Itholakala enhliziyweni yeGreater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), idolobhana langaphambili lasebukhosini baseLao eLuang Prabang liyindawo ekahle yokuhlola umfula omkhulu iMekong, okuwumfula we-12 omude kunawo wonke emhlabeni onezimpophoma zawo ezigcwele iqhwa eziphakeme. I-Tibetan Plateau esifundazweni sase-Qinghai saseChina.
Njengoba ubude bayo obungaba amakhilomitha angu-4,200, i-Mekong ephilayo igingqika emihosheni ejulile ingene eSifundazweni sase-China esinezintaba sase-Yunnan e-Deqin e-Shangri-La, idlule endaweni yase-Dali futhi inqamule e-Xishuangbanna eshisayo. Usuka eJinghong, eyayibizwa ngokuthi iChiang Hung, lo mfula ufinyelela ezweni eliseningizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia ngasemngceleni weSifundazwe SaseMyanmar saseShan naseLaos, ngaphambi kokuba ufinyelele eGolden Triangle edume kabi lapho kuhlangana khona imingcele yeThailand, iMyanmar neLaos.
Ukusuka edolobheni elidala laseChiang Saen, kudlula indawo emfushane enyakatho yeThailand, ngaphambi kokungena eLaos futhi kufinyelele kuwo womabili idolobha langaphambili lobukhosi iLuang Prabang kanye nenhloko-dolobha yamanje iVientiane. Ngemva kokwenza umngcele ophakathi kweLaos eseningizimu nenyakatho-mpumalanga yeThailand, iMekong iphahlazeka phezu kweziMpophoma ezimangalisayo iKhon Phapheng bese idlulela eCambodia, lapho ingena khona endaweni enezikhukhula ukuze ifinyelele enhloko-dolobha iPhnom Penh kanye nomfula wayo omkhulu otholakala engxenyeni eseningizimu yeViet Nam. .
Ukuhamba ngesitayela eMfuleni iMekong, ayikho indawo engcono ongakhetha kuyo kuneLuang Prabang, etholakala kalula usuka eChiang Mai ngendiza neLao Airlines. Njengesivakashi se-Luang Prabang-based Mekong River Cruises www.cruisemekong.com, ngamenywa ukuthi ngijoyine uhambo lwezinsuku ezintathu oluyingqalasizinda nolwehlukile lwasemfuleni ngoJulayi 18-20, 2009. Ngigibele umkhumbi womfula owawusanda kwakhiwa, i-RV. I-Mekong Sun, idrama yenkolo namasiko ezindawo ezigudle umfula yenzeka, kanye nedrama yezindlela zokuphila ezihlukahlukene zabantu abaxube ngokucebile.
Lolu hambo lwezinsuku ezi-3/2 ebusuku lungisuse edolobheni le-UNESCO lamagugu omhlaba e-Luang Prabang nezindawo zalo zamathempeli amaBuddha angaphezu kuka-30 phezulu ngomfula iMekong kuya esiFundazweni saseBokeo - cishe amakhilomitha angama-400. E-Huai Xai, idolobha elincane laseLao, lapho okwazi khona ukweqa umngcele ngesikebhe ukuya eChiang Khong esifundazweni saseChiang Rai, eThailand.
I-RV Mekong Sun enamakhabethe ayo ayi-14 iwumkhumbi onethezeke kunayo yonke okwaziyo ukulawula izingxenye zasendle zoMfula i-Upper Mekong. Phakathi kweLuang Prabang kanye neGolden Triangle, i-Mekong Sun iyona kuphela i-cabin cruiser etholakalayo. Indawo yokuhlala kanye nesevisi isezingeni eliphezulu futhi izivakashi zijabulela uhambo olukhethekile kodwa olungajwayelekile ngenkathi behlala emakhabetheni antofontofo futhi bebabaza izimanga ezazingafinyeleleki phambilini zeMekong. Ukukhethwa kokudla kwase-Asia kanye nezwekazi kunikezwa kulo lonke uhambo lomkhumbi. Iwayini nobhiya, kanye neziphuzo ezidakayo, kuyatholakala. Umtapo wolwazi ogcwele kahle usebhodini ukuze uvumele isikhathi sihambe ngokushesha.
Usuku 1 (Julayi 18): Luang Prabang - Pak Ou - Hmong Ek Village
Njengoba ukugibela kwakungo-8:00 ekuseni entathakusa, ufika esiteshini semikhumbi se-RV Mekong ngomzuzwana, lapho izikebhe zokuqala ezincane ezihamba kancane zetheku elimatasa e-Luang Prabang sezihamba ohambo lwazo lwansuku zonke lokubuka indawo. Kuthatha ihora elilodwa ukulungisa isikebhe esihamba ngenjini enkulu yaseShayina esebenzisa udizili, kodwa umsindo uyancipha futhi awubaphazamisi nakancane abagibeli abagibelayo.
Umqondisi ophethe uMnu. Oth, 48, ongowokuzalwa ePak Xe eningizimu yeLaos, uze nomndeni wakhe futhi ubhekele ithimba labasebenzi abangu-16, okuhlanganisa ukapteni nomshayeli wendiza kulo mfula. Ngemva nje kokuhamba, kubonakala kwesokudla, umbono we-Wat Xieng Thong, ongafinyelelwa ngezitebhisi ezigadwe yibhubesi. Uphahla lwayo olushanelayo ekuseni kakhulu luwubufakazi bokuthi leli tshe eliyigugu lenkolo liyisibonelo esihle sezakhiwo zethempeli laseLao.
Sahamba ngomkhumbi saya enyakatho cishe amahora amabili futhi safika emigedeni edumile yaseTham Ting, lapho izinkulungwane zezithombe ezincane zamaBuddha zazimi ngaphakathi kwemigede. Lesi sizinda sohambo olungcwele sitholakala ngokuphambana nomlomo obanzi we-Nam Ou-River, okukholakala ukuthi umgwaqo omdala wokufudukela kwabantu baseLao bevela eningizimu yeShayina eminyakeni engaphezu kweyi-1,000 edlule. Uzipholele emphemeni we-RV Mekong, ungakwazi ukucwilisa indawo engakathintwa futhi engaphelelwa isikhathi.
Ukuhamba komfula ngokuzumayo kuyancipha njengoba uqhubeka ukhuphuka nomfula, futhi ungakwazi ukujabulela izindawo ezinhle zezintaba eduze nomfula, manje ogeleza usuka empumalanga uye entshonalanga. Amahlathi aminyene oqalo kanye namasimu erayisi okulima ashintshashintshayo abonakala nhlangothi zombili zomfula. Kuvela amadolobhana ezizwe ezihlukene zamaLao. Amadolobhana amancane aseLao Lum (abantu bangempela baseLao) anezindlu eziboshelwe izingosi eduze nomfula, kanye neLao Theung (iningi layo okuyiKhamu) ecashe kancane ngenhla noma ngisho nendawo yokuhlaliswa kabusha yaseLao Sung (Hmong), eshintshana.
Lapho ilanga lishona, sanquma ukuchitha ubusuku ogwini lwesihlabathi olucezile eduze nedolobhana eliphambene neHmong Ek. Abagibeli bangajabulela indawo yokuphumula esesitezi esiphezulu lapho amamuvi angabukwa khona esikrinini esikhulu. Kungenjalo, ungazipholela ekhabetheni lakho langasese.
USUKU 2 (Julayi 19): I-Hmong Ek Village - Pak Beng - Indawo Yezososo
Njengoba uhamba ekuseni ngo-7:00 ekuseni, isidlo sasekuseni saseMelika sanikezwa ihora elilodwa nje kamuva, kodwa ungakwazi ukujoyina abantu bendawo ukuze udle ilayisi nenhlanzi enamathelayo. Ukuhlukahluka kwezindawo kuyamangalisa, manje sekushelela emigwaqweni emincane yamadwala, bese kusabalala phakathi kwamagquma anamahlathi. Ngemuva, uzwa izinyoni zemilingo nokukhala kwezinkawu zasendle. Eceleni kwezinguzunga zesihlabathi, izintombi ezithile zazimatasa nokuwasha igolide. Ngangijabulela ukuzola kweLaos esenyakatho, ukuhlehla kwangempela esiphithiphithini sempilo yansuku zonke.
Ngezikhathi zasemini, saba nekhefu elifushane ihora elilodwa emakethe yasePak Beng. Isikhathi esichithwe lapho savumela izisebenzi ezimbalwa ukuba ziyothenga emakethe eseduze. Ngivakashele i-Pak Beng Lodge, maqondana nje nekamu lezindlovu elisanda kusungulwa, ukuze ngihlole imilayezo yami ye-imeyili ye-inthanethi.
Empeleni, i-Pak Beng izothuthukiswa njengempambano yomgwaqo ebalulekile eMfuleni iMekong. Kukhona Umzila Kazwelonke 2, oxhumanisa i-Pak Beng ne-Oudom Xai, inhloko-dolobha yesifundazwe, lapho abantu bengaqhubeka khona baye e-Boten emngceleni waseChina noma baye e-Dien Bien Phu bewela umngcele waseLao-Vietnamese eSobhoun. Ngakolunye uhlangothi lwe-Pak Beng futhi ngaphesheya komfula, umgwaqo uyaqhubeka uye e-Muong Ngeun esifundazweni sase-Sayabouri ukuze uxhumane ne-Nan e-Thailand. Indawo yesikebhe edingekayo emfuleni iMekong, engamakhilomitha ambalwa ukuya phezulu e-Pak Beng, isivele iyasebenza.
Uhambo lwantambama lwaqhubeka lugudla amagquma aluhlaza nanamahlathi amakhulu waze umfula uqala ukubhekisa amabombo enyakatho futhi ngasePak Tha lapho umfula iNam Tha ungena khona eMekong. Ngaphambi kokuba sifike lapho, samisa isikebhe sethu ogwini lwesihlabathi esicezile ukuze senze idili lezoso lothando elaqhubeka kwaze kwaba sebusuku. I-Lao Beer yanikezwa futhi i-Lao Lao, utshwala bendawo zelayisi, kanye nelayisi elinamathelayo nenhlanzi eyosiwe, ingulube, nenkukhu. Abanye babasebenzi abajabule bazitika ngokudlala umculo wendawo nokudansa i-ramwong edumile. Kamuva, ngisho nezinkanyezi ezithile zavela ngaphezu kwethu esibhakabhakeni esiguqubele, kodwa zikhanya ngokwanele ukuba sizibuke. Yeka isimo, ngacabanga, futhi ngikuthola kunzima ukulala.
USUKU 3 (Julayi 20): Indawo yokosa inyama - Pak Tha - Huai Xai/Chiang Khong
Ukuhamba ngomkhumbi kwaqala futhi ekuseni ngemva nje kokuphuma kwelanga. Ngemva kokudla kwasekuseni okuncane nokuqinisa i-Lao Coffee, isikhathi sahamba ngokushesha. Cishe emini, sadlula ePak Tha, lapho amanzi eba nodaka. Ngatshelwa ukuthi amaShayina akhuthaza ukutshala amasimu enjoloba engeziwe eSifundazweni SaseLuang Nam Tha futhi imiphumela iwukuncipha kwamahlathi, ukuguguleka nokuguguleka kodaka.
Ngemva kwesidlo sasemini sokugcina sendawo, kwase kuyisikhathi sokuvalelisa izisebenzi zaseLaotian. Buqamama, ngabona iNtaba iPhu Chi Fa esiFundazweni saseCiang Rai. Ukuphuma nokwehla kwalandela kamuva ntambama ngabo-4:00 ntambama. Ngenhlanhla, kwakusenesikhathi esanele sokudlula indawo yokuhlola i-Lao Immigration e-Huai Xai. Ukusuka lapho, uwela umfula omkhulu iMekong ngesikebhe esincane esinomsila omude (40Baht pp) ukuze uqhubekele endaweni yokuhlola emngceleni waseThailand eChiang Khong, evamise ukuvala ngo-6:00 ntambama. Umkhumbi waqhubeka waze wafika eGolden Triangle, lapho amaShayina ezovula khona indawo entsha yekhasino khona maduzane osebeni loMfula iMekong. Ngabe lokhu kuzoba ukuqala kokuhlasela kwamaShayina okuza eningizimu, ngazibuza?
Uhambo lwami lokubuyela e-Chiang Mai lwaluhlelwe abantu abalungile base-Nam Khong Guesthouse, nabo abaphethe ihhovisi lezokuvakasha e-Chiang Mai elinezinsiza zama-visa e-Laos, e-Myanmar, e-China, nase-Viet Nam. Ukudluliselwa kusuka e-Chiang Khong kuya e-Chiang Mai ngebhasi elincane lesimanje (250B pp) kuhambe ngo-7:00 pm ukuze ifike e-Chiang Mai phakathi kwamabili.
Uhambo oluhlaba umxhwele ngokumangalisayo seluphelile, futhi ngokuqinisekile ngizolinda olulandelayo.
U-Reinhard Hohler ungumqondisi wezokuvakasha onesipiliyoni kanye nomeluleki wezokuvakasha we-GMS Media ozinze e-Chiang Mai. Ukuze uthole ulwazi olwengeziwe, angatholakala nge-imeyili: [i-imeyili ivikelwe].
