Slow, slow, slow your boat, gently down the Mekong22 Sep 2009
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Slow Boat outside Houay Xai
All a bit jam packed
The LUXURY version for locals.. not for the foreigners who like the...
Taking the Slow Boat down the Mekong from Huay Xai in Northern Laos to Luang Prabang is pretty much a Must Do for travellers along this route. As the name suggests, the boats are slow. In fact, they are slower now than ever before as the development of 'roads' in Laos has meant the boat men can no longer make their money from transporting cargo so they transport Crazy Foreigners instead.
The seats are narrow and wooden so seven or eight hours later you have learned to sit in every position known to man, woman or advanced yogi. Needless to say it's two to a seat. Ryanair ain't seen this yet and I so hope they don't!
WHY endure this? Well the scenery is simply amazing and as long as you are armed with food, ipod and a good book the time passes quite quickly as there is always an 'event' - like a landing every half hour or so.
I used the time to update my travel log which had sadly got neglected in the few days earlier.
We overnighted in a little town called Pak Beng where the locals pretty much attack you as you come to shore to get you to stay in their guesthouse. The electricity generator shuts down there at 10pm so you are pretty much guaranteed an early night. My mattress was concrete hard. Apparently Laos mattresses and pillows are legendary for their eh.. 'firmness' so best get used to it. I was also offered opium for the first time here which I duly declined.
