Mekong Below Houayxay
We're setting out on a day-long speedboat run down the river from Houayxay to Luang Prabang.
Early morning fog on the river.
It thickens.
As the day warms, the fog burns off.
The vista opens.
The banks are rocky, with occasional islands and promontories. 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 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 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 considerable.