Slow Boat To Thailand

4 March 2016

It was with some aprehension that we booked our tickets for the slow boat up the Mekong, to the Thai border. We had read of the luxury boats on this stretch and would have had no qualms about taking one of those - great seats, food provided etc, but there wasn't one leaving on a suitable day for us! On the other hand the slow boats can be overcrowded, uncomfortable seats, full of partying back

-packers.....

We were picked up at our accomodation at 7.30 am sharp by tuk tuk and taken about 10km north of LuangPrabang to the " new jetty". Our boat had car seats, not screwed down to the deck, and was not too full. There were spare seats and we managed to turn one around facing us, for better leg room, and we both had window side seats. There were

 coffee and noodle buckets for sale (not vegan, luckily we bought supplies), and toilet was western style and clean. 

And the scenery!- Mountainous, forested with villiages on the banks. We saw teak plantations, market gardens and water buffalo, artisan gold panners, and children playing.

We got talking to other passengers, as one does, and met a young Chinese couple. They told us that there was a robbery of a public bus on the VangVieng road a couple of days ago. Three people were shot, including one Chinese. We had seen armed soldiers along that road when we came through 10 days ago and wondered why they were there. I wonder now whether they were the protectors or the perpetrators! 

We overnighted in Pak Beng. We prebooked our accomodation online, and were very happy with DP guesthouse. However getting our luggage up the steep steps and hill to the guesthouse was quite an ordeal. We had read about unpleasantness occurring after accepting help from the young men who crowd around, but I would take this risk next time! Surely if you negotiate the fee at the outset 5hings would go smoothly as they do everywhere else in Laos! 

The second day was similar to the first, but by now we had friends aboard. The day was spent chatting with other travellers and gazing at the scenery. 

At the border everything was new. There is a new "friendship bridge" across the Mekong to Thailand, and new immigration buildings at either end. The red tape was conducted very smoothly on both sides and we were soon in a taxi (the minibuses had finished by our arrival at about 7pm.) on our way to Chiang Rai. 

Chiang Rai was a surprise. On the corner near our hotel was the Clock Tower, which goes into a spectacular light and colour sequence on the hour.

Next morning we just had time to see the "WhiteWatt". This was indeed white, and very interesting. 

It has been built by an artist and is really weird. It seems to have been themed around the worst of the religious ideas I know of. There are scenes of tortured faces apparently in hell, with flames everywhere. 

There are also alien themes. The whole thing is housed in quite exquisitely white and mirror tiled buildings with flame like/Asian spires.

Now for an overnight in Bangkok before our marathon 23 hour journey to Prague! At least it starts off in daylight!