We were thrilled to find a loaf of white bread and some real cheese in Luang Prabang, which meant we could have sandwiches for lunch the first few days. Yum!!
On our second evening we had one of the highlight experiences of the whole trip. We had just set up camp in what we thought was a secluded spot when 4 girls paddled up the river to check out the "falangs". They were very shy at first which they soon overcame upon receiving oreo cookies. They stayed a short time and then left. A little while later a group of 8 boys and girls, between the ages of 8 and 12 arrived on foot. We also put them at ease by handing out more oreos. When they were comfortable enough they began to entertain us with a demonstration of some typical village games. Our clapping and encouragement resulted in a more relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Brian taught them how to play hopscotch which they picked up right away. In the middle of the hopscotch game 3 of the older girls rejoined us. One of them had brought her exercise book containing handwritten english lessons. This lead to a spontaneous english practice session with the whole group. At one point the eldest girl looked into her exercise book and fixed on one word she decided to try. Sing, she commanded. Everyone agreed and we were on the spot for a performance. We selected Frere Jacques and followed that up with our ABC's. Some of the older girls were able to sing along with most of the ABC song. As darkness came they returned to their village. The next morning as we were packing up 4 girls returned to watch us. One girl in particular was intrigued as she watched Diana braid her hair. It made her day when Diana got up and braided the girl's hair. And then we were off while the kids ran along the riverbank waving, blowing kisses and shouting, "sing".
The Mekong river has many permutations, ranging from calm placid lake-like water to powerful rapids in narrow canyons. As it was impossible to get accurate information about the location of dangerous sections we had to always be vigilant and cautious. We tackled rapids in one of 4 ways depending on their severity. We ran them together, Brain ran them alone while Diana walked the riverbank, we lined the canoe along the shore or we portaged.
A portage, of course, means everything has to be carried!!
As the level of the Mekong drops during the dry season the newly revealed riverbanks become a beehive of activity. The whole length of the river we saw the Lao people panning for gold, extracting sand and gravel, fishing, growing crops, pasturing their animals, transporting logs and fish farming. As we got further south the scale increased both in numbers of people and the mechanization of the work. There were numerous tent camps set up along the river so that people could reside at their place of work.
Occasionally we saw temples, monasteries or immense golden Buddhist statues. Sometimes we heard the monks drumming before sunrise which added an ethereal quality to the morning.
The river eventually returned to being the border between Laos and Thailand. There was a noticeable difference in the level of development between the 2 countries. There was a constant flow of goods from Thailand to Laos at every ferry crossing between the countries. Thailand had some high-end guesthouses along the river.
When we got close to Vientienne the river became wide and shallow with lots of small islands and sand banks.
After 22 days of paddling we arrived at our final camp. We made it!!
The Mekong was the toughest river experience either of us had ever had. No matter how much research is done beforehand, the details of foreign rivers are never certain. We're thrilled with our accomplishment. The river was more than we anticipated but not more than we could handle!
Our interaction with the Lao people made our trip richer and more interesting. We now have an idea of what their lives on the river are like, and we enjoyed very much their calls of "sabadee" and their friendly waves as we paddled by.
