I'm on a boat! (Or, rather, I was)

After three weeks in Thailand, we left on a "slowboat" to Laos (rhymes with "ow", no "s" sound). On the way to the border, we passed the White Temple, a rich Thai artist’s attempt to bring contemporary art together with the ancient religion of Buddhism in the hope of attracting a younger generation.

It was intricate, and it reminded me of "The Gates of Hell" Rodin sculpture, a strange connection considering Buddhism has no hell.

From Make Me One With Everything

From Make Me One With Everything

From Make Me One With Everything

The boat ride itself lasted two full days, stopping at a little roadside village for the night,Pak Beng, which clearly exists for a single reason: to service the needs of overnighting slowboaters. Accordingly, it had guestrooms and restaurants galore, all offering the same selection of fried rice, fruit shakes, and western food. One tuk-tuk driver we met in Luang Prabang described it thus: "Pak Beng, the place of no joy." Sounds about right.

Anyway.

The boat was big...

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...but packed!

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It also had incredible views for the entire trip. For example:

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Occasionally we would stop at tiny riverside towns where local Laos people would hop on or off.

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Overall, the trip certainly took longer than a flight but was much cheaper and more beautiful. Granted, we were lucky with the weather. Had it poured nonstop, as it did for weeks on end in June, I might be singing a different tune.