Wandering, not Lost: Slowboat down the Mekong River

After a 'day-off' in Pai, we took a night bus to the border town of Chiang Kong where we would cross into Laos (a short trip across the river). Tired and a little grumpy after a sleepless nights tearing around corners, braking suddenly for no reason and dodging the local menagerie wandering across the roads, we then stood for two hours for our passports to be stamped.

Crossing into Laos

This was great as we got to meet loads of people who would be getting on the slow-boat with us.

So the slow-boat down the Mekong River is how people traditionally made the rather arduous journey to Luang Prabang. Now of course the roads are much better these days, but it has become a bit of a tourist institution - and as I have learned, snubbing tourist institutions to be an ''authentic backpacker" can be cutting off your nose a bit to spite your face. I don't have dreadlocks or a 2-yr beard either, and I would kinda like two days bobbing into Laos, so it was decided!

Of course there were loads of tourists, too many for one boat, so we were divided into two. On the first day we got into a relatively luxurious one, sans hard wooden seats. Not quite the original cargo boat experience, but the scenery was as awe-inspiring as one would expect. The weather was pretty miserable, and we just sat and read for the six hour trip to Pak Beng, our stopover for the night, chatting to a large group of Dutch guys we had met. Evy's Flemish, their Dutch and my Afrikaans, all related yet not quite the same, was of great amusement as we tried to communicate. I think in fact they were just making fun of Afrikaans, one of the languages of South Africa.

Slow Boat

Mekong Images

The night was spent in Pak Beng, a beautiful but very uneventful stop on the river. This is where we had our first taste of Laos people - friendly, helpful and full of fun. Also very, very laidback.

The first order of business was to take a hot shower.

Evy climbs in, turns on the tap and its cold. She hustles off to get someone to fix it. I am lying glazed eyed on my bed too lazy to worry. Some guy comes up, fixes it in two ticks and on his way out asks us if we smoke weed. Er, no thanks the hot shower is enough.

Evy gets out, I get in. The water is cold. I stand there in my towel as she goes to glare someone into action again, trying to impart the urgency needed to come and get the shower going again. Man comes in and water is flowing hot. We urge him to leave it running. He smiles, agrees, and turns it off. (Here the answer to everything is yes. Unless you ask it two or more times then you might get a No thrown in for good measure)

I get in. The water is cold. This whole operation starts again. As soon as the guy fixing it tells us to come along and feel it is indeed warm I run into the shower, grab it from his hand and order him out! Blissful success!!

Day Two

An early start with a delicious omelette and baguette. The French left behind a very important legacy in that baguette. Especially since I wasn't too blown away by Laos cuisine, I ended up eating many many many! "Tea please," asks Evy.

"Opium Tea?" asks the waiter with a naughty wink.

Lord have mercy...... welcome to Laos!!

Piling back into the boats today we get one with wooden benches. Initially we grab one of six comfy chairs in front, but in the first three hours the chilly weather has driven us all into prime position on the floor next to the backpacks.

Our Dutch friends

The best spot on the boat! (I am the eskimo wrapped up in the jacket I thought I would never use)

Boredom quickly sets in and the Dutch get louder, as the beer gets flowing.

Someone puts music on, Australia and his girlfriend Mexico join in.

As the weather gets fouler, the token older American (accompanied by Thai girlfriend) pulls out his... I don't know what to call it, fisherman all-weather gear????

The Japanese couple, married a month ago and on a two-year honeymoon [Note - "Ï guess you will really know if you can live with each other then", however you say it, is probably not that funny Fran] decide to show off the gear they will be hiking in Nepal with or something, taking the slight chill a little seriously.

Japanese couple in green and red on the left.

As you can see the older French couples behind were looking rather staid and unexcited.

An hour or so passes.

It is obviously getting cold, the Japanese couple are getting quite concerned... about things like hypothermia??

So we offer him a sip of some extremely foul Lao whiskey to warm him up. Whiskey is very popular here, but I think it tastes a bit like feet. This whole event livened the French up and the man behind the Japanese couple in tears with laughter!!

Suddenly a loud bump clatters along the roof. A barrel has fallen off the boat!! Looking worried the driver slows down, yelling to the owner of a small canoe who goes out to retrieve it. Such action!