Day 2 on the slowboat began at 9am. We got dropped at the pier and hustled on to a different boat. It was an upgrade! We now had tables. Much like the seats in the first boat, these ones were also not bolted down so any movement made them slide and leer over on the slippery wooden floors.

The hours passed by as did the Lao countryside. Cows and wild pigs frolicked in the water munching on the lush vegetation boarding the Mekong River.

By 11am I was so hungry I ate my lunch. After gobbling my sandwich I found I was still hungry and very bored. Few more hours went by as we relaxed and talked to try pass the time. At 2pm I decided it was beerlao time. By 4pm we were all fed up. The sun was making the wooden boat heat up to such a temperature that the shallow breeze created by moving forward did not cut through the oven-like atmosphere. Hungry. Sweaty. Tired. Bored.

At 5:30pm we finally arrived at Luang Prabang pier and caught a Tuk-tuk to the hostel. To thank Robin for being so good with me on the slowboat, and to reward her for pushing through the 2 days of uncomfortable travel I found a nice restaurant for dinner.

After freshening up we went to Manda de Laos; a little oasis haven nestled in the otherwise frantic Luang Prabang. On arrival we were given cool, coconut scented towels! We settled in with cocktails and a complimentary palate cleanser of sweet rice and peanuts. To start we had spring rolls and spiced pork stuffed hot peppers. Mains were a Mekong River fish with peanut salad and lemongrass chicken skewers paired with purple sticky rice. For dessert we shared coconut ice cream and lime sorbet. Absolutely stuffed but content we waddled back to the hostel.

Tomorrow we travel to the idyllic nature haven of Nong Khiaw.

-M