life along the mekong.

I recently finished reading a book titled “The River’s Tale: A Year on the Mekong” and have been thinking a lot about this part of the world lately. The author writes about his journey along the Mekong River from the mountains of Tibet, through southern China, Laos, Cambodia, and finally Vietnam. It was impossible to read about his experience without thinking of my own.

I can so vividly remember the hours, and sometimes days, spent traveling on buses from one Southeast Asian city to another. I will never forget the feeling of arriving in Luang Prabang, Laos at night and being greeted by vendors selling freshly made chicken baguette sandwiches, monks walking the streets dressed in bright orange robes, and a guesthouse over-looking one of the city’s most beautiful Buddhist temples. I remember the days spent strolling the perfectly restored alleyways in Lijiang, China and watching Naxi men and women perform traditional dances in the town square. My mind wanders back to the hot afternoons in Saigon, Vietnam where my only plan was to shop in one of the many markets full of men and women eager to bargain over the price of imitation goods. I can almost feel the crisp morning air as I hopped on the back of a motorcycle taxi at 5 am to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that it was actually me in all of those incredible moments. I must be the luckiest person on earth.

Reading this book about the Mekong River has been a reminder of my love for this part of the world. You won’t find fancy shopping malls or expensive cars in most of these places, but you will find a simple, unexplainable beauty in the land and on the faces of the people. Traveling through these war-torn countries awakened my understanding of the world like never before. I have seen landmine victims struggling to make ends meet, played with children whose growth was stunted due to malnutrition, watched wealthy western men take advantage of young Asian girls forced into prostitution, and seen killing fields where thousands of innocent people died at the hands of brutal leader. However, I have also witnessed singing and dancing, children's laughter, and a deep appreciation for life's simple pleasures. Many of these people have not forgotten their past, and still struggle to survive, but remain hopeful for a better future. Their outlook on life has radically shaped my own. I have never seen so much beauty in the world. I long to return to the simplicity of life along the Mekong.

These photos were taken during a 6-hour boat ride along the Mekong River from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I traveled through this part of the world in February and March of 2007. It was an experience I hope to never forget.





"Yes, there is a genuine emotional and intellectual rush that comes from travel and discovery...in understanding, in seeing societies change, adapt, create, struggle, survive. And there is a rush of travel itself, a 'wind in the hair' sensation that comes from hefting a backpack and heading into what is truly unknown."
-Edward Gargan.