Mekongriver - on a yacht to Myanmar
YOUTUBE
Chapter 1: A Pre-Dawn Departure
03:00 a.m. – the journey begins. At 04:00 a.m., our taxi driver arrives on time, delivering our luggage to the waiting boat. The dock is dimly lit. Below, the Mekong gurgles in darkness as we cross a narrow bridge to board the vessel.
Chapter 2: Into the Stream
By 04:50 a.m., the skipper fires up the two powerful diesel engines. The darkness remains as the boat eases into midstream. The mighty Mekong lies ahead—800 kilometers north to our destination.
Power and Silence
The ship trembles under the 500 HP engines. I find myself drifting—mentally and physically—into the river's story, into lives lived in bamboo huts along the riverbanks, much like rural Africa.
Chapter 3: Fate's River
I was supposed to be on an AirAsia flight to Macau, but protests in Bangkok rerouted me to this unknown voyage. After being stranded a week, I chose to exit Thailand by boat. Others went via Malaysia. I still don’t know what brought me here—karma, fate?
Chapter 4: First Light
One hour later, dawn breaks. Mist covers the hills and fog lingers in the jungles. Cold air rises from the water. Below deck, the diesel engines throb in a constant, reassuring rhythm.
Chapter 5: The Skipper’s Mastery
Steering through treacherous rapids, the skipper expertly dodges rocks. He knows this river well—we trust him with our lives. The river is shallow in parts, and occasionally he must cut power to avoid grounding the boat.
Chapter 6: Reflections
Despite my aversion to water and long boat journeys, this trip holds me captive. Like my travels through Africa’s dark ages, this new land is unknown, mystic, yet powerfully alive. The Mekong drowns out all else.