A journey through South-East Asia - visiting the temples of Thailand, floating down the Mekong in a slow boat, seeing the sunset in Laos, waiting for the quiet of night in Hanoi, drifting through Halong Bay, trekking the mountains of SaPa, travelogue, trip, travel, journey, road, Asia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Indochina, Mekong, Halong Bay, Hanoi, Vang Vien, Chang Mai, Bangkok, slow boat, Luang Prabang, Pak Ou

 
 
 

 





Houseboat

Saturday, November 30, 2002
Major Tom part 2

The next day as we ate breakfast outside, we watched the huge rice boats arrive and wait for us on the river. They look like something from the distance past with their bamboo roofs and dark black wooden bodies. Something straight from the orient... or Hollywood films. I just knew I would get told to leave the moment i stepped aboard. "YOU. You are not glamourous or rich enough to be on here. Be gone."

There were 2 cabins on each of these houseboats, with a sunning area at the front. Penny and I shared with Victoria and Shawn who are lovely women that I have taken quite a shining to. All of us lounged in chairs as we watched the world along the river go by, pausing only to have lunch and dinner prepared by our onboard chef, or to have a beer and have ridiculous conversations about men. We took turns lounging on the mattress at the front of the boat. And all day and night people smiled and waved to us from the shore.

When my companions tired of it, I continued to sit at the front and wave back, loving the sudden influx of positive energy. It was unreal. We dropped anchor in a lake, where the world had turned purple: the water was dark purple, the trees black in silhouette, the clouds were maroon, and the sky was a soft violet. (Handy, you would have imploded. I took a picture but you know it wont be the same). By lantern light we finished the evening, and when everyone went to bed, I sat alone on deck with the last of my beer, wondering how I landed in a dream.

The only thing I didnt dig about it was there was a gheko (sp?) trapped on the boat with us who would crawl all over the ceiling and relieve himself while overhead. Not very glamourous.

On to Cochin, shopping in the city where I noticed people giggling at me as I stood outside of a store waiting for my travel companions. I finally realised that I was standing in between 4 mannequins that were all white females. We must have looked like a can-can line.

A worldwind tour of Cochi Island ended in us pulling the ropes to raise giant fishing nets. I ate prawns the size of my head, and it was fabulous!

(sending this off again)

Next Mail: Major Tom part 3


this travelogue is part of the subside travelzine
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