A day on the Mekong

An early start -- 4:45am -- to prepare for the bus ride to the Lao border and the Mekong. One thing. The coffee has got a lot worse. At the hotel it was like diluted tar and on the boat it is instant with funky tasting water. Goodbye to the good coffee in Chiang Mai. Anyway, the boat trip was excellent. Long but very relaxing. It's pretty remote with a few villages dotted here and there. We stopped at one village and exchanged gawks with the locals. Lunch was served on the boat and, eventually, we tied up in a small town, Pakbung, where we were surprised to find we were booked into a good hotel overlooking the river. It's still rainy season here which means it's been raining and the river is high, fast and muddy. And if you want to know its pronounced Maykong not Meekong.Read more