Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang is one of the only places in the world that you can wake up hungover and robbed and still love the world and humanity.

I had shared a taxi from the airport with 3 Irish girls and a New Zealander. Arriving late, many guesthouses were full and the pickins' very slim. Luckily, we all found accommodation along the same road.

My particular room was $3...and *may* have been worth it for its offerings. It was the cheapest room I've had yet, but also felt like it. The bed was lumpy, the fan was dusty and the door was a large piece of plywood held shut by a hinge and small padlock on the outside and a small sliding hinge from the inside. It would do for one night.

The ladies and I ventured out and tried the local offerings, namely Beer Lao - the tastiest beer in Asia by reputation and in fact. The night was fairly uneventful otherwise and we made our way back to our street behind the post office. I came back, slid the hinge across and fell into a deep slumber.

Around 7am I awoke with the door swinging open freely. I quickly closed it and looked around. My money belt had been sitting on top of my backpack (dumb...I know). I had just stocked up on $900 USD to carry through Laos where banks are few and far between. PANIC!

Credit cards - check.
Passport - check.
Money - $20, $40, $60, $80, $825, $826, $827...

I had been robbed - not blind, mind you, but robbed nonetheless. I looked up and the door I had just shut had once again swung open. Mild headache/hangover aside, I could not blame the Beer Laos, just my poor door latch that obviously was prone to wiggling loose with the slightest tremors common in the fairly rickety 2-story abode. It felt shitty and scary, but compared to some stories I've heard (like being robbed by a cyclo (read: bicycle taxi) driver with a machete), I got off easy, only about $50 in 10 dollar bills were gone.

This is the kind of thing that could ruin not only your day, but spoil a city. Not Luang Prabang. I stepped outside and was rejuvenated - healed by the magical spirit of this town. The streets were quaint, the people friendly. Monks in brightly colored orange robes roam the streets. Horns are used only when absolutely necessary. Vegetation is lush. Vendors leave you alone (for the most part) until you approach them. The air is fresh and the pace scrumptiously sleepy. Every moment is pregnant with positivity.

That said, I may be an optimist, but I'm not stupid. I upgraded to a $6 room in another guesthouse with a door that has a proper doorknob and lock. Perfect.