Laos - Journey Down the Mekong

We decided to take the "slow boat" down the Mekong to Luang Prabang, a journey of two days. It is possible to do it faster in high speed power boats, but the feedback we received suggested that the high speed option was a little risky. So we took the laid-back alternative and spent two days watching the Laos scenery pass us by.

The boat made all local stops, mostly just pulling in to a beach on the side of the river where people suddenly appeared with a variety of cargo - rice and other produce, motorcycles, tractor tyres, satellite TV antennae, chickens ... The scenery became more spectacular as we moved further down the river.

The journey was punctuated by an overnight stop on a small town called Pak Beng. We arrived in darkness and everyone from the boat raced to find somewhere to stay. Due to logistical errors, our 5-star choice of accommodation did not eventuate and we had an interesting night under mosquito nets in a place with no electricity (except for a generator which operated from 6 to 10 pm only), no flush toilets, no hot water. But it had character.

The next day began with drama. A proposed change to a smaller boat caused some concerns about overloading and led to a mutiny by the passengers (mainly backpackers). Extensive negotiations ensued for another boat. More money seemed to fix it, and an hour later (and a little poorer), we were on our way in a much bigger boat. Just to speed the process along, passengers formed a human chain to move the baggage. Bemused locals and officials looked on. The day got better from there, the scenery became steadily more rewarding and the atmosphere became unavoidably relaxing. Mercedes even managed to finish her book.

It was again night by the time we arrived in Luang Prabang. But we were smarter about accommodation and we did much better than the night before. Ready for a few days of enjoying life with electricity and first world plumbing.
Simon