The Morning Market of Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang has two street markets: a famous Night Market, and a not-so-famous Morning Market. Every foreign visiter to Luang Prabang makes at least one trip to the Night Market. We’ve been there the last two evenings. After sundown, a long section of the main street is closed to traffic, and local vendors set up tents that sell handicrafts, food, clothing and an incredible array of things that tourists need (or think they need). It’s very festive, entertaining, and mutually beneficial for all.
This morning while I was taking my cool-down walk after my jog, I discovered the 99% tourist-free Morning Market. It was squeezed into a long, narrow alley, next to a (wat else? – pun intended) Buddhist Temple. And while the atmosphere at the local’s market wasn’t exactly festive, it was crowded, noisy, smokey, and had so many different smells wafting around, it was difficult to take it all in. As a first-time visitor to Laos, I had great fun strolling through.
The Morning Market is no-nonsense. These vendors sell practical things that people need. There was a cross-section of necessities for sale: produce, meat, rice, noodles, prepared foods of all types, as well as household goods, and you could even get a haircut. The table in this photo sold at least four different kinds of noodles, and across the way was the rice vendor.
This lady was preparing the coolest, most environmentally friendly take-away food imaginable. She was mixing rice with scrambled eggs and spices, then stuffing them in banana leaves which were tied up with some sort of organic string. It not only looked delicious, but after eating, the container becomes compost. Styrofoam never got close to this take-away. There’s a big lesson here for the west.
Then came my favorite … the grill meister. This husband and wife team had a huge selection of meats cooking over a hot charcoal fire. If you can resist this breakfast feast, you’re a stronger person than I am.
Luckily, I carry a little emergency cash with me when I jog, and I blew it all right here. I’m not exactly sure what I had, but suffice it to say that it was wonderful, and essentially negated the entire effect of my jog.
And to make sure the spirits were appeased and guiding things in the right direction, this seller was adding incense and fruit to her spirit house.
You can’t pay for entertainment this good.
Happy Trails … (buuurp!)
James
The market looks very colorful.. and uhm.. tasty? should taste them once
Thanks for the comment. If you get a chance to visit, do it. Not all the food was to my taste, but most of it looked great.
that one bowel looks like pickle duck eggs
Gerald, they were indeed pickled duck/chicken eggs. I didn’t partake of those as I’m sure they wouldn’t agree with me. There were a few other things hanging in the market that I skipped as well.
awesome. I’m in Luang Prabang right now – where was the morning market located, exactly? Close to the main street (night market area)?
The alley is parallel to the main st. a block or so toward the Mekong. Just walk down the street where the night market begins toward the river. It’s on the right by a temple.