To get from our hotel to old town Luang Prabang, we can either cross the scooter bridge right outside the hotel then walk along a busy street…
…or we can stroll down a quiet neighborhood lane then cross further downstream at the bamboo bridge, next to the Dyen Sa Bai restaurant. Only problem is, the bamboo bridge is built at the beginning of the dry season, and dismantled when the river gets gnarly with the monsoons. When we arrived, it was still under construction.
Here’s the view from the South side. The bamboo slats in the foreground will be part of the bridge’s decking. The boats take these pieces out to the span that is being worked on:
From this side of the river, it wasn’t completely clear that the bridge was unfinished. In typical Au fashion, we tried to cross anyway. No one stopped us. Mary wisely decided to turn around when we were half way out. Here’s the view from the North side:
However, some of the locals saw it differently. Here are two young monks attempting the crossing, with varying degrees of confidence. It looks easy enough here; after all, there is a handrail:
Then there are actually more logs to walk on:
And then even more logs, yet some feel it’s prudent to travel on hands and knees:
And finally, everybody feels the need to stay dry:
“Ahhh! Stable footing at last!”
Don’t forget to take time to gloat:
And yet, progress comes slowly, for some people:
When the bridge is complete the next day, few will notice its discreet story:
Fewer still will remember the cautionary tale of a monk and his prudence.
The toll is about 60 cents for a round trip.