Meander along the Mekong
There is something special about cruising the Mekong, writes Bev Wood. You see the real Southeast Asia, the beautiful people, their kindness and hospitality, and culture.
‘Left foot, right foot, bang.’’ No, this was not a military manoeuvre or a selfdefence class, but was my tutor at Ock Pop Tok at The Living Crafts Centre in Luang Prabang giving me instructions. It was my first attempt at weaving.
The silk table mat that emerged from this clanky, wooden loom is one of my precious souvenirs from my time in Laos. Exactly how I, who is notoriously all fingers and thumbs, produced such a work of art is a mystery.
It must have been the atmosphere and, of course, the constant help and encouragement from my charming teacher.
She naturally knew exactly how to manipulate the loom, with me doing my best to operate the shuttle and foot pedals.
My afternoon at The Living Crafts Centre was one of the many highlights of my holiday. We were part way through a 10-day cruise on the Mekong River. This centre was set up to revitalise the interest in textiles and crafts in Laos.
Since 2000, Ock Pop Tok has grown from five artisans to more than 500 scattered throughout the country.
Now operating at The Living Crafts Centre, visitors are able to take classes in silk weaving, batik drawing, bamboo weaving and other crafts.
Maybe just a stroll through the beautiful gardens overlooking the river, linger for a cold drink, have a meal at the cafe, watch the crafts people at work and, of course, visit the shop that sells some of the beautiful work created by these talented artisans.
But best of all is taking home your own creation to show off to disbelieving family and friends.
Covid stopped tourists visiting this fascinating country for a while, but now the borders have reopened The Living Crafts Centre is ready to welcome everyone.
The importance of textiles in Laos is growing and there would be few tourists who could resist taking home some of the beautiful work, whether bought from the experts, or something handmade like my own silk table mat.
Luang Prabang had been the ancient capital of Laos, and it remains an attractive place to spend some time with its mix of local and colonial architecture, markets, tree-lined streets and traditional Buddhist temples, and the textiles that make a wonderful souvenir.
The trip had started in the capital, Vientiane, a city of temples, markets, and good eateries and shops.
It was where we were introduced to our fellow passengers. We knew we were in for a good time, and so it proved to be.
The boat trip finished 11 days later in the Golden Triangle where Laos, Thailand and Myanmar meet. It was 11 days of fun, friendship, fine food and fascinating experiences.
Had we not been told, we would never have guessed that our ship, the RV Pandaw, had once been a cargo boat that the Pandaw company bought and transformed to the comfortable, attractive ship it is now. As well as buying the boat, Pandawalso kept the captain on.
With many years of experience plying his trade, he was the ideal person to guide our home away from home along the fickle waters of the Mekong.
He proved to be a very competent captain, was full of fun, and was keen to practise his English with the mostly English-speaking passengers.
And with two French speakers on board, he took every opportunity to join them in singing Fre`re Jacques, much to everyone’s delight.
With only a dozen passengers and 17 crew, we soon got to know them, and they us.
We were well-catered for with a delicious choice of Asian and Western food, comfortable cabins, and a guide who gave us plenty of interesting information about Laos and the places we visited.
As we cruised along the ever-changing river, we spent time on the deck viewing the spectacular scenery, the water buffalo on the banks, children swimming, and people tending vegetable plots.
Each day, the boat was moored at a different spot and we were led into villages, many of them very poor. Sometimes the access was difficult, but the crew hacked out steps on the steep banks and they were always ready to give us a hand, not letting us go until we had reached the top.
Some days we were escorted around a village on the river bank, and other days we were met with a bus and a local guide to explore places of interest further afield.
And each time we were welcomed back by the crew with a cold drink and a friendly smile.
As we removed our shoes, they were whisked away, reappearing at our cabin door nicely cleaned ready for our next excursion ashore.
One evening, instead of the usual cocktails in the lounge the crew spread everything out on a wide, sandy bank. They carried comfortable cane chairs on shore.
The captain disappeared into the forest with a machete, returning with large pieces of greenery, which he set in the sand to create an archway for us to walk through as we disembarked.
A table was set with a white cloth and drinks were placed on it. Then came the barbecue, and a chef ready to cook the prawn kebabs and other delicacies. What a magical evening it was, sipping a cold drink, nibbling the delicious canapes as we watched the setting sun creating a golden path on the Mekong.
Apart from the starting point in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and our finishing point in
Chiang Khong, Thailand, we saw few signs of civilisation except for long boats and fishermen on the river and remote villages where few travellers get to visit.
Some of these places were only accessible by boat and we felt privileged to spend time with the local people. We felt welcomed, especially by the children who followed us wherever we went. They smiled and greeted us like long-lost friends.
Pandaw takes great care to look after the villages it visits, setting up medical clinics and schools. The soccer ball it donated for local children at one place was soon put to good use and passengers and crew joined in the fun.
Noticing how lacking in equipment the local schools were, we took up a collection among the passengers, and two or three of our group were dispatched in a tuk tuk with one of the crew to a stationery shop in one of the bigger settlements.
When we visited the poorest village we had yet seen, we were delighted to see how excited the children were with our gifts.
It was a special feeling watching the crew from our ship, including the captain, squatting down in the dirt among the children, reading books to them and exclaiming over pictures on the posters we had brought.
We called into a small village where we were shown into the simple school room, followed by a large group of children. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t a school day. They rushed to their seats.
When an ex-teacher in our group wrote numbers on the board the children chanted them in English and Lao.
They seemed to appreciate our singing to them and they immediately sang some of their own songs. What a wonderful experience it was to share time with such delightful people.
At present, Pandaw offers river cruises in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, China and India.
Unfortunately, excursions through Myanmar are on hold indefinitely because of the volatile political situation, but different destinations are added from time to time.
So far, I have experienced four of Pandaw’s excellent itineraries. Each had its own charm.