The Mighty Mekong

An early departure from Luang Prabang afforded me no last glimpse of the golden city, and immediately we were enveloped in the pervasive haze of the Northern Laos mountains caused by swidden (slash and burn) fires. It is the dry season and the mighty Mekong River is approaching its lowest yearly level, leaving behind enormous sand dunes on the banks and in the middle of the river, as well as large formations of ship-wrecking rocks which get submerged and become dangerous when the water levels rise. Standing on the banks of the river outside Pak Beng, one gets the impression of being at the bottom of a narrow desert, until you look up and see the dry leaves of the teak jungle closing in.

The trip up the Mekong from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai, at the Thai border, is a 2 day affair on any so-called slow boat (think river barge) versus 1 day on a “fast boat” – a white knuckle adventure that often leads to tragedy and is not recommended by anyone as a safe option for tourists (or locals, for that matter). It was surprising that the morning air on the river was quite brisk, and the boat crew gave us blankets and jackets and I was thankful to still have my Patagonia fleece (I had considered donating it to the Red Cross in a fit of bag-lightening). I was on the boat Luang Say, a “luxury” boat, as that goes on that part of the Mekong. The most obvious advantage being the full size Western bathroom (with sink and soap!), instead of the hole in the floorboards covered by a dirty tarp.

One of the other advantages of the posh cruise was the inclusion of all meals, and a night at the Luang Say resort in Pak Beng. However, of all the thatched roof huts, towers and homestays in which I have stayed so far, at this posh resort (where the windows were wooden slats and the eaves were open), I felt the most like the jungle was coming to get me, and was supremely grateful for the provided mosquito net to keep it at bay.