We spent a bit of time travelling in the north of Laos, mostly because of one particular boat trip, up the Nam Ou river to the town/village of Nyong Kiaw. Trying to buy a ticket was a lesson in patience and humour as all tour agents (of which there seem to be hundreds) in Luang Prabang advertise this trip, but no one seemed to actually sell you a ticket. Or confirm it would go (if there are not at least 8 people it won't go. If the river is too low it won't go). No one was able to say if the boat had indeed gone that very day, nor know who to contact to find out. The office at the boat dock was devoid of human activity (apparently it is only occupied in the early morning when boats go - if they go of course). We decided the best thing to do is assume it goes, and then just show up nice and early.
We did. It did! We got a ticket and were shown to our longtail boat.
We each (10 seats in all) sat on a kindergarten-style wooden chair fixed on one side to the boat, with a narrow space between. Narrow in the front and back too; it was impossible to stretch legs out even partially. One had to stoop slightly, as the roof was too low to allow sitting upright. The ride was to last 7 1.2 hours and there was no toilet (just what a girl wants at a certain of the month!). And the engine was so loud, placed as it was immediatly behind us, one could only converse with one's immediate neighbour by shouting.
But it was a wonderful trip. Two hours up (the entire trip was upstream fighting a remarkably strong current), we left the Mekong River to join the Nam Ou, at the base of a sheer cliff. 
From there we snaked along, around huge sand bars and semi-submerged boulders and bare-branched shrubs, dodging fishing lines and nets and boats, as the landscape became more and more spectacular. The farther north you go in Laos, the higher the mountains, the closer the landscape and the more lush the jungle, and this was just the start!
Our pilot was very skilled, and I could see what they meant about the boat not always being able to go - there were so many obstacles and the currents were quite wild at times, enough to satisfy an intermediate kayaker.
At the half-way point we stopped at a beach, the most wonderfully sandy beach, where we could stretch out and 'go' in the woods behind. It was warm and quiet without the engine, and we all wanted to stya right where we were for a lot longer than the 15 minutes allotted.
Towards the end of the trip, which coincided with the setting of the sun, we could see water buffalo and cows along the shore in the water cooling off, naked children washing and splashing loudly, even an elephant walking methodically down tot he water. There were small cultivated vegetable gardens growing in the sand banks, with thatched huts dotted about.Our own hut that night was what you might call 'rustic' - coconut mats on stilts, so the entire hut swayed and shuddered at each footfall. There was a squat toilet in a cubby hole next door, and only the usual florescent light in the middle of the room, but the bed was big and comfortable (all Laos beds are really hard - good for us) and there was a mosquito net and a balcony overlooking the river with mist and smoke curling around the mountains as the light changed and the nighttime noises began (ducks, frogs, insects). Quite the ethereal start to a trip up north.
Our second boat trip was along the Mekong River as it winds along from Luang Prabang northwest, so that it is possible to ride it all the way to the Thai border at Chiang Khong. It takes two days, with an overnight stop in the village of Pakbeng. We've read a lot about this trip and the many negatives other people have experienced either on the boat or in the village (very cramped uncomfortable boat, having to bring enough food for two days, a village with little accomodation and a lot of it bad, problems with being ravaged by villagers who grab bags and rush up to the top of the stairs only to insist on a large cash payment, an impossible thing to avoid given a long, slim flight of steep, slippery stairs to navigate, not being able to buy the second day's boat trip until the evening before or morning of , when tickets may or may not be available, etc.), and we were gearing ourselves for the disomfort.
The day before going we found an agent who sold tickets, and realized there was another sort of option available. This boat was larger and more comfortable. You paid for the entire trip at the beginning and did not have to buy the two days separate;ly. Accomodation was included at a very nice place, in private bungalows. Food was provided on the boat and in the hotel. All transfers at the border crossing were included.
Well this sounds very civilized but how much does it cost? How much?!?!? Oh well, never mind.
But wait. It is the last minute - most everyone else has booked this as part of a tour, but there are seats left, and they are available for half price. We did a quick calculation and found that with all the costs of the other boat, this one was extremely good value. A bit more, but so much easier and better. And they took credit cards!
So we turned up at 6:30am the next morning to find coffee and crossants waiting, and two guides (one speaking very good English, the other very good French). We were able to move around on the boat and talk to people (a very differnt group of travellers - generally older, a few couples but mostly family grups, almost all of whom were on a two or three week trip over the Christmas period) and there was water and coffee available during the day.
We powered up the Mekong, watching the mist move away from the mountains as we shed clothing from our full on winter gear (it's cold when you are going at a clip) to full on summer. 
We passed villages and caves, new forests (to belatedly try to overcome Laos' severe deforestation) of teak and rose wood and banana, and bankside gardens of peanuts and tobacco and sweet potato.At Pakbeng, we bypassed the throng of bag snatchers (we had been requested to pack only a small overnight back and leave our large bags in a locked hold on board) and moved right into our Luang Sang bungalows (full bathrooms, hot water, soft lighting!). We sat on the deck with a sweet lemongrass drink and watched the Mekong wind westwards between the darkening hills and reflect the dying sun's light as hammered metal - gold, silver, pewter, lead. The sliver of moon alllowed other stars to be seen - for the first time on the trip, florescent light did not crowd them out.
Up before dawn, but the next day was as serene. As we neared Thailand the landscape changed dramatically. The hills opened out to a wide plain, and the air was warmer. The first thing one sees on the Thailand side is a resort, with a bunch of cars and SUVs parked in front of the lawn (a lawn!!!) and flowers growing in profusion. Oh my.That night we righted the balance by staying in a 'simple' guesthouse ($6) that lay right opposite one stage and bedside another set up for the border town's New Year's Eve celebration. The town was full - we were lucky to get a room, and we took part in the general mayhem of a Thai town ready to party.
1 comment:
that's it. your next career. for the rest of us that want the authentic elephant and boat experience but don't want the hassle of booking accommodations and want all the boring stuff edited out, you guys are going to organize tours for family and friends.
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