Mekong Boatride to Luang Prabong
Trip Start
Mar 27, 2007
1
6
17
Trip End
Jun 10, 2007
Luang Prabong,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Friday, April 20, 2007
I left Chiang Mai on the 16th as planned (relatively). I thought I was going to get a nice package tour so I wouldn't have to worry about the details. But worrying about the details led me down a wonderful path. And since the packages were sold out, I had little choice.
I paid a little over 200 Baht for a 2nd class bus ticket to Chiang Khong, Thailand. The bus, at first, was cramped as the seats seemed carved for very small Asian people and I am most definitely not. But I had a window seat and there was air conditioning. The bus meandered up and around hills and then down though towns of shacks and brand new houses- they were side by side
arrival in luang prabong
. The bus stopped at multiple stations, but also picked up anyone who seemed to wave it down. After nearly 8 hours of travel, it finally arrived in Chiang Khong. It was dark there and guesthouse touts were waiting for us. They loaded us with brocheres and suddenly a few people were jumping in the back of a pick-up. I quickly jumped in as well and we were off to a local guesthouse. I managed to snag a single room complete with balcony on the river for 150 Baht (SWEET!). The hosts, a French man and a Thai woman, were friendly and the room was spotless and freshly painted. They were still doing a bit of work so I had to trek down to the bathroom- but otherwise, it was fantastic. However, I was still feeling ick from the meandering hills of the bus ride and while dinner there was good, there was little enjoyment. I have come to believe that driving on the wrong side of the road had some to do with that...
Anyway- we headed down to the ferry and immigration the following morning. A quick stamp, 5 Baht, and a "ferry" ride later, we were standing on the other side of the Mekong in Laos. The ferry was actually a narrow, canoe-like motorboat that threatened to tip everytime you shifted. After the ferry, we had to buy visas for Laos and find a ticket for the boat
bartender nap
. We managed to get both, grabbed lunch to go, and we were on our way. The boat was a long ship with hard, narrow, wooden seats. We dropped our backpacks in the back of the ship and found seats. I ran into a woman I had met briefly in Chiang Mai on the Doi Suthep trip and I had my new buddies from the bus/ferry/guest house. The first day's journey took us as far as Pak Beng, one of the larger villages. I changed rooming buddies (as my previous ones were all guys) and the 3 of us gals headed up to find a room. Easy enough. Only problem was that the electricity in the entire village went off around 10:50.... every night. For dinner I had some fried rice with (water) buffalo.
The 2nd day, we loaded up and the same journey ensued. I know that my description of the boat sounds uncomfortable, but between the conversations, crazy Irishmen, the occasional swell or light rapid, and the epic Southeast Asia scenery, it was no problem. After nearly 8 hours of the boat ride we came to Luang Prabong- a gorgeous town of French architecture and accompanied by Buddhist temples and a wonderful Hmong night market.
This is truely the Southeast Asia I expected
bridge from the river
. It is quiet here with green moutains rising above the intersection of 2 rivers (one being the Mekong). I went to a temple on top of the hill yesterday and saw the sights there for a bit before heading down for some Beer Lao and a 5000 kip (60 cent) meal with a few fellow travelers and some local toddlers that had a lot of fun playing around the table. I was incredibly in awe of my fellow travlers- as several of them seem highly successful, enormously intelligent, and overall very happy. A few of them, in particular, are a bit older than me and I can only hope to be as happy as they are when arrive at that age. Needless to say, most of them left this morning on their journeys. I, meanwhile, stay behind until Monday when I fly to Vientiane. Tomorrow to some waterfalls and a cave, Sunday, I have no plans as yet.
Overall ,this detour to Laos has been nothing but a wonderful surprise. I met wonderful people and have seen wonderful scenery. My only complaint is the heat during the day, which is so sweltering it draws me to seek shade and water. I can only hope that the rest of my experience is as good or better.
