Chiang Khong - Luang Prabang, Laos.

Slow Boat, Down the Mekong River


In a river balance
Two crew members find themselves on the narrow side of a Mekong boat.
Of departure
Boat loaded with backpackers and natives of the region sets sail from Huay Xai downriver, towards Luang Prabang.
Fog in Pakbeng
Mekong River shrouded in fog, as seen from the top of Pakbeng, the village where passengers on their way to Luang Prabang spend the night.
hot passenger
A Lao child catches the wind to cool off aboard one of the boats that travel down the Mekong.
The habit makes the monk
Buddhist monks prepare to get into a taxi after leaving the boat and the Mekong River.
sudden thirst
A Lao passenger draws water from the Mekong to feed the rooster beside him.
Buddhist drying rack
Costumes of Buddhist monks dry in a monastery in Luang Prabang.
lying buddha
One of several golden Buddha statues in Luang Prabang.
holy passage
Young religious apprentices walk through the Wat Xieng Thong temple.
some river acrobatics
A teenager does a somersault into the muddy water of the Mekong River from a bank in the foothills of Luang Prabang.
Government Art
A propagandist poster by the government of Laos combines traditional values ​​of the country with a desired modernity.
Lao Crafts
Mats and balls of ka taw - a popular sport in Asia - displayed in a shop in central Luang Prabang.
Work day
Women organize loads of dried vegetables at a river dock in Luang Prabang
Huay Xai fashion
A wrapped-up child holds sweets freshly offered by western travelers on their way to Luang Prabang
a narrow landing
A crew member of a bright vessel prepares to return to land, in Huay Xai.
A rocky anchorage
More boats moored at Pakbeng Natural Dock, roughly halfway between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang
Somchai Fruit
Workers load fruit boxes into boats taken to Huay Xai by trucks further up the high bank
A rocky anchorage II
Boats moored at Pakbeng Natural Dock, about halfway between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang
On my way
Typical Mekong boat travels along the river along one of its high banks
Laos' beauty and lower cost are good reasons to sail between Chiang Khong and Luang Prabang. But this long descent of the Mekong River can be as exhausting as it is picturesque.

The border is threefold and imposes multiple customs procedures on us.

Even so, we got dispatched from the Thai side sooner than we expected. When crossing to the Laos bank, we go back a few kilometers on the river.

In Huay Xai, an anxious crowd of opportunistic agents and sellers awaits us. We ignore the pressure as much as we can.

We were thus able to be among the first to arrive at the local authorities' offices and obtain stamps in our passports. Upon exit, the agents return to the load.

Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, Laos, Through the Mekong Below

A crew member of a bright vessel prepares to return to land, in Huay Xai.

They know by heart what semi-accidental tourists come for. Only two reasons could bring Europeans, Americans and Australians to these dubious corners of Southeast Asia.

The Golden Triangle extends into the surrounding mountains and is one of the most active opium and heroin producing regions in the world. Leaving aside that any of the teenagers would come to close illicit and risky deals, only one hypothesis made sense: that Luang Prabang had become an unavoidable scale.

Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, Laos, Through the Mekong Below

Typical Mekong boat travels along the river along one of its high banks

The river trip, which lasted almost two days and was a little tiring, did not even prove to be the only option. Airplanes depart regularly Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, to Luang Prabang.

Even so, the price difference and the epic delight of traveling down the Mekong through deep valleys and tribal villages was reason enough for all of us to take the slow boat. The journey, however, had its own setbacks.

“This is dangerous. Go much faster and safer in our boats, I guarantee you!” guarantees the representative of a small family business in speed boats with powerboat visuals, while all the others make similar promises.

Travelers might as well leaf through their Lonely Planets, Rough Guides and Routards full of advice, post-it notes and doodles. But they are not prepared either for the real situation or for deciding under the threat of so many lobbies.

Down the Mekong and Laos Below

As if that were not enough, only apparently minor issues disturb us. “Cushions, cushions” proclaim women protected from the tropical sun. The suggestion generates a new wave of indecision. To have or not to have bought those paraphernalia Made in China will come to have enormous significance.

That same morning we embarked on a sort of floating green-yellow parallelepiped. Like an international game of chairs, passengers compete fiercely for seats.

Those who wake up too late for the pastime immediately begin distilling next to the furnace fed by the old two-stroke engine and go crazy with their tuk tuk tuk deafening.

Over the course of two days, the winding route takes place at ridiculous speed, with repeated stops to collect peasants who appear out of nowhere.

The new passengers bring on board inevitable rural cargo: large bunches of vegetables, sacks and sacks of who knows what, chickens, rabbits and even goats.

Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, Laos, Through the Mekong Below

A Lao passenger draws water from the Mekong to feed the rooster beside him.

Outsiders scrutinize newcomers from top to bottom. With the exception of one or another victim of excessive inconvenience, they are excited about their departure. Everyone travels in discovery mode.

And any novelty combats the growing monotony of navigation in an already diminished Mekong that the dry season continued to shrink.

Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, Laos, Through the Mekong Below

Buddhist monks prepare to get into a taxi after leaving the boat and the Mekong River.

Pakbeng's Providential Scale

Night creeps in. It becomes increasingly difficult for the helmsman and his assistants to identify the rocks and shallows.

Without warning, we saw a village built on stilts at the top of a rocky slope. Shortly afterwards, the vessel we are on joins a long sequence of replicas already anchored at the riverside of the village.

We had arrived at Pakbeng. It was said on board that this was the middle of the journey.

Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, Laos, Through the Mekong Below

More boats moored at Pakbeng Natural Dock, roughly halfway between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang

Most foreigners were already thinking of the reward of a hot meal and a refreshing sleep. As with the initial boarding, they also had to put up with the dispute between the owners of small local inns for the profit of their stays.

The night passed in three strokes, shortened by an early departure that the dense fog ended up postponing. Late, still a little sleepy, we returned to the same seats as the day before, ready for another day on the Mekong.

Eight hours and many overtaking speed boats afterwards, we are all eager again to return to earth.

Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, Laos, Through the Mekong Below

Boat loaded with backpackers and natives of the region sets sail from Huay Xai downriver, towards Luang Prabang.

Finally, Landing in Luang Prabang

Approaching the city on the high banks of the Mekong appears like a mirage. With just 16.000 inhabitants, Luang Prabang is, to the detriment of the capital Vientiane, the must-see destination in Laos.

The surrounding mountain scenery, the approximately thirty-two Buddhist temples that, despite the various wars that ravaged the country, remain standing and the omnipresent French colonial architecture conferred, in 1995, the status of UNESCO World Heritage.

Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, Laos, Through the Mekong Below

Young religious apprentices walk through the Wat Xieng Thong temple.

They justify the presence and permanent work of French, Japanese and Lao architects.

Very little has changed around these parts since the period of the largest colony that the French knew to be, on the map, between the India and China and so they christened Indochina.

Isolated from the capitalist frenzy of its Southeast Asian neighbors, Luang Prabang breathes pure air.

It radiates calm and spirituality, agitated only by visitors who, depending on the rainy season of the year, arrive one after the other.

The Francophone Legacy of Luang Prabang

Arranged along a peninsula at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, the historic and cultural heart of the city boasts, even today, the refinement of the houses Lao wood and bamboo and French colonial brick and stucco buildings.

On the main street, Thanon Sisavangvong, almost all of the ground floors have given way to cafes, restaurants, bars and other small businesses, tastefully decorated and, here and there, anachronistic French-speaking influences, like the embarrassed Little Prince with which we found ourselves in a picturesque creperie.

In addition to the introduction of electricity and the growing number of cars and other vehicles, rush hour continues to occur when students leave schools and the streets are filled with kids in white and blue uniforms, on foot and on bicycles.

During the remaining hours of the day, it is the orange tone of the monks' clothing that stands out the most and embodies the strongest brand image of Buddhism.

Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, Laos, Through the Mekong Below

Costumes of Buddhist monks dry in a monastery in Luang Prabang.

Wherever we go, we pass by temples and sanctuaries, some true complexes that group together elegant and grandiose buildings adorned with noble materials.

Hundreds of religious apprentices inhabit them in community, receiving sacred teachings and subjecting themselves to the shared obligation of earthly tasks: taking care of temples and surrounding gardens, washing clothes and dishes, preparing ceremonies.

We find the same passengers on the Mekong boat again at Talat Dala, the city's market where dozens of Hmong, Mien and Tai women gather every day, skilled sellers of blankets, rugs and other distinctive artifacts of their tribes.

Work day

Women organize loads of dried vegetables at a river dock in Luang Prabang

From Thanon Sisavangvong Avenue to the Mekong's Tropical Rim

Lunch time arrives and the heat hits like never before. We join the visitors from the four corners of the world who exchange adventures from their last trips on Thanon Sisavangvong avenue and we share two traditional dishes accompanied by the emblematic Bear Lao.

An hour later, a few meters down, we return to the precious shade of the coconut trees on the waterfront street.

From there, we watch the Lao kids play on old inflated inner tubes and the colorful boats that dock and set sail. Until the sluggish flow of the river unsettles us and we are on our way again.

Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, Laos, Through the Mekong Below

A teenager does a somersault into the muddy water of the Mekong River from a bank in the foothills of Luang Prabang.

We move in the opposite direction and come across the hill of Phu Si, which is also full of temples. Hundreds of steps up, Wat Tham Phu Si appears.

This is, of all, the most panoramic spot in Luang Prabang and countless sunset worshipers gather here every afternoon.

While recovering from the climb, the first to arrive go around the temple, and enjoy the surrounding landscape. Then, they take their place at a mini-stand and divide themselves between contemplating the star and commenting on the fatigue of the next ones to conquer the long staircase to the mount.

The sunset turns out to be impressive and elicits a collective round of applause. Gradually, those lucky ones on vacation or on a sabbatical return to the bustle of the central streets that are already waiting to serve them dinner.

Once again at the table, we heard from other backpackers good-natured remarks about accumulated fatigue and expressions of admiration for the mystical beauty of Laos.

Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, Laos, Through the Mekong Below

A propagandist poster by the government of Laos combines traditional values ​​of the country with a desired modernity.

One Australian, in particular, shows great difficulty in conforming: “Well, you're right. But how is it possible for a country like this to have had its back turned to the world? "

Aswan, Egypt

Where the Nile Welcomes the Black Africa

1200km upstream of its delta, the Nile is no longer navigable. The last of the great Egyptian cities marks the fusion between Arab and Nubian territory. Since its origins in Lake Victoria, the river has given life to countless African peoples with dark complexions.
Boat Trips

For Those Becoming Internet Sick

Hop on and let yourself go on unmissable boat trips like the Philippine archipelago of Bacuit and the frozen sea of ​​the Finnish Gulf of Bothnia.
Kemi, Finland

It is No "Love Boat". Icebreaker since 1961

Built to maintain waterways through the most extreme arctic winter, the icebreaker Sampo” fulfilled its mission between Finland and Sweden for 30 years. In 1988, he reformed and dedicated himself to shorter trips that allow passengers to float in a newly opened channel in the Gulf of Bothnia, in clothes that, more than special, seem spacey.
Chiang Mai, Thailand

300 Wats of Spiritual and Cultural Energy

Thais call every Buddhist temple wat and their northern capital has them in obvious abundance. Delivered to successive events held between shrines, Chiang Mai is never quite disconnected.
Hanoi, Vietnam

Under the Order of Chaos

Hanoi has long ignored scant traffic lights, other traffic signs and decorative traffic lights. It lives in its own rhythm and in an order of chaos unattainable by the West.
Beagle Channel, Argentina

Darwin and the Beagle Channel: on the Theory of the Evolution Route

In 1833, Charles Darwin sailed aboard the "Beagle" through the channels of Tierra del Fuego. His passage through these southern confines shaped the revolutionary theory he formulated of the Earth and its species
Puerto Natales-Puerto Montt, Chile

Cruise on board a Freighter

After a long begging of backpackers, the Chilean company NAVIMAG decided to admit them on board. Since then, many travelers have explored the Patagonian canals, side by side with containers and livestock.
u-bein BridgeMyanmar

The Twilight of the Bridge of Life

At 1.2 km, the oldest and longest wooden bridge in the world allows the Burmese of Amarapura to experience Lake Taungthaman. But 160 years after its construction, U Bein is in its twilight.
Saint Petersburg, Russia

When the Russian Navy Stations in Saint Petersburg

Russia dedicates the last Sunday of July to its naval forces. On that day, a crowd visits large boats moored on the Neva River as alcohol-drenched sailors seize the city.
Bangkok, Thailand

One Thousand and One Lost Nights

In 1984, Murray Head sang the nighttime magic and bipolarity of the Thai capital in "One night in bangkok". Several years, coups d'etat, and demonstrations later, Bangkok remains sleepless.
Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Back to Danny Boyle's The Beach

It's been 15 years since the debut of the backpacker classic based on the novel by Alex Garland. The film popularized the places where it was shot. Shortly thereafter, the XNUMX tsunami literally washed some away off the map. Today, their controversial fame remains intact.
Jabula Beach, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
Safari
Saint Lucia, South Africa

An Africa as Wild as Zulu

On the eminence of the coast of Mozambique, the province of KwaZulu-Natal is home to an unexpected South Africa. Deserted beaches full of dunes, vast estuarine swamps and hills covered with fog fill this wild land also bathed by the Indian Ocean. It is shared by the subjects of the always proud Zulu nation and one of the most prolific and diverse fauna on the African continent.
Thorong La, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal, photo for posterity
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 13th - High camp a Thorong La to Muktinath, Nepal

At the height of the Annapurnas Circuit

At 5416m of altitude, the Thorong La Gorge is the great challenge and the main cause of anxiety on the itinerary. After having killed 2014 climbers in October 29, crossing it safely generates a relief worthy of double celebration.
hacienda mucuyche, Yucatan, Mexico, canal
Architecture & Design
Yucatan, Mexico

Among Haciendas and Cenotes, through the History of Yucatan

Around the capital Merida, for every old hacienda henequenera there's at least one cenote. As happened with the semi-recovered Hacienda Mucuyché, together, they form some of the most sublime places in southeastern Mexico.

The small lighthouse at Kallur, highlighted in the capricious northern relief of the island of Kalsoy.
Adventure
Kalsoy, Faroe Islands

A Lighthouse at the End of the Faroese World

Kalsoy is one of the most isolated islands in the Faroe archipelago. Also known as “the flute” due to its long shape and the many tunnels that serve it, a mere 75 inhabitants inhabit it. Much less than the outsiders who visit it every year, attracted by the boreal wonder of its Kallur lighthouse.
Big Freedia and bouncer, Fried Chicken Festival, New Orleans
Ceremonies and Festivities
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Big Freedia: in Bounce Mode

New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz and jazz sounds and resonates in its streets. As expected, in such a creative city, new styles and irreverent acts emerge. Visiting the Big Easy, we ventured out to discover Bounce hip hop.
ice tunnel, black gold route, Valdez, Alaska, USA
Cities
Valdez, Alaska

On the Black Gold Route

In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker caused a massive environmental disaster. The vessel stopped plying the seas, but the victim city that gave it its name continues on the path of crude oil from the Arctic Ocean.
Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo, Japan
Meal
Tokyo, Japan

The Fish Market That Lost its Freshness

In a year, each Japanese eats more than their weight in fish and shellfish. Since 1935, a considerable part was processed and sold in the largest fish market in the world. Tsukiji was terminated in October 2018, and replaced by Toyosu's.
full cabin
Culture
Saariselka, Finland

The Delightful Arctic Heat

It is said that the Finns created SMS so they don't have to talk. The imagination of cold Nordics is lost in the mist of their beloved saunas, real physical and social therapy sessions.
4th of July Fireworks-Seward, Alaska, United States
Sport
Seward, Alaska

The Longest 4th of July

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Gothic couple
Traveling

Matarraña to Alcanar, Spain (España)

A Medieval Spain

Traveling through the lands of Aragon and Valencia, we come across towers and detached battlements of houses that fill the slopes. Mile after kilometer, these visions prove to be as anachronistic as they are fascinating.

Bride gets in car, traditional wedding, Meiji temple, Tokyo, Japan
Ethnic
Tokyo, Japan

A Matchmaking Sanctuary

Tokyo's Meiji Temple was erected to honor the deified spirits of one of the most influential couples in Japanese history. Over time, it specialized in celebrating traditional weddings.
sunlight photography, sun, lights
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Natural Light (Part 2)

One Sun, So Many Lights

Most travel photos are taken in sunlight. Sunlight and weather form a capricious interaction. Learn how to predict, detect and use at its best.
Candia, Tooth of Buddha, Ceylon, lake
History
Kandy, Sri Lanka

The Dental Root of Sinhalese Buddhism

Located in the mountainous heart of Sri Lanka, at the end of the XNUMXth century, Kandy became the capital of the last kingdom of old Ceylon and resisted successive colonial conquest attempts. The city also preserved and exhibited a sacred tooth of the Buddha and, thus, became Ceylon's Buddhist center.
Santa Maria, Mother Island of the Azores
Islands
Santa Maria, Azores

Santa Maria: the Azores Mother Island

It was the first in the archipelago to emerge from the bottom of the sea, the first to be discovered, the first and only to receive Cristovão Colombo and a Concorde. These are some of the attributes that make Santa Maria special. When we visit it, we find many more.
St. Trinity Church, Kazbegi, Georgia, Caucasus
Winter White
Kazbegi, Georgia

God in the Caucasus Heights

In the 4000th century, Orthodox religious took their inspiration from a hermitage that a monk had erected at an altitude of 5047 m and perched a church between the summit of Mount Kazbek (XNUMXm) and the village at the foot. More and more visitors flock to these mystical stops on the edge of Russia. Like them, to get there, we submit to the whims of the reckless Georgia Military Road.
shadow vs light
Literature
Kyoto, Japan

The Kyoto Temple Reborn from the Ashes

The Golden Pavilion has been spared destruction several times throughout history, including that of US-dropped bombs, but it did not withstand the mental disturbance of Hayashi Yoken. When we admired him, he looked like never before.
Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira, Portugal, highlands
Nature
Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira, Portugal

Upstream, Downstream

It is just one of over a hundred prodigious canal systems that Madeirans built to irrigate crops. Its verdant, steep and dramatic scenery makes visitors to the island flow continuously along the Levada of Caldeirão Verde.
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
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A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Natural Parks
unmissable roads

Great Routes, Great Trips

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Sculptural Garden, Edward James, Xilitla, Huasteca Potosina, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Cobra dos Pecados
UNESCO World Heritage
Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Edward James' Mexican Delirium

In the rainforest of Xilitla, the restless mind of poet Edward James has twinned an eccentric home garden. Today, Xilitla is lauded as an Eden of the Surreal.
In elevator kimono, Osaka, Japan
Characters
Osaka, Japan

In the Company of Mayu

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Boat and helmsman, Cayo Los Pájaros, Los Haitises, Dominican Republic
Beaches
Samaná PeninsulaLos Haitises National Park Dominican Republic

From the Samaná Peninsula to the Dominican Haitises

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Easter Seurassari, Helsinki, Finland, Marita Nordman
Religion
Helsinki, Finland

The Pagan Passover of Seurasaari

In Helsinki, Holy Saturday is also celebrated in a Gentile way. Hundreds of families gather on an offshore island, around lit fires to chase away evil spirits, witches and trolls
Train Kuranda train, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
On Rails
Cairns-Kuranda, Australia

Train to the Middle of the Jungle

Built out of Cairns to save miners isolated in the rainforest from starvation by flooding, the Kuranda Railway eventually became the livelihood of hundreds of alternative Aussies.
Women with long hair from Huang Luo, Guangxi, China
Society
Longsheng, China

Huang Luo: the Chinese Village of the Longest Hairs

In a multi-ethnic region covered with terraced rice paddies, the women of Huang Luo have surrendered to the same hairy obsession. They let the longest hair in the world grow, years on end, to an average length of 170 to 200 cm. Oddly enough, to keep them beautiful and shiny, they only use water and rice.
Daily life
Arduous Professions

the bread the devil kneaded

Work is essential to most lives. But, certain jobs impose a degree of effort, monotony or danger that only a few chosen ones can measure up to.
Sheep and hikers in Mykines, Faroe Islands
Wildlife
Mykines, Faroe Islands

In the Faeroes FarWest

Mykines establishes the western threshold of the Faroe archipelago. It housed 179 people but the harshness of the retreat got the better of it. Today, only nine souls survive there. When we visit it, we find the island given over to its thousand sheep and the restless colonies of puffins.
Full Dog Mushing
Scenic Flights
Seward, Alaska

The Alaskan Dog Mushing Summer

It's almost 30 degrees and the glaciers are melting. In Alaska, entrepreneurs have little time to get rich. Until the end of August, dog mushing cannot stop.