Just another day on the Mekong…

What would a trip to Laos be without a boat ride on the Mekong? Well we got more than our fair share of the Mekong, since heavy rains washed out part of the road we were supposed to take to Hinboun and we ended up stopping at a random village, wading through what seemed like miles of muddy fields and getting in some rather precarious looking “boats” (and yes, I do use the term loosely) to get to our destination village and the Sala Hinboun.

Check out the “boats”:


(that’s Sue, Andy and Rick balancing precariously in their “boat” with their driver)


Neil trying hard to tip the boat (you didn’t have to try that hard, actually!)


This is for Ann and Edite who made me buy these sandals before I left Canada. Boy, was I glad of them as I was wading through the mud…


Our beautiful lodging. Also the only place we didn’t have an air-conditioner and with temperatures hovering around the mid 30s (Celsius) and humidity around 80%, it was… ummm… warm, to say the least. If you laid very still on the bed you could just about feel the ceiling fan, working hard on the little electricity available…. In any case, it made us appreciate the aircon in the other places just that little bit more!

Below are some shots I took on the trip. Some of the quality is not the greatest but remember:

1. The “boat” was not very stable. Sudden movements not encouraged.
2. Periodically, it would start to rain, involving putting said camera away in safe(r) place so it wouldn’t get (more) wet. See #1 re: sudden movements.
3. Although they could barely balance on the water, the “boats” actually moved pretty fast, especially when we were going with the tide. My camera does not have a “going fast on a boat” setting.

Enjoy!









15 thoughts on “Just another day on the Mekong…”

  1. Simply Life – the scenery was relaxing, yes. The boat ride was a little… ummm… precarious!

    Reply
  2. Chow – what did we eat? Pretty much the same thing we ate all over Laos – curries, fish, laap. I only have a few pics of that meal since it was so DARK!!!

    Divina – it is such a beautiful country…

    Edite – well I am glad I got them! Thanks to you!

    Reply
  3. Thanks, lululu, it was very peaceful there that night – you could actually see the stars in the black black sky and no noise except for the river…

    Reply
  4. Chow – Mardi's not a fish eater (I know, I know…) so she would not recall, but this was the setting for the best grilled fish dish of the trip. I think Andy had the happiest grin on his face of the fortnight at that meal!

    Also, before everyone wonders what on earth Mardi is on about…no, it's NOT the tide of course: it's the current.

    Reply
  5. Natalie – yes, it was quite the trip and I love how I am still making my way through the pictures a couple of months later!!! A little bit of vacation every few days!

    Reply

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