The slow boat ride down the Mekong was one of those majestic, unforgettable experiences that can only truly be enjoyed quile squatting on the floor wedged between a Lao mother who's baby keeps hitting her and a group of Lao men playing careds on a suitcase. Waking up early after a ghost-ridden night we headed down to the dock to ensure we got a seat on the boat, which proved to be a good idea, as group after group of tourist and locals alike came marching down the stairs to cram into the vessel. After 3 hours of playing the "this has to be the last group they can't possibly fit any more" game, we were off on our journey.
The trip was fantastic, with every bend in the river offering a new and interesting glimpse into local lao life, as kids swam, villagers of all ages fished, farmed and congregated by the beaches and jutting rocks of the river. That night we stayed in Pakbeng and got our first taste of local buffalo Lap (ground up with mint), along with instructions from the locals on how to eat it with our hands and the sticky rice. The next morning we strolled down to the boat dock, only to find the boat already crowded with everybody who hadn't gotten a good seat the day before. We nestled into our little corners in the front of the boat with the before mentioned locals. This seating arrangement worked out great, as I joined in the card game with the lao men (a loa version of asshole, which I got dominated at and had to excuse myself before they started playing for money), shared food and drink with the family, and got to practice a little lao.
Things learned on the Mekong:
- When you think the boat is full, it can always fit at least 6 more people and 12 more bags of rice.
- When the boat lists port side, the captain will have Tina switch seats with a tiny old lao woman across from her to correct the problem (this actually happened).
No comments:
Post a Comment