Lazy Days on the Mekong
The Longboat — preferred Mekong River transportation
Looking back, I’m not so sure why I was hesitant. Taking the “slow boat” up the Mekong River from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai seems like a nice adventure (Huay Xai being at the Thai border)
But my online research revealed multiple potential hassels — uncomfortable seats, nowhere to sit, loud, smelly diesel engines and of course… boredom. Not to mention you have to bring your own food and drink. You also have to consider the six hour bus ride to Chiang Mai, our final destination. It was a commitment. Seriously, wouldn’t it be easier just to jump on a plane and fly to Chiang Mai in less than an hour?
Hold it. What am I thinking? My travels aren’t about taking the easy, fast route. I have time! So what if I’m a bit uncomfortable. We’re talking new experiences here. Memories! You only live once I constantly say to myself.
So I said yes. And as what is often the case — reality turned out much nicer than what I feared.
At the dock
I got in, threw my pack down in the back on an empty seat and looked around. The seats looked like they were lifted out of an old bus. Comfortable enough to settle into. Not being bolted to the floor meant we could move them around in any configuration that we wanted. Not a ton of rules here. Make yourself at home.
As the long boat filled with with a small mix of locals and tourists, I could see that a relaxed journey was ahead.
Pick a seat and settle in
As the boat pulled away from the dock, I looked out at the passing shoreline — the drone of the engine and refreshing breeze danced across my face, lulling me into a hypnotic trance. I took a deep breath. My shoulders dropped. A slow smile emerged.
Why is it that we value speed so much? Our reflex is to save time. Get there fast. And once we’re there, we’ll have more time to… relax. How curious a species we are.
And where are we going anyway? Do we even think about that? Getting there is the goal, right? But is it?
Here I was, gently moving upstream, watching time pass. Wasn’t this the goal. Wasn’t this why I came to SE Asia in the first place? To get into its rhythms. To see its sights. Take in its smells. Listen to the small chat of my fellow travelers. It was all so simple.
To understand the moment was simply to embrace the slowness.
How often do we give ourselves time like this?
Ahh… sleep. Why not?
It was a little pass noon. We pulled out the sandwiches we had picked up that morning. Had some fruit and water. And the day unfolded as it should.
The upriver trip took two days. The first day took about 9 hours. It was punctuated with occasional stops for the locals to unload gear… and themselves. They unloaded, then proceeded to shuffle along the shore, their possessions balancing on their heads. Kids running towards them in eager anticipation. This was their home.
I wondered what it must be like to live so far from other cities and towns. Nestled above the banks of this ancient river. I searched for the high river marks, wondering what it looks like during the annual floods during the monsoon season. I am sure that time for them is different that it is for us. But right now, we share the same moment.
Right before sunset we reached the small village of Luang Say, our resting point for the night. The local villagers and shopkeepers were ready. They helped us unload our bags and shuffled us off to the hotels we had booked or did their best to convince the undecided to follow them to theirs. We were their livelihoods. They were happy to see us.
As the day drew to a close, we had a simple dinner overlooking the river below. We then shuffled to our simple, but clean room. I tossed on the rock-hard bed (why is it that Asians like these miserable excuses for a bed?)
Waking up early, I caught this view of the river
The next morning we boarded another boat. This was was not as user-friendly as yesterday’s. The engine was louder and occasionally the diesel fumes would sting our noses. Oh well, take it as it comes.
But the slow pitch upstream was the same.
As we pulled over to drop off more villagers, kids yelled towards us as they played in the river.
I’m not sure I would swim in the Mekong, but obviously these village children thought otherwise.
Day two passed without incident. It was a few hours shorter than the first. Perfect. I was ready for land and hopefully a better bed.
Almost home. The Freedom Bridge — bridging the border between Laos and Thailand
Good-bye. Time for our next adventure
We arrived rested and ready. What a sweet adventure it was.
It just goes to show that travel isn’t only about adrenaline. Sometimes you need to just slow down and go with the flow.
