There are some things that you can never really explain to people who haven't seen them with their own eyes, and the calm beauty of our journey up the Mekong was one of them. The mountains on either side of the river are covered with impossibly green trees and grass; single straw huts and small villages dot the shoreline; jagged rocks jut out of the calm brown water every few meters... against that backdrop, villagers bathe, children play, and adults fish using bamboo poles and hand-held nets. Cows, bulls, boar and chickens cool off near the water. There was something lovely to see at every turn.
Taking the slow boat meant a 3 day trip from Chiang Mai, TH to Luang Prabang, Laos. We had a great time on the trip getting to know our fellow travelers. I even met a Filipino guy who knows my friend Justin because their Peace Corps assignments in Burkina Faso overlapped. It was really funny to hear this guy swear up a storm because he was so surprised that we could possibly have this friend in common when we just happened to sit next to each other on a boat in Laos. I love small world coincidences like that.
So the beautiful scenery and being in good company made the journey worth the long 3 days. Jenn and I spent some time in Luang Prabang and loved it right away. Then we breezed through Viang Vien, spent a few days in Vientiane, and are currently in Pakse in the south. Laos has a much calmer, friendlier approach to tourism than Thailand. Here they set up their shops and stalls, smile at you, and let you check our their goods at your own pace (instead of chasing you down the street harassing you with rehearsed English phrases like "Hey you! Where you go!) It's nice that it's all much more peaceful here. Later this week we'll go to the Four Thousand Islands before we cross into Cambodia. As much as we've loved Laos, we're also looking forward to Cambodia, especially finally getting to see Angkor Wat. It's been great so far, and I'm not even halfway through my summer travels!
Hope everyone at home is doing well! I miss my people.
