By Adam Bisby, the greatest globe-trotting, child-wrangling, season-pushing and hyphen-abusing freelance journalist in Toronto's M6R postal code.
Mostly Amazing
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: BARGING DOWN THE MEKONG

8/3/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
The first sign of trouble came in the form of an insurance contract. Crammed as we were into a Laotian barge piled high with backpacks, livestock and a gleaming Coke machine, the two-page form seemed rather incongruous. Was it insuring us against goat bites? Falling luggage? Warm cola?

Four hours later, however, the risks became readily apparent. Our ride started to list alarmingly as it chugged from the town of Ban Houayxay in northwestern Laos to the country's former imperial city of Luang Prabang. In late March, the end of the dry season, the 300-kilometre trip down the reef- and rapids-filled Mekong River wasn't the lazy ride we had expected.
​
The problem, we were told, was two-fold: low water levels and too many passengers. The latter came as no surprise: The two-by-four bench my wife Angela and I were sitting on was mercilessly close to its neighbours. It made Air Transat look like the Orient Express.

The captain steered the boat onto a sandbar and addressed the assembled backpackers, villagers and barnyard animals. "You must stay in your seats," he said. "If you stand up, we turn back." No one wanted to spend four more hours in these cramped quarters simply to end up where they started so we rooted our backsides to our two-by-fours and stared mournfully at the swirling, mocha-coloured water.
​
Thankfully, the boat didn't turn back, and the scenery helped to distract us from the discomfort. Lush jungle rose out of the river, cloaking mist-covered hills in a mantle of green. Boulders jutted out of the meandering river, providing more that a few close calls. Every few kilometres, the barge would pass a fishing boat or small encampment, drawing waves, smiles and calls of "Hello!" from the locals.
An amusing but less serene diversion was supplied by the speedboats that shot past. While barges take two days to make the trip, the speedboats take around six hours -- the caveat being that up to 10 passengers are crammed into the small wooden vessels, and are forced to wear bulky life vests and helmets. Worst of all, they must endure the dreadful engine noise. The captain of our barge echoed our guidebook in telling us that the speedboats are dangerous, and that his barge was "the way to go."

The barge did offer the most practical way to reach Luang Prabang from northern Thailand, but most importantly, we were able to savour a firsthand look at one of the most isolated navigable sections of the Mekong. We appreciated this all the more as we passed sections of riverbank bearing the scars of excavation. The governments of Southeast Asia and China aim to boost shipping by removing reefs and rapids, which will change the face of the river, and the region, forever.

After about seven hours, we arrived at the halfway point in the voyage: the place where we would spend the night, a small town called Muang Pakbeng. Dusk was falling, and the muddy main street was awash with touts promising cheap, clean accommodations (and opium dealers promising cheap opportunities to "chase the dragon").

Needless to say, the dozens of guesthouses in Pakbeng were cheap -- around $1 a night -- but very far from clean. Having settled on one of the less offensive properties, we had a couple of beers at the bar next door, where a pair of local lads performed a rousing rendition of Bob Marley's No Woman, No Cry on a three-stringed guitar. As it turned out, we needed a few drinks to help soften our straw-filled double bed and muffle the sound of creatures scurrying in the walls.

Determined not to miss the boat's 7 a.m. departure, we woke at the crack of dawn. Standing on the balcony of the guesthouse, we watched as a line of Buddhist monks, dressed in orange robes, walked from house to house, collecting their sustenance for the day. The leader of the group banged a small gong as the procession made its way. At each doorway, a resident greeted the group, proffered fruit, bread or rice, knelt, and bowed. With the sun rising above the hills and bird calls piercing the chilly air, it was an indelible image that helped clear our tired minds and fortify our spirits.

As we made our way down main street toward the dock, we were rewarded with a magnificent view of the Mekong snaking through the surrounding mountains. Our rejuvenation complete, we stepped back onto the barge, secure in the knowledge that Luang Prabang was only about six hours away.

Or so we thought.

​READ THE REST OF THE STORY IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Follow Adam Bisby
    as he indulges his passion for globe-setting
    and jet-trotting.

    Archives

    December 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    Categories

    All
    Adam Bisby
    Adventure
    Aeroplan
    Airbnb
    Air Canada
    Air Miles
    Airport Lounges
    Airports
    Air Rage
    Air Transat
    Air Travel
    Alberta
    Alps
    Animal Therapy
    Animal Therapy Day
    Anniversary
    Antarctica
    Apps
    April Fools Day
    Archaeology
    Architecture
    Arctic
    Arizona
    Art
    Astronomy
    Australia
    Austria
    Awards
    Babies
    Bahamas
    Baked Goods
    Banff
    Bangkok
    Banksy
    Bars
    Baseball
    B&bs
    Beach
    Bed Bugs
    Beer
    Berlin
    Big Lebowski
    Bitcoin
    Black Friday
    Black Mirror
    Blogs
    Blue Jays
    Blue Mountain
    Boating
    Books
    Boston
    Breweries
    British Columbia
    Bucket List
    Budget Travel
    Calgary
    Calgary Flames
    California
    Camping
    Camps
    Canada
    Canada 150
    Canada 150 Countdown
    Canada 200 Countdown
    Canada 420 Countdown
    Canada Day
    Canadian Dollar
    Cannabis
    Caves
    CBC
    CFL
    Charities
    Cheese
    Chicago
    Christmas
    City Of Toronto
    Climate Change
    Climbing
    Cocktails
    Coffee
    Cold
    Collingwood
    Colorado
    Conservation
    Contest
    Costa Rica
    Cottage Country
    Cougars
    Couples Travel
    Covid 19
    Covid-19
    Crowdfunding
    Cruises
    Cruising
    Culture
    Cyber Monday
    Cycling
    Dance
    Daylight Savings Time
    Deals
    Decor
    Degrassi
    Destination Weddings
    Disaster
    Disc Golf
    Dogs
    Dogs At Work
    Donald Trump
    Donate
    Drake
    Ducks
    Earth Day
    Easter
    Eco Travel
    Eels
    Egypt
    Elon Musk
    England
    Escape Winter
    Extreme Sports
    Fall
    Family
    Family Day
    Family Travel
    Fans
    Father's Day
    Fees
    Feminism
    Fes
    Film
    First Nations
    Fishing
    Florida
    Food
    Fort Mcmurray
    France
    Freelancing
    Frequent Flyer Plans
    Friends
    Gadgets
    Gatineau
    Gear
    Getting Lost
    Gift Cards
    Gifts
    Gisele Bundchen
    Glaciers
    Global Warming
    Globe And Mail
    Golf
    Gord Downie
    Gps
    Great Canadian Travel Deals
    Green Travel
    Halloween
    Health
    Helicopters
    Highway 401
    Hiking
    History
    Hoaxes
    Hockey
    Home Office
    Hotels
    Hotels.com
    Hotel Theft
    Hot Tubs
    House Of Cards
    Hugh Hefner
    Iceland
    Ice Storm
    Indigenous Peoples
    Instagram
    International Day Of Happiness
    Iphones
    Italy
    Jasper
    Jerusalem
    Jesus
    Jokes
    Justin Bieber
    Kamloops
    Kids
    Kingston
    Kiwi Kronicles
    Labrador
    Lake Louise
    Lakes
    Laos
    Last-minute
    Las Vegas
    Leap Day
    Lockdown
    Loire Valley
    London
    Lord Of The Rings
    Luggage
    Macguyver
    Mad Men
    Magazines
    Manitoba
    March Break
    Marrakesh
    Mexico
    Miami
    Miami Beach
    Milkshakes
    Mobile Devices
    Montreal
    Mont Tremblant
    Monty Python
    Morocco
    Mother's Day
    Mountains
    Movies
    Multimedia
    Museums
    Music
    Muskoka
    Myrtle Beach
    Nairobi
    Namibia
    National Parks
    Nature
    Nepal
    Nepal Earthquake
    Netflix
    Netherlands
    New Brunswick
    Newfoundland
    New Orleans
    New Years
    New York
    New Zealand
    Nhl
    Niagara
    Nineties
    Northern Lights
    Northwest Territories
    Nova Scotia
    Nunavut
    Ontario
    Ottawa
    Owen Sound
    Oxford
    Paddling
    Pandemic
    Parenting
    Paris
    Parks
    Pei
    Perks
    Pets
    Photography
    Playboy
    Podium Of Idiotic Tourists
    Poetry
    Politics
    Poutine
    Prairies
    Prince Edward County
    Privacy
    Prizes
    Productivity
    Provincial Parks
    Psychology
    Public Transit
    Pubs
    Pulp Fiction
    Quebec
    Quiz
    Religion
    Remembrance Day
    Resolutions
    Resorts
    Restaurants
    Ripley's Aquarium
    Road Trips
    Rob Ford
    Rodeo
    Room Service
    Russia
    Santa Claus
    Saskatchewan
    Science
    Science Fiction
    Selfies
    Seven Wonders Of The World
    Shuswap
    Simcoe
    Simpsons
    Ski
    Skiing
    Skydiving
    Smartphones
    Snow
    Snowmobiling
    Snowshoeing
    South Carolina
    Spa
    Space Travel
    Spain
    Speed
    Sports
    Spring
    Spring Skiing
    Squamish
    Stargazing
    Staycations
    Stockholm
    Stowaways
    St. Patrick's Day
    Stranger Things
    Summer
    Summer Holidays
    Superheroes
    Survey
    Sydney
    Taxes
    Technology
    Television
    Tesla
    Thailand
    Theme Parks
    The Shining
    Tiktok
    Tik Tok
    Tim Hortons
    Tobogganing
    Toiletries
    Tom Brady
    Top 10 Lists
    Toronto
    Toronto Islands
    Toronto Maple Leafs
    Toronto Star
    Tours
    Tragically Hip
    Travel
    Travel Deals
    Travel Gifts
    Travel Rewards
    Trees
    Trends
    Tripadvisor
    Tube Parks
    Turkey
    Turkmenistan
    Turks & Caicos
    Union Pearson Express
    United States
    Utah
    Valentine's Day
    Vancouver
    Vermont
    Vintage
    Viral Videos
    Volunteering
    Water Can
    Waterparks
    Water Sports
    Weather
    Weird
    Westjet
    Whistler
    Wildlife
    Wind Farms
    Wine
    Winter
    Working From Home
    Workplace Morale
    World Heritage Sites
    World Tourism Day
    Yukon
    Yyz
    Zoo
    Zurich

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.