Mekong River Cruise
Jan 1st, 2012 by Tim
We made the transition into the new year by cruising on the Mekong river from Thai Border to Luang Prabang over three days and two nights. There are three types of passenger boats on the river: the “slow boat” barge, the “medium” barge, and the “fast boat”. We heard stories about the fast boats, and they looked to be true. The pilot wore a helmet, but most of the passengers did not! We took the The Luang Say “medium” boat.
The Mekong is the “mother of water” and a transportation and commerce artery through China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. We settled in to our seats and adapted to the sights, sounds and pace of life on the river. Barges transport both people and goods, and we saw several boat loaded to the gills with bags of rice from the recent harvest.
We arrived in Pakbeng in time to enjoy the sunset from the Luang Say Lodge, perched on the riverbank just outside of town.
On our second day we made a stop at a hilltribe village known for two “W”s: weaving and whiskey. We were a little uncomfortable intruding on the lives of the villagers, but their smiles put us at ease. Instead of making direct gifts, visitors are encouraged to make a donation to the village elders via a contribution box in the center of town.
The scarves and runners were a varied assortment of colors and patterns, made of silk and cotton.
Cross stitch embroidery is another Hmong tribe local product, and they use very convincing salespeople.
Whiskey is made from sticky rice fermented for about two weeks. The final product is about 35 proof, and tastes quite good! the villagers were gearing up for New Years.
We spent a quiet New Year’s eve at the Kamu Lodge. Dinner was served at the “restaurant” in the middle of a rice paddy.
Our final leg included a stop at the Pak Au caves. Hundreds of Buddha statues are arrayed on the walls of the cave.
We arrived in Luang Prabang around noon, and were immediately enchanted by the ambiance of the town. More about that in a future post.