The SLOW-SLOW-Boat

Well the last two days have been uneventfully eventful...

Two days ago I woke at 5am to see the monks get their morning alms and then left Luang Prabang on the "slow boat" up the Mekong river en route to Huay Xai. Now there are two boat rides to Huay Xai. The slow boat takes two days and the fast boat takes 8 hours. Your probably wondering, why on earth would I take the slow boat? Well the fast boat is a small boat, big enough for three rows or three people sitting cross legged on the floor in a tight matrix. This boat is indeed fast and they require all the passengers to wear these martian like helmets with black visors. If I could see their faces I'm sure it would read, "WHY THE FUCK DID I DO THIS?!"

The slow boat is pretty massive and the seating is either straight-back teak benches or recycled car seats. The boats power comes from a recycled diesel car engine that has been expertly rigged up to run the boat at a crawling pace. As the engine roars its really quite hard to talk to anyone yet, all the Laotians were able to sleep no problem. To my disbelief, one guy was even passed out in the engine room. Once on the boat I was switching between sleeping, reading, music and my favorite, This American Life podcast's. As the boat makes it way up the Mekong, I notice the fast boaters screaming by, buffalo and goats grazing the pastures and drinking the muddy waters of the Mekong, fishermen, kids swimming and playing, amazing rock formations and greenest mountains I have ever witnessed.

My two day journey required an overnight stop in a teeny-tiny town called Pakbeng. I was traveling with 5 other backpackers with ages ranging from 20-41 years old. On the boat we didn't talk much, but once we got to Pakbeng we all bonded over Indian food and Beer Lao. At the only bar in the town we met up with a bunch of other travelers who are currently going the opposite direction, (Huay Xai to Luang Prabang), so they were filled with all kinds of questions and concerns. We all drank and talked till close which was 10:30pm! At that point the power to the entire town is shut down and there isn't one watt of energy floating around. So it was early to bed.

We all woke the next morning to noodle soup and went right to the boat for the next leg of the journey. Today's relaxing journey was much easier for some reason and I was even able to finish my book Bangkok 8. Again I flollowed my initial routine with the addition to writing a bunch of post cards. And just to mention, for some reason, everyone on the boat today was chain smoking for the entire 8 hour ride so I now stink of cigarettes and B.O. Before I knew it, the sun was setting over the mountains in Thailand and we were in Hauy Xai.

I would recommend that if anyone reading is ever in Loas, you dont miss out on this tranquil journey up the Mekong.