Uncomfortably Numb

The Mekong river serves as a natural border between Laos and Thailand. And in Laos, it is also the best highway (when there is water in it). And because our next destination, Luang Prabang, was just a couple of miles downstream, it was time to buy some boat tickets. Of course, we decided to skip the slow boat down the river g which took two full days, instead opting for the quickest form of transportation: the speed boat. It wasn't until after I purchased the tickets for the speed boat that I decided to read the chapter in our guide book which strongly discouraged this mode of travel, "simply put, it's unsafe." This warning began to ring true as we sat down in the speed boat and our driver tossed us life jackets (expected) and flimsy plastic helmets.

After the first three hour leg of our journey, we stopped for lunch. Getting out of the unstable boat proved especially difficult as our extremities (specifically our legs) had gone numb from the lack of leg room. Meanwhile, a short Laos man jumped up from his ample seat which allowed him to nearly lie down. And of course, when we finished lunch we noticed the man had returned to his seat where he was presently digesting. At that point I wished desperately for a crash in which he would be sent flying but leave us safely intact because we were quite literally packed like sardines.

So we spent the whole day flying through the Mekong at speeds nearing 30 MPH, seemingly fast forwarding the scenery of the tiny Laos villages along its banks. The combined discomfort of our numb legs and chill from the wind was enough to distract us from the fact that our lives were in jeopardy. The boat would noticeably shift whenever we encountered a small current in the water. The tiniest wave would send us flying and for a brief moment we would ask ourselves whether we would return to the water?...the answer was always painfully relieving as the boat crashed back down. We also realized that the bottles curiously floating in the water were tied to underwater hazards to provide some warning to the drivers...and peace of mind to the passengers?




(Press Play to see what I'm talking about)

At some point during the long afternoon we stopped to converse with some ladies along the shores near one of the tiny villages. After five minutes, one lady appeared holding a dear carcass, which brought a huge smile to everyone's face (except of course for ours). Our driver quickly wrapped the deer in a tarp and placed it directly on top of our backpacks. As I was pondering whether or not deer blood could seep through canvas, I realized that this would go down as one of the most memorable experiences of our trip...if we survived.