Up the Mekong on a slow boat

From Luang Prabang, we boarded a slow boat and headed upriver on the Mekong towards Thailand. Two days on the boat with an overnight stop brought us to the Thai border. The scenery along the river was beautiful -- limestone karst mountains, sandy beaches and small villages. No roads run to the Mekong along this part of the river, so it felt very remote. You'd travel an hour or two upriver before seeing a small village.....