The One on the Chocolate River

No rest for the wicked. We now face a two day trip down the Mekong to Luang Prabang.

We arrive well over an hour before the boat leaves to get what turns out to be the last comfortable seats on the boat. We're lucky. The rest of the travellers are on a mixture of wooden benches or if they're particularly unlucky (as unfortunately Sour puss and Chums are) they sit on the floor in the engine room, deafened by the noise - the engine open to the whole room.

Blissfully unaware of Sour Puss's plight, I admire the view of the newly dubbed "chocolate" river, and soak up the views of other boats, little villages, and the lush green landscape.

We spend the night in a little village called Pakbeng, eating in a restaurant where the guy boasts that his "wife is very good cook" - which turns out to be true, and then, just as the electricity shuts off for the night (11pm) head to bed.

Another early start to get the last good seats again, and more of the same all the way down to Luang Prabang. I can certainly think of worse ways to travel.