Family Touring Report : Part 4

* In the category refreshing drink diring a cycling break: 7-up
* In the category refreshing drink with a meal: Mirinda (like Orange Crush but smoother & less sweet)
* In the category refreshing drink before or after dinner: pineapple shake
* In the category savored elixer to start day: "white" coffee in the Bolaven (see IRR 7)

* In the category deep-fried market snack food (deep-fried being the only kind of market food we trusted): a 4-way tie among all participants -- battered bannanas, waffle-thingies, round balls of batter something on a stick, and tappioca pudding disks (technically the pudding disks were poached, not deep-fried).

* In the category breakfast, ambience: the 'American' (2 eggs, 2 toast, 2 bacon, 2 sausage, juice, & coffee) at Thong Bay guesthouse in Luang Prabang. It rated for serving patio-side to our private bungalow which we could then watch the locals doing their morning chores in the river below while we ate.
* In the category breakfast, to start a long day of riding: bannana pancakes at any of the Indian restraunts found incongruously in all the major destination cities.
* In the category breakfast, maybe we should sell everything and immigrate: the scrambled eggs with real European cheese and crossiant at the Scandanvian Bakery in Vientiane. (This place also gets a special honorable mention for having real soft-serve ice-cream.)

There were not categories for dinner. There were excellent meals that must be savored in their recounting. By far the best, in its own realm was the French restraunt in Vientiane. We had a plate of 8 types of house pate' for appetizer. Entree Allan went with the duck stew while Carie chose the duck raviolis in cream sauce. For Cody there was what the menu listed as "kid's pizza" for $3. After it arrived I suspected there was a translation error and it should have read "Kids' pizza" or maybe even more clearly "pizza for all the kids", it was easily a 10 inch pie. Wine was a 1/2 carafe of house red. Dessert was a rum infused sponge cake with honey drizzle. This meal cost $30.

Among the local's restraunts, easily #1 for the trip was at the Tad Lo waterfalls. There we had this awesome grilled fish and spicey spring rolls. For dessert we had baked bannanas in cream. All were to die for. Finally the Lucky Number 9 in Pakse had the best Laap (Laap is the traditional Lao meat relish dish) in the country, and we tried a bunch. Most often the Laap was under-seasoned. Condiments are supplied on the table and we guess the locals know how to make it suit their tastes, but for us it was a bunch of mystery sauces of unknown bacterial content. We generally erred on the sparse side which made for some boring laap. Except for at Lucky Number 9. The seasoned it wonderfully as part of the cooking process. It was excellent. Made all the so-so laap we had in searching this one out worth it. In fact, after Lucky Number 9 we called it mission accomplished and stopped ordering laap. Finally in Vang Vieng at the Organic Planet Cafe Allan had the best curry stew he swears he has ever had, and now expects ever to have this side of the eternal.

As for some typical prices, bottled water was 20 cents a liter. Soda was 20-40 cents (varied a lot with location) for a 12 oz bottle. For some reason, soda in aluminum cans, which we never bought, usually cost double the bottle price. Baguettes are 20 cents for 6" loaves. Croissants would be 40 cents, when available (mostly just in Luang Prabang and Vientiane plus 1 place in Vang Vieng and 1 place in Pakse had 'em). Jam and butter packets for the bread would be 10-15 cents each (the contrast with the U.S. here is kind of funny... 2 lousey pieces of toast is usually 50 cents to a dollar in the US and the butter/jam packets are all you want). Eggs were 10-20 cents each fried, scrambled, or hard-boiled didn't matter. About a cup of cooked rice was 20 cents. Coffee prices varied the most from 30-50 cents for a small cup. Only one location gave free refills. Dinner entrees were usually 1.50-2.00.
So that's the culinary skinney. Part 2 we hope to have the more useful, "what one taking a trip overseas and considering Laos would want to know."

Lots of Bikey Love,
Indochine Cougars: Allan, Carie, & Cody Lao