Slow Boat

We had heard that the roads and buses in Laos were not the greatest so we decided to take a river boat down the Mekong  River to Luang Prabang, Laos. These are known as "Slow Boats" because compared to their alternates the Speed Boat, they are obviously quite slow. It was a 2 days journey - 5 hours the 1st and 8 hours the 2nd day with a stop over in a small town called Pakbeng. The speed boats would have only taken 7 hours but I read many warnings about risking your life on them, particularly in the dry/low water season. The slow boat was actually quite enjoyable except for the wooden seats the first day and much less room the second day. The scenery was very pleasant and the constant movement allows us to stay cool!