Slow boat to Luang Prabang

Mekong R. 5 am from balcony, Chiang Khong

Crossing the Mekong into Laos was easy, I got my visa on arrival and changed 1000 baht to a wad of kip about almost 2 inches thick! I couldn't close my purse. Getting to and on the slowboat was confusing. Hot, anxious, tourists and slow taxi drivers everywhere. Walking the narrow, muddy gangplank with my (still too heavy) backpack was nervewracking.

The boat was a bus on water. A narrow aisle, with wooden bench seats on either side, it was completely filled with tourists. We had all been told a different departure time and sixty of us sat there waiting for an hour in moist confusion, wondering when we would finally go. First on best dressed, my seat was bad, so I took the opportunity to change to the second boat, which I couldn’t see, but was told had more seats.

It did have more seats. On the second boat nearly everyone had a seat to themselves, people had their legs stretched out comfortably across both seats. And they weren’t about to give up their comfort. I walked down the aisle to find a seat and row after row of backpackers of all nations determinedly avoided my eye and resolutely did not move their legs. On a boat half-full, I ended up standing at the back and was joined by about 7 others who came aboard after me. It turned out to be the fun and friendly place to be, but there where times in that 6 hour trip I wished I could sit down.


Banana seller on the slowboat

Right on time, we landed at Pak Beng, halfway point to Luang Prabang and overnight stop. Built on a steep hillside Pak Beng is an old fishing village that now mainly exists to service the 200 or so tourists who stop there daily, either on the slowboat overnight, or the fast boat for lunch.

My accommodation was by far the worst I had experienced so far (I’d paid for it already in Huay Xai) Cold shower, dirty sheets, power went out unexpectedly 10 pm. I was very please that I’d just bought new batteries for my torch and knew exactly where it was in my bag. I was offered marijuana, opium and/or sex in the first 5 minutes.

I met up with David (Canadian) who I’d met on the boat for a nice Indian dinner at the only decent looking restaurant in town. As we sat in a bamboo hut by the river the rain came down and occasional flashes of lightening lit up the river valley and reminded me where I was. It wasn’t until dessert that David told me he was a psychiatrist (gawd, what did I say???).


Washbasin and handtowel, Indian Restraurant, Pak Beng

Day 2

First Lao coffee. Mmmmm. The guys generous staff at the guesthouse made me a bacon baguette for the trip and made sure I got down to the boat nice and early. Yay! A seat and a cushion. A good seat, right near the back, so I could smoke and just to reach behind me to order tea, coffee and, after lunch, BeerLao from the driver’s wife and daughters serving at the back.
It was a different boat again from either the day before. It turned out everyone was going to be on the same boat today, they’d even stuck some extra seats in the engine room at the back. The back looked hot and noisy very few windows back there. Imagine my happiness when many of those who had not moved their arses the day before, were the last on the boat and ended up in the hot, noisy darkness.


Nescafe never tasted so good...

It was scenic, cool and slow. The boat was a bit of a bonding experience, and a nice way to meet people. Since landing in beatuiful Luang Prabang, I have had meals and chats with a few of the nicer travellers I met along the way and met a few others as well.