After a long day on two busses from Chaing Mai to Chaing Rai then onto Chiang Khong, we arrived close to 5:30pm. The border closes at 6pm so we checked out of Thailand, payed our boat fare and raced across the river. Our passports were processed by 6 on the dot!
Huay Xai is the small transit town on the Laos side. Its a small town that deals in border crossings and other wierd and wonderful products....
After a couple of nights here we organise a boat trip to take us down a part of the Mekong River then up the Nam Tha River. This trip is our alternative to the popular two day trip down the Mekong to Luang Probang that all the other tourists are doing. Negotiating all done we set off on our boat.
The scenery along this smaller river is delightful. It ranges from farmland to jungle, limestone cliffs to bamboo forests. But its the activity of the people along the river and its banks that keeps us interested for the hours of the journey.
Farming, fishing gathering sand/rocks, washing its all happening. One of the main activities is gathering green slime. The green weed that grows in the river is gathered in long strands squeezed out rolled into balls and collected into baskets. This weed is used as a food source. As we approach villages women men and children stand in the rapids gathering this weed.
The rapids are strong in places and as we are navigating up the river we sometimes go up by about half a meter. Its astounding how the boatman navigates the narrow gaps to push up through the shallow waters. We occasionally touch bottom and break a propeller twice. The skill of the front oars man/woman to guide us is also remarkable. He she steers with a short paddle pulling the boat around or helps by pushing along the bottom with a long bamboo pole. On day one a woman is our front person ..day two it’s a man.
Our overnight stay is in Konkham, a totally remote village only accessible by the river. The people here are from the Tai Lue ethnic group. Life here is traditional and basic.
We stay in the boatman’s house and eat a meal of sticky rice, buffalo blood and meat stew and chilli paste. Actually it’s very tasty . We learn the correct Laos way to eat a meal; take a small handful of the rice and roll it into a ball then dip it into the chilli paste then get some vege greens or meat, all eaten with the fingers. It comes served on a small bamboo tray/table, we all sit around and eat. The hut is dimly lit by a solar light and the warm light of the cooking fire.
Several locals come to ‘our house’ selling their wares; weavings, and of course we buy several. Tai Lue are known for their intricate silk and cotton textiles.
In the morning we set off again this time with a young man at the front. As it turns out, the river is a much harder journey on this day as it is quite low, so his strength is needed.
On occasion we get stuck, one time thrown up onto rocks, and have to get out and push. Another time the water is just too shallow and pushing is necessary.
Its a great journey, buffalo wallow in the waters. Ducks wash and fish, people and children wave or look on with fascination as we trundle past. ....Ax
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