In the Kingdom of a Million Elephants and a White Parasol

The Mekong River at sunset

In Luang Prabang after crossing the border into Laos (or the Kingdom of a Million Elephants and a White Parsol, as it was known upon its founding, and which I think may be the best name ever) on Tuesday morning and sailing down the Mekong River over the last two days (seven hours the first day; nine the second). Better roads have relegated the traditional Mekong slow boats to the province of tourists who have the money and time, and so the trip was a very touristy experience and I lost count of how many Lonely Planets I saw splayed around the floor, but it was still a staggeringly beautiful ride, past lush forests and small villages and handfuls of little kids swimming on the beaches who would stop and wave (and, in one case, cartwheel) at passerbyers. We stopped for the night in Pak Beng, a small town nestled in the hills alongside the river, where the electricity shuts off after ten and fireflies come out at dusk. I took lots of photos of the ride (with sixteen hours on a boat with only my own copy of Lonely Planet, there wasn't a whole lot else to do), and so will have to post more of them later on.