Treasures of the Mekong
Scarlett Stapleton, Destination Expert.
Though most places in Laos are magical in their own way, a boat trip along the Mekong Delta made us feel that we were finally getting in touch with the heart and soul of the country and its people. The Mekong has a way of drawing you in and though the trip from Luang Prabang to the Thai border was long and slow, few of those on board spoke more than to give murmurs of appreciation in response to the dramatic, winding landscape expanding ahead of us.
Drifting out of Luang Prabang at dawn, the mist was still heavy and the atmosphere created by towering sandstone cliffs on either side, rather eerie. The journey is incredibly peaceful and other than the occasional grumble of another boat's motor, we all fall into an awed silence. First stop is at Pak Ou caves where thousands of sculptures of Buddha fill every nook and cranny. Gathered over the centuries by pilgrims and locals, some of these figurines are more than 300 years old and many visit these caves in the hope of being blessed by the benevolent spirits also said to reside here.
Further along the river we are greeted by shrieks of joy as children from one of the local villages clamber down to the water's edge to coax us up onto the bank. The wooden huts of the village are draped in swathes of bright colours courtesy of the traditional silk and cotton weavings which form part of the villagers' livelihood. One onlooker though, is much more interested in tempting the visitors in to her lair for some lethal whisky tasting.
A wonderful looking, very elderly lady crouches next to an ominous looking cauldron and beckons unsuspecting passersby in with a bony hand. She grabs Pete's arm with an iron grip and laughs mischievously when he looks nervous. But ever the artist, he's not one to miss an opportunity. Reaching into his bag he starts gesturing between the huge bowl of bubbling liquid and his sketch pad and pencil. The old lady flashes a toothless grin, she understands only too well and we leave weighed down by bottles of the local brew. Pete's happy though, as she makes the perfect subject...
You can see more work from this artist at http://www.haslamfox.com/
