howling together at 4AM.Last night we decided we were getting a seat this morning, so I was packed and on the boat at 7AM as Carole searched for lunch. Mercifully, the Lao 'boat police' do periodic spot checks, and it we got switched us to a larger boat and a second one was added.
The
boat left at 9AM, and it was mercifully half full this time. Having had such a grim experience yesterday, we were totally elated to be able to enjoy the beautiful landscape in relative comfort. The rolling hills enshrouded in lush rain forest, the numerous rock formations protruding from the surface of the water, the riverside villages with their thatched stilt houses, all under a lovely blue sky. We also enjoyed chatting with our fellow travelers (now that we were able to converse) and played drinking games in the open back section of the boat.Speaking of those numerous rock formations protruding from the surface of the water, it became quite apparent why the 'speedboat option' often touted by the travel agencies has a reputation as a novel form of suicide. The fact the speedboat skippers wear crash helmets also does not lend a warm fuzzy feeling to this mode of transport.
We arrived in Luang Prabang at 5PM, found a fairly nice place to stay in the Nok Noi Guesthouse, then went for dinner at the local market. We found a stall that sells a one-plate buffet of vegetarian food for $0.50.... our beer was double that price.
Following that, we went to a local pub and met up with some of the people we met on the boat, and whiled away the evening with conversation.
No comments:
Post a Comment