World Laos Bokèo Ban Aychaí

Cooke-Akaiwa SEAsia Adventure

Chiang Khong Oct 23, 2008

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Thursday

Today is our last day in Laos and our last on the Mekong. To get to the Thai border in good season, we had to depart Pakbeng at 7 am. The morning light over the river, mountains, and village was quite lovely and I took plenty of photos from the balcony of our little hotel. We had a nice breakfast there, too, and watched while three monks worked their way up and down the street collecting rice balls from the villagers. Across the street a family met them with tins of rice. Each person would scoop up a bit of rice, form it into a ball, and then reverently place it into the monk's tin basket. When finished receiving rice from each person, the monks bowed down and chanted before the little store. Then they stood and walked down the street to the next group prepared to feed the monks.

As we move north, the Mekong is becoming narrower. About 20 minutes out of Pakbeng, a new road is being built. In another year, a bridge will span the river, eventually connecting this part of Laos to Thailand. Change is coming fast in Laos and I fear that what makes it so charming – it's remoteness, it's open people, it's simple life – will soon whither away.

Shortly after writing the above passage our lazy day on the river came to an end. Our boat started heading for shore just before we passengers noticed a change in the drone of the engine. Quite a distance out, the engine quit and we glided to shore. A crew member hopped out and tied us to a tree root. Then the crew stood around peering at the engine. Eventually word reached us, “dead.” We were stranded on the Mekong in a remote part of Laos.

While someone hopped into the dingy, the rest of us enjoyed an early lunch, wondering what was coming next. Nearly done eating, we had our answer. We were abandoning the “slow boat” for three “fast boats.” When the boats arrived we were skeptical. There was no way all of our gear and passengers would fit in those three little wooden vessels. Like most boats in Asia, these were long, thin, and low. Our gear was piled high in the fronts, covered in tarps, and lashed down. Then came the passengers. Being much larger than the average Asian, most of us had to sit with knees in chin, two each in the little seats. I chose draping my legs over the edge and pulling them as close to the side as possible. Helmets on and we were off, zooming up the Mekong at an amazing speed.

Before leaving we were told the trip would last three hours. Twenty minutes into the ride and I wasn't sure I would ever walk again, quarters were so tight. But never mind, I loved the speed and the water, so it was fine. We buzzed past “slow boats” at a tremendous pace, catching glimpses of the passing jungle along the way. An hour of pain and we pulled into a little structure on the river's edge for a bathroom and snack break. Back into the boats and we continued our journey, now estimated to be forty minutes. (People here just can't tell time, I've decided.) The terrain started changing dramatically. Instead of rocks, mountains, and jungle, the land flattened out and we were passing fields and little villages with rather substantial looking structures. Clearly this was a more prosperous region.

All of a sudden, our ride ended. Bags hoisted out and strapped to our backs, we negotiated a thin board serving as bridge, up intensely steep concrete steps, bags into a tuk tuk, people following. A short journey to town and repeat the process. Bags out, strapped on our backs, a short walk, and time to check out of Laos. Lift the bags again, broil in the sun a bit, step into another small wooden boat, carefully stepping while balancing bags, a short ride across the Mekong, another line, sign into Thailand, bags hoisted into more tuk tuks, a brief ride and arrival at our little inn overlooking the river. Phew.

Because we took the fast boats, we arrived in this border town hours ahead of schedule. Unfortunately it has very little to recommend it as a tourist destination. A few of us wandered into town, stopped at an internet cafe for a bit, and enjoyed a cold drink. A nice dinner with most of the group, and our day came to a peaceful and uneventful end.