Cross the Khong river to Huay Sai and then walk to the pier to buy a boat ticket (of course they tell you to take a taxi because it is very far and there is a big hill … our “book” said differently and as we are counting pennies to some degree we decide to walk…it was less than 1 kilometer and only a slight incline!). Just in our short walk we are approached by many “agents” either trying to tell you to take the bus as the boat is unreliable, overcrowded, will breakdown and there will be no accommodations at the overnight village, or trying to sell you a boat ticket for a little extra - as if you are unable to just buy it yourself at the pier. Just keep smiling and keep repeating “no thank you” This will turn out to be the most used phrase of our journey I am sure.
Next step, a 2 day slow boat journey down Mekong River to Luang Prabang, Laos. The boat is to leave at 11:00 but they tell us to board as soon as possible We claim a seat an hour before we are set to leave They are simple bench seats, set a little higher than normal height so your legs dangle .. Not very comfortable for a long journey. But we are prepared and have a camp mat with us to provide at least a little padding, as well as snacks for the trip 11:00 comes … and goes… as does noon. Then as if the boat was not already full enough, a stream of people show up looking like they have been brought from another boat. The boat operator pulls out these plastic chairs and lines the middle walkway, we are packed to the gills. No safety standards here. 
This could have been a very long day but luck was on our side and we ended up meeting some interesting people, two women from California and a couple from Holland who helped the time pass with great conversation, story telling and travel comparisons. We had no real idea how long we would be on the boat the first day as depending who you spoke to the time ranged from 5 hours to 10 hours We were just hoping that we got to the stopover town by dark as it was obvious that the river was low enough to reveal obstacles.
The scenery along the Mekong River was spectacular Very lush, small villages dotting the hillsides here and there, fishermen out in the river, and the occasional tourist boat passing by. Oh, and lets not forget the speed boats, if you were crazy enough you could make the 2 day trip in just 1 day via these crazy speed boats. You strap on a full face helmet and hold on for dear life hoping the boat did not hit something and capsize or throw you afar. Apparently this was a normal occurrence especially when the river was low We were heading to dry season so we did not even consider this a viable option.
Just before sunset we reach Pag Beng We were expecting a complete dump, flea ridden shacks, dirty outhouses, etc. What we found were several restaurants, hotels ranging from very basic to very nice We found a simple guesthouse run by a very friendly family and had some great Indian food for dinner. Early the next morning we headed for the boat. But it was no where to be found. Of course we had just assumed we would be on the same boat and as we departed yesterday no one really said where to go. Finally someone motioned for us to get aboard a smaller boat, and there were our friends from yesterday. They had saved us some of the “good” seats - essentially luxury bus seats, today we were traveling first class.
The scenery did not disappoint and considering we were both very hesitant about this slow boat journey anticipating a hellish 2 days - we truly enjoyed the trip and would highly recommend it to others. I guess the lesson here is that if you anticipate the worse you will most likely be happily surprised, or the early bird gets the best seats, or should I say make friends with the early birds who will get your good seats.
