Cruising down the Mekong

Ferrying to Laos from Thailand

Thursday morning started by checking out of the hotel, and getting into some very old fashioned long boats, to cross the Mekong River from Thailand into Laos.  We spent a little bit of time at the border “stall” to get the whole groups passport stamps and visas. We met our guide for Laos, named Johnny.

Boarding our Mekong River Cruise

We loaded our bags into some Tuk-tuks, and were brought down to our “Cruise Ship.”  This cruise was on a 75 foot flat barge houseboat.  We began our 2 day trip down the Mekong River towards Luang Prabang.  The views were extraordinary.  One either side of the river, we were looking at sheer jungle mountainside, with occasional fishing huts scattering the landscape.  It is surreal to see these people living in these totally isolated villages in such an incredible atmosphere.

For a change of pace, we were finally able to get a small breeze in the HOT and HUMID weather.  The cruise was incredibly relaxing and was a great opportunity to spend time getting to know the group members better.

In the early evening we arrived at Pak Beng.  This is a small village that marks the halfway point between the border and Luang Prabang.  One interesting thing about this town, is that it just got electricity less the one year ago.

We headed with some group members over to the only bar in the town, called Hive Bar.  We were sitting outside, enjoying some cold BeerLao, and the electricity cut off twice.  If the incredibly scenic views don’t remind you that you are in the middle of nowhere, that does.

The whole group ate a traditional Lao meal on the guesthouse patio with a gorgeous view of the sunset against the valley, the Mekong, and the mountain jungles.  The group hung around and drank in the hotel, until the 12 pm Laotian government mandated curfew came by.  We headed to the room, to call it a night, and try to shower off from the hot sticky sweatiness (no a/c in a town that barely has electricity).  As we checked out the bathroom, the shower, was a hand held head, hanging above the toilet.  There was no toilet paper. 

Overall, a good nights sleep, and back on the boat the next morning.