Float Down Mekong River Laos

“There’s not a soul to be seen as the green hills on either side of the Mekong River steadily cycle past and we make our way downstream on a riverboat bound for Luang Prabang, Laos. The only audible sounds are the water hugging our boat, the occasional clanging of a bell from the neck of a cow grazing along the shore, and the distant yelps of village children swimming along the shore. I’m sitting so close to the front of the boat on a mini bamboo chair, strategically pulled to one side so as not to block the pilot’s view, that I almost forget I’m on a boat. I feel weightless, gliding along with placid river water, like magic, and a deep feeling of peace.”

“My stomach has been churning, unsettled, for the past couple of days; charcoal tablets from 7-11 haven’t really helped. I nibble cautiously at a plain baguette as everyone samples a more adventurous breakfast. Marco Polo stocks me up on bananas and boiled eggs for the boat ride. I’m risking nothing but solid foods, since we’ll be on the river for the next 8 hours – and because our boat has only one toilet. Although today’s slowboat is smaller, much busier, it feels good to be back on the water, moving towards a destination. [...] Our wooden vessel glides past endless stretches of forest and craggy rock. The engine purrs reassuringly, incessantly, swallowing murmurs of sleepy travellers around us. Snippets of conversation are audible here and there between the water, the wind, the whirring. My stomach has been alright so far. One banana at a time.”