Planes, Trains & Automobiles… and Boats

“I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”

“There’s no CO here.”

“Never get off the f**in’ boat!”

These lines from Apocalypse Now float in my mind along with the faces of Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper and Marlin Brando. We’re cruising along the Mekong River, through Laos. The film was set in Cambodia, but Laos was also devastated by the war in Vietnam. The Americans dropped more bombs on Laos, than were dropped in all of WW II. The aim was to destroy the Ho Chi Min Trail, but it never really worked. And there’s still a lot of unexploded ordinance up in the hills.

We’re traveling in a traditional style long boat – very long and narrow but adapted to carry tourists. Steep mountains cloaked in forest surround the river. There are villages dotted along banks, set well up the steep banks, above the high-water mark. They are mostly simple bamboo and wood huts. Garden plots sit lower on the bank, while higher up on the mountain slopes, fields have been cleared for growing mountain rice. The seed is simply broadcast, as opposed to the flooding and planting of paddy rice.

There is a sense of timelessness, something almost primeval. But the illusion is short lived. Gold mining is the major non-subsistence industry along the river. It ranges from villagers panning in their spare time, to commercial enterprises with excavators, big trucks, sluices and dredges. I’m told, some of the larger operations get as much as a kilo a day of gold. It’s not very attractive, but who am I to say these people shouldn’t improve their lives.

But let me back up a bit. We met our tour group in Bangkok, shortly after my previous post. We are 11 in all, a clutch of Brits, a German, one American and Liz and I. We only spent one more day in Bangkok, just enough to visit a few more temples (temple fatigue may become an issue), and the Grand Palace – the official residence of King Rama the tenth. It is suitably grand, with the glittering temple of the Golden Budha at its heart.

That evening we boarded the overnight train to Chiang Mai. The highlight there was a Thai cooking class. We made green chicken curry, pad Thai, chili basil chicken and sticky rice with mango. I’m not sure I’ll be able to replicate the recipes at home, certainly not the freshness of the ingredients, but it was a lot of fun to make and eat our own lunch. It was the eve of the lunar new year, but there wasn’t much fuss, aside from a dragon dance group we saw in the night market. The Thai new year is celebrated in April, with the planting of the new rice crop.

The next day we stopped at the White Temple on our way to the Thai/Laos border. This is a recent temple, with work beginning in 1997 and still ongoing. The dazzling white is unique and represents the Budha’s purity. The ornamentation is impressive, if a bit over the top.

Crossing the border was fairly routine – lines, fees and stamps. We went straight from the border to our boat and began our two day cruise. The boat is quite comfortable, but there are no sleeping quarters. We pulled into the village of Ban Huay Thum, population ~350 for a homestay. There is no electricity or running water. There are 50 or 60 wood and bamboo huts scattered on the steep hillside. Dogs, chickens and goats roam freely, along with a seemingly endless number of happy laughing children. Families here typically have 6 or more children. Farming here is very labour intensive and everyone but the very youngest works.

Our accommodation is basic – a padded mat on the floor, with an outhouse a few yards down the path. Fortunately, there is a sit-down toilet, not a squatty – a concession to our western ways. The tour company, G Adventures, is working with a local NGO to improve the lives of the villagers. Our visit and other G Adventures groups (about 3 per week) provide income. They’ve also built a water line to a spring up the mountain, and storage tank in the village to provide clean water. There are new solar powered lights installed in a few key areas of the village. And the government is building a road to connect the village to the outside world, which should be finished next year. For better or worse Ban Huay Thum will never be the same. I asked the village Chief if he was worried about the possible changes. He rightly said that they needed to connect to the outside world, for the younger generation particularly. His main concern was drunk driving on what will be a winding and treacherous road.

That evening we were treated to a performance of traditional dancing. At the end we were invited to get up join in the fun. I didn’t have too much trouble with the steps, but I couldn’t quite master the intricate hand gestures. Judging by the laughter, I think I may have inadvertently made a rude gesture.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. It wasn’t 5 star comfort but it was a rich in other ways. The people we met were warm and welcoming. It reminded me that the most important things in life are not material possessions. Those things are nice to be sure, but belonging and community are far more important. There will be huge changes for Ban Huay Thum in the next few years. I hope they do not lose that sense of community.

Here’s the link to the photo gallery for this post.