. A particular bracelet caught my attention and I was drawn to its beauty and how it was intricately made and handcrafted. Naturally, I then proceeded to ask about the price and the friendly merchant quoted 700,000 kip. We bargained