Aia i loko o ka puʻuwai o ka Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), ʻo ke kūlanakauhale aliʻi mua o Lao ʻo Luang Prabang ke kumu kūpono no ka makaʻala ʻana i ka muliwai Mekong ikaika, ʻo ia ka 12 o ka muliwai lōʻihi loa o ka honua me kona mau poʻo hau i hānai ʻia ma luna. ʻO ka Plateau Tibet ma ka mokuʻo Qinghai o Kina.
Me kona lōʻihi ma kahi o 4,200 km, hāʻule ka Mekong ola i loko o nā awāwa hohonu e komo ai i ka ʻāina mauna ʻo Yunnan ma Deqin ma Shangri-La, e hele ana i ka ʻāpana o Dali a hoʻololi i kona ala ma waena o ka Xishuangbanna tropical. Mai Jinghong, i kapa mua ʻia ʻo Chiang Hung, hiki ka muliwai i ka ʻāina hema hema o Asia ma nā palena o ka mokuʻāina ʻo Myanmar ʻo Shan a me Laos, ma mua o ka hiki ʻana i ka Triangle gula kaulana kahi e hui ai nā palena o Thailand, Myanmar, a me Laos.
Mai ke kaona kahiko o Chiang Saen, hele ia i kahi wahi pōkole ma ka ʻākau o Thailand, ma mua o ke komo ʻana i Laos a hiki i ke kūlanakauhale aliʻi kahiko o Luang Prabang a me ke kapikala ʻo Vientiane i kēia manawa. Ma hope o ka hoʻokumu ʻana i ka palena ma waena o Laos hema a me ka hikina ʻākau o Thailand, hāʻule ka Mekong ma luna o ka wailele ʻo Khon Phapheng Falls a laila hele i Cambodia, kahi e komo ai i kahi pāpū ākea a hiki i ke kapikala ʻo Phnom Penh a me kāna delta alluvial nui ma ka ʻaoʻao hema o Viet Nam. .
No ka hele ʻana ma ke kahawai ʻo Mekong ma ke ʻano, ʻaʻohe wahi maikaʻi e koho ai ma mua o Luang Prabang, kahi maʻalahi mai Chiang Mai e ka mokulele me Lao Airlines. Ma keʻano he malihini o ka Luang Prabang-based Mekong River Cruises www.cruisemekong.com, ua konoʻia au e hui i kahi paionia a me keʻano kūikawāʻekolu lā holo moana ma Iulai 18-20, 2009. Ma luna o ka moku muliwai i kūkulu houʻia, RV ʻO Mekong Sun, ka pāʻani o ka hoʻomana a me ka moʻomeheu o nā ʻāina ma ka muliwai e wehe ʻia, a me ka pāʻani o nā ʻano ʻano like ʻole o ka lehulehu i hui pū ʻia.
ʻO kēia 3 mau lā / 2 pō holo moku lawe iaʻu mai ka UNESCO World Heritage kūlanakauhale o Luang Prabang me kāna mau hale pule Buddhist ma mua o 30 ma luna o ka muliwai Mekong a hiki i ka moku ʻo Bokeo - ma kahi o 400 km. Aia ma Huai Xai, ke kaona liʻiliʻi ʻo Lao, kahi e hiki ai iā ʻoe ke hele i ka palena ma ka ferryboat i Chiang Khong ma Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.
ʻO ka RV Mekong Sun me kāna 14 cabins ka moku ʻoluʻolu loa e hiki ke hoʻokele i nā ʻāpana hihiu o ka muliwai ʻo Upper Mekong. Ma waena o Luang Prabang a me ka Triangle Golden, ʻo ka Mekong Sun wale nō ka moku holo moku i loaʻa. ʻO ka noho ʻana a me ka lawelawe ʻo ia ka pae kiʻekiʻe a hauʻoli nā malihini i kahi ʻike huakaʻi kūʻokoʻa a ʻoluʻolu hoʻi i ko lākou noho ʻana i nā keʻena ʻoluʻolu a kahaha i nā mea kupanaha o ka Mekong. Hāʻawi ʻia kahi koho o nā meaʻai ʻAsia a me kontinental ma ka holo moana. Loaʻa ka waina a me ka pia, a me nā mea inu ʻuhane. Aia ka hale waihona puke i hoʻopaʻa pono ʻia e holo wikiwiki ka manawa.
Lā 1 (Iulai 18): Luang Prabang – Pak Ou – Hmong Ek Village
ʻOiai ʻo ka hoʻokuʻu ʻana i ka hola 8:00 i ke kakahiaka nui, hiki ʻoe i ka docking station o ka RV Mekong i kahi manawa, i ka manawa e haʻalele ai nā moku liʻiliʻi mua o ke awa paʻa i Luang Prabang no kā lākou huakaʻi mākaʻikaʻi i kēlā me kēia lā. Hoʻokahi hola ka hoʻomākaukau ʻana o ka waʻa no ka haʻalele ʻana, e hoʻohana ʻia ana e kekahi ʻenekini Diesel nui Kina, akā, ua pulu ka walaʻau a ʻaʻole hoʻi e hoʻopilikia iki i ka poʻe e holo ana.
ʻO ka luna hoʻomalu ʻo Mr. Oth, 48, he kamaʻāina mai Pak Xe ma ka hema o Laos, ua lawe mai i kona ʻohana a ʻo ia ke kuleana no kahi ohua o 16 mau limahana, me kahi kāpena a me kahi pailaka no ka muliwai. Ma hope pono o ka haʻalele ʻana, aia ma ka ʻaoʻao ʻākau, ka ʻike o Wat Xieng Thong, hiki ke kiʻi ʻia e kahi alapiʻi kiaʻi liona. ʻO kona mau kaupaku i ke kakahiaka nui e hōʻike ana he kumu hoʻohālike maikaʻi kēia o ka hale hoʻomana Lao.
Holo mākou i ka ʻākau no ʻelua hola a hōʻea mākou i nā ana kaulana ʻo Tham Ting, kahi e kū ana nā tausani o nā kiʻi Buddha liʻiliʻi i loko o nā ana. Aia kēia kahua haipule ma kahi kū pono o ka waha ākea o ka muliwai ʻo Nam Ou-River, i manaʻo ʻia ʻo ia ke ala hele kahiko o ka poʻe Lao e hele mai ana mai Kina hema ma mua o 1,000 mau makahiki i hala. Ma ka hoʻomaha ʻana ma ka papa o ka RV Mekong, hiki iā ʻoe ke hoʻomaha i nā hiʻohiʻona ʻike ʻole ʻia a mau ʻole.
Ua emi koke ke kahe o ka muliwai i kou hele ʻana i uka, a hiki iā ʻoe ke hauʻoli i nā ʻāina mauna nani ma ka muliwai, e kahe ana mai ka hikina a i ke komohana. Hiki ke ʻike ʻia ma nā ʻaoʻao ʻelua o ka muliwai nā ululāʻau ʻohe mānoanoa a me nā māla raiki o nā mahi hoʻololi. Aia nā kauhale o nā lāhui Lao like ʻole. ʻO nā kauhale liʻiliʻi o Lao Lum (ka poʻe Lao maoli) me nā hale stilt kokoke i ka muliwai, a ʻo Lao Theung (ka hapa nui ʻo Khamu) kahi huna ma luna a i ʻole kahi Lao Sung (Hmong) hoʻoneʻe i ka honua, ʻokoʻa kekahi me kekahi.
I ka napoʻo ʻana o ka lā, ua hoʻoholo mākou e hoʻomoe i ka pō ma kahi one huna ma kahi kokoke i ke kauhale o Hmong Ek. Hiki i nā poʻe hele ke leʻaleʻa i ka lumi hoʻomaha ma ka papa luna kahi e nānā ʻia ai nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni ma kahi pale nui. ʻO kahi ʻē aʻe, hiki iā ʻoe ke hoʻomaha wale i kāu keʻena pilikino ponoʻī.
DAY 2 (Iulai 19): Hmong Ek Village – Pak Beng – Barbecue Site
E haʻalele ana i ke kakahiaka nui i ka hola 7:00 am, ua lawelawe ʻia ka ʻaina kakahiaka ʻAmelika i hoʻokahi hola wale nō ma hope, akā hiki iā ʻoe ke hui pū me nā kamaʻāina e ʻai i kā lākou laiki a me ka iʻa. He mea kupanaha ka ʻokoʻa o nā ʻāina, i kēia manawa ke paheʻe nei i loko o nā ʻano pōhaku haiki, a laila maheʻe ma waena o nā puʻu ulu lāʻau. Ma hope, lohe ʻoe i nā manu kupua a me ka uē ʻana o nā ʻīlio hihiu. Ma ka ʻaoʻao o ke one e puka ana kekahi mau wāhine ʻōpio i ka holoi gula. Ua hauʻoli wau i ka maluhia o ka ʻākau o Laos, kahi haʻalele maoli mai ka hustle a me ka puʻupuʻu o ke ola o kēlā me kēia lā.
Ma kahi o ke awakea, ua hoʻomaha mākou i hoʻokahi hola ma ka mākeke o Pak Beng. ʻO ka manawa i hoʻolilo ʻia ma laila ua ʻae kekahi o nā ohua e hele kūʻai ma ka mākeke kokoke. Ua kipa au iā Pak Beng Lodge, e kū pono ana i kahi hoʻomoana elephant hou i hoʻokumu ʻia, e nānā i kaʻu mau leka uila pūnaewele.
ʻOiaʻiʻo, e hoʻomohala ʻia ʻo Pak Beng ma ke ʻano he ala nui ma ka muliwai Mekong. Aia ke Alanui Lahui 2, e hookui ana ia Pak Beng me Oudom Xai, he kapikala panalaau, mai kahi e hiki ai i na kanaka ke hoomau aku i Boten ma ka palena Kina a i Dien Bien Phu e hele ana ma ka palena Lao-Vietnamese ma Sobhoun. Ma ke ala ʻē aʻe o Pak Beng a ma kēlā ʻaoʻao o ka muliwai, hoʻomau ke alanui i Muong Ngeun ma ka moku ʻo Sayabouri e hoʻopili ai iā Nan ma Thailand. ʻO ka wahi ferry e pono ai ma ke kahawai ʻo Mekong, he mau kilomita ma luna o Pak Beng, ke lawelawe nei.
Ua hoʻomau ka holo ʻana o ka ʻauinalā ma nā puʻu ʻōmaʻomaʻo a ululāʻau nui a hiki i ka hoʻomaka ʻana o ka muliwai i ka ʻākau a hiki i Pak Tha kahi e hele ai ka muliwai Nam Tha i ka Mekong. Ma mua o ka hōʻea ʻana i laila, ua hoʻokuʻu mākou i ko mākou waʻa holo moku ma ke one mehameha e mālama i kahi pāʻina barbecue aloha a hiki i ka pō. Hāʻawi ʻia ʻo Lao Beer a me Lao Lao, ka laiki laiki kūloko, me ka laiki paʻa a me ka iʻa i hoʻomoʻa ʻia, ka puaʻa, a me ka moa. ʻO kekahi o nā hui hauʻoli i hoʻokani i nā mele kūloko a me ka hula ʻana i ka ramwong kaulana. Ma hope mai, ua puka mai kekahi mau hōkū ma luna o mākou i ka lani ʻohu, akā ua lawa ka nani e nānā. He aha kahi hoʻonohonoho, manaʻo wau, a paʻakikī ka hele ʻana i ka hiamoe.
LA 3 (Iulai 20): Paena Barbecue – Pak Tha – Huai Xai/Chiang Khong
Hoʻomaka hou ka huakaʻi i ke kakahiaka nui ma hope koke iho o ka puka ʻana o ka lā. Ma hope o ka ʻaina kakahiaka me ka hoʻoikaika ʻana i ka Lao Coffee, holo wikiwiki ka manawa. Ma kahi kokoke i ke awakea, ua hala mākou iā Pak Tha, kahi i lilo ai ka wai i lepo. Ua haʻi ʻia mai iaʻu e hoʻoikaika ka poʻe Kina i ka ulu ʻana i nā mea kanu lāʻau lapaʻau ma ka ʻāina ʻo Luang Nam Tha a ʻo ka hopena, ʻo ka emi ʻana o nā ululāʻau, nā ʻōpala, a me nā ʻōpala.
Ma hope o ka ʻaina awakea hope loa, ʻo ia ka manawa e haʻi aku ai i ka hui Laotian. Ma kahi mamao, ʻike wau i ka mauna ʻo Phu Chi Fa ma ka moku ʻo Ciang Rai. Ma hope o ka ʻauinalā ma kahi o ka hola 4:00 pm. ʻO ka mea pōmaikaʻi, ua lawa ka manawa e hele ai i ka mākaʻi Lao Immigration ma Huai Xai. Mai laila mai, hele ʻoe i ke kahawai ʻo Mekong ikaika ma kahi moku liʻiliʻi lōʻihi lōʻihi (40Baht pp) e hele ai i ka palena palena Thai ma Chiang Khong, kahi e pani mau ai i ka hola 6:00 pm. Ua hoʻomau ka moku holo moku i ka Golden Triangle, kahi e wehe koke ai ka poʻe Kina i kahi hale casino hou ma ke kapa o ka muliwai Mekong. ʻO kēia paha ka hoʻomaka ʻana o ka hoʻouka kaua ʻana o Kina i ka hema, noʻonoʻo wau?
Ua hoʻonohonoho ʻia koʻu huakaʻi hoʻi i Chiang Mai e nā poʻe maikaʻi o Nam Khong Guesthouse, nāna hoʻi e hoʻokele i kahi keʻena mākaʻikaʻi ma Chiang Mai me nā lawelawe visa no Laos, Myanmar, Kina, a me Viet Nam. ʻO ka hoʻololi ʻana mai Chiang Khong a i Chiang Mai ma kahi minibus hou (250B pp) i haʻalele i ka hola 7:00 pm a hiki i Chiang Mai ma kahi o ke aumoe.
Ua pau kahi huakaʻi kupaianaha nui, a e kali nō wau i ka huakaʻi aʻe.
He alakaʻi mākaʻikaʻi ʻike ʻo Reinhard Hohler a me ke kūkākūkā huakaʻi GMS Media i hoʻokumu ʻia ma Chiang Mai. No ka ʻike hou aku, hiki iā ia ke leka uila: [pale ʻia ka leka uila].
