Culinary Heaven in Luang Prabang, Laos

The fish was so fluffy and delicious that the four of us were completely silent for the fifteen minutes it took to rip the tender flakes from the bones and devour them.

Ooh, the crispy garlic hugging the fried skin! Ooh, the fact that the little swimmer had been caught that very day on the Mekong river flowing three feet below our fairy-lit table! Oooh, the taste!!

Vijay snapped off the tail and gnawed at it. Hayden scraped his fork along the shiny silver bones that remained, hoping for another juicy morsel. Theresa wiped her mouth and declared, "I want to order another one."

The total bill was $22 U.S. dollars for:

- Two giant whole fried fish with lemon and garlic

- Steamed vegetables with cashews

- Two plates of dried, fried buffalo meat (one sweet, one savory... both regional specialties, and both shockingly scrumptious)

- Two heaps of sticky rice

- Fresh fruit shakes for the four of us

That bill came out to less than six dollars a person for one of the best meals of our lives.

Vijay, Hayden, Theresa, and I (bonded a few weeks ago on the endless bus journey from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Vientiane, Laos) have spent the past twenty-four hours eating unbelievably good food in an unbelievably beautiful city: Luang Prabang.

The type of cuisine is incredibly varied, but the slant is decidedly French, as are the bulk of the happy, happy tourists.

(Please note that we ARE very happy, ourselves, despite the odd-expressions in the photos, here. We were posing with that buffalo jerky which caused sort of ridiculous grimace for the camera. Glee lies underneath, though, honest!)

Tomorrow we will hike a waterfall, but today has the following To Do List:

1) That amazing looking bakery on the corner,
2) That fresh fruit crepe shop,
3) The Lao restaurant that gets rave reviews,
4) ...and you get the point.

Yum yum, Laos!