Notes on the Geography of Laos: Mekong Below HouayxayWe're setting out on a day-long speedboat run down the river from Houayxay to Luang Prabang. Make default image size larger ![]() Early morning fog on the river. ![]() It thickens and visibility gradually falls to near-zero. ![]() As the day warms, the fog burns off. ![]() The vista opens. ![]() The river is generally open, but the banks are rocky, and occasionally there are islands and near-islands. In the course of a day, perhaps half a dozen riverboats pass by, along with a couple of dozen speedboats, their unmuffled automobile engines roaring. ![]() With the sky clear at last, the water's silt load is illuminated. ![]() A mandatory stop for checking papers. This is January, and the police post moves uphill during summer's high water. ![]() There's a village here: Muang Paktha. ![]() Pretty basic. ![]() Back on the river: rippling sedimentary layers. ![]() A stop at a bigger place, catering to the river traffic. ![]() View from the river. The building is a restaurant; the village of Pakbeng lies just beyond. ![]() Main Street. ![]() Off again and passing a beach where logs are waiting to be taken downstream. ![]() More patches of rocky banks. ![]() More logs and speedboats. ![]() How did the logs get to the river? Here's your answer. ![]() Judging from the elephant's lean into the harness, the resistance must be very considerable. |
* Argentina * Australia * Austria * Bangladesh * Belgium * Botswana * Brazil * Burma / Myanmar * Cambodia (Angkor) * Canada (B.C.) * China * The Czech Republic * Egypt * Fiji * France * Germany * Ghana * Greece * Guyana * Hungary * India: Themes * Northern India * Peninsular India * Indonesia * Israel * Italy * Japan * Jerusalem * Jordan * Kenya * Laos * Kosovo * Malawi * Malaysia * Mauritius * Mexico * Micronesia (Pohnpei) * Morocco * Mozambique * Namibia * The Netherlands * New Zealand * Nigeria * Norway * Oman * Pakistan * Peru * The Philippines * Poland * Portugal * Romania (Transylvania) * Senegal * Singapore * South Africa * South Korea * Spain * Sri Lanka * Sudan * Syria (Aleppo) * Tanzania * Thailand * Trinidad * Turkey (Istanbul) * Uganda * The U.A.E. (Dubai) * The United Kingdom * The Eastern United States * The Western United States * Oklahoma * Uruguay * Uzbekistan * Vietnam * The West Bank * Yemen * Zambia * Zimbabwe *