Sunday through Mid-Day - Feb 7 - Begin our Mekong River Cruise

Off we go to catch our boat for a memorable trip down the Mekong River. This trip is listed in the book "1,000 Places to See before you die".

The boat is much more than any of us expected.....immaculately clean, roomy and comfortable. Our group are the only passengers and we have all the comforts one could imagine...we relax.... each doing our own thing...reading, knitting, playing the guitar, singing, talking...what a great trip. See the view from the boat's bridge, the river and the boat's interior.

Along the way we stop at a small Chamu village, Ban Houy Phalan, that has about 350 residents. The village is supported by the government who provides the basics of running water,toilets and schooling. One thing that one notices is that the people are clean as is the entire village...most villagers are farmers or cut lumber in the jungle---see picture that divides jungle (green) from cultivation areas (yellow). Pictures include a woman drying and separating rice from husks, a family, blacksmith, gentleman washing at central water facility and "the woman in the window".

Off we go in order to arrive at our intermediate overnight destination of Pak Beng by 5PM.