The slow boat river tour to Luang Prabang was organised in Chiang Mai. We crossed the Mekong in the morning Laos where it was one queue after another. Doing a package deal was convenient since it made securing the visa quite easy. After a few hours of waiting we loaded up the boat and left for Luang Prabang. The trip would take two days with an overnight stop at Pak Beng. The latte colored Mekong is a slow but turbulent river with many rock protruding out of the water. The river is bounded by lush green hills with an occasional buffalo and fisherman on the side. We arrived in Pak Beng at dusk, just in time for dinner. I would soon get a taste for how things work in Laos compared to Thailand.
Pak Benk is a small village with a main street running up from the bank about 200 meters. There is no electricity, but generators keep the place running. Everything turns off at 10 PM. We soon discovered that things in Laos run at a much slower rate that what one may be used to. You must schedule at least and hour extra for dinner. This led to some worry some moments before catching the boat onward. I highly suggest that you take the slow boat if travelling to Luang Prabang. However, bring a good book and a good cushion since most of the seats are just benches. If you are really late for the boat you may end up sleeping on a pile of backpacks in the engine room. Eventually we made it to Luang Prabang safe and well rested. Looking forward to seeing the town and the scenery.
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