We commenced today with an early start to the Royal Palace in Luang Prabang. The palace was full of many gold and expensive items. It was interesting to see the history behind the royal family and palace. The palace is no longer used, so it has been turned into a museum for our enjoyment.
After the first palace, we jumped on board a boat and travelled down the Mekong river to see the Buddhist Caves which are known as the Pak Ou caves. On the way there we all played card games, listened to music, talked and relaxed. The cave was beautiful and was full of many Buddha statues. The view from the cave lookout clearly depicted the Laos scenery.
We jumped back onto the boat and headed to the centre of Luang Prabang for lunch, where we went off in small groups to choose our restaurant.
After lunch, we travelled to the Bear Protection Centre where they promoted and raised awareness for bear protection. The bears were cute, small and black. The bears were happily sleeping and climbing throughout their enclosure. It was good to see how people were actively trying to protect these beautiful animals because many people don’t treat them fairly. There are three main threats to these bears in Asia. They are: illegal poaching for bear parts, bear bile farming for Chinese medicines and the illegal pet trade. Bear bile is sold in parts of Asia as a traditional medicine to treat illnesses ranging from headaches to diseases of the heart and liver. In some countries across Asia thousands of bears are confined to tiny cages and endure lives of terrible pain and suffering as bile is extracted from their gall bladders. Bile is potentially harmful to humans and can be completely replaced by herbal and synthetic medicines. The alternatives to bile are cheaper, safer and more effective so there really is no need to cause such unbearable suffering to these beautiful creatures.
We walked up a bit further and encountered a majestic waterfall full of pristine blue water. The waterfall was very peaceful and the sound of the water cascading down was calming. It was disappointing that we weren’t able to swim in the water, but it was still amazing to look at. We were all taking artistic pictures from all sorts of weird angles.
After dinner, we were able to explore the night markets for an hour. We bargained and negotiated with the local market stalls, aiming to score the best price possible. Many people bought gifts for their families and friends, which always picks up everyone’s mood. The night markets have a great atmosphere and are always heaps of fun to shop at. We think everyone has turned into shopaholics!
By Kayla Elliott & Adalmiina Pelli