The next day we departed from Pak Beng, the equivalent to a Wild West town. There is very little organization and you just show up and try to speak Lao, exchange money and hope you end up on the right boat. You then must navigate down the steep rocky outcrop with your luggage to your boat. More than a little bit chaotic. Here Emma is waiting until we determine price and the correct passage.
Meandering Up the Mighty Mekong
Two long days on a "slow" boat,
No internet,
Brown, murky water churning around rocky outcrops,
No phones,
Satiated, docile water buffalo bask on sun-drenched banks,
No TV,
Thatched roof grass homes sprout playful, waving children,
No cars,
Long slender bamboo poles strain to catch life sustaining meals,
No decisions,
Giant, leafy palm trees dance gently on rolling hills,
No worries,
Meandering up the mighty Mekong.
- Steve
As we planned our trip, we were unsure about spending two full days boating up the Mekong. There is a jet propelled "fast" boat which does the trip in half the time, complete with danger warnings and crash helmets. In the end, we loved the views, the pace, and the feeling of disconnect from the outside world.
Here we were arriving in Hauy Xai about 5:30pm along with two other boats which made it feel like we were in an exciting race. We felt lucky to arrive after the engine of our boat started smoking a couple of times. At this point we scanned the boat for lifejackets, but like the safety briefing, they were non-existent. The first time, we drifted towards the shore and shut down for a few minutes, which seemed to work. The second time one of the crew dove in and we assume he dislodged something possibly tangled around our propellor, because thankfully, it was smooth sailing after this.
I guess you got on the right boat! Where did you sleep?
ReplyDeleteAnd in this part of the world . . .
Bought some dill pickles and ate them while thinking of Emma. xo
And Peanut sends hello licks.