Buy tour, get breakfast
As we’re going on a tour of the Mekong to see the Irrawaddy dolphins, we had an early get up today. Fortunately, because we booked the tour with our hostel, we got a free breakfast along with it. A pickup truck arrived at our hostel, and picked us up. It was a bit of a squeeze in the back, due to the kayaks. The ride to the start point was around 40 minutes, it was actually a dock which ferries people across to the other side. Once we arrived, everyone got their kayaking gear on (leaving some things in the truck), and got stuck in. We booked the tour through our hostel, but here’s more info here from the local, called Lucky, who does the tours.
Once we were in the water, we were tasks with kayaking straight across the river. This was made difficult by quite a strong current, it made the paddling and steering hard. Once everyone (4 kayaks including guide) was far enough in the river, which was huge, we began kayaking downstream. It was much easier, but had to be careful not to get separated due to other strong currents. It was a hot and sunny day, so the occasional spray of water was welcomed.
Chilling on an island
After quite some time kayaking, we took a break on a small sand island in the middle of the river. Our lunch, which was included, mainly consisted of sticky rice and some other small snacks. We also got to do some swimming near the shore of the island. It wasn’t too deep, but we had to be careful of the strong currents, only metres away from the shore. Everyone got on really well. There were 2 girls from Sheffield (less than an hour away from my home city) and 1 guy from France, he got stuck with Julie. The tour guide was a very upbeat and humorous, which helped everyone to relax and have fun.
After the break, the guide said we’d be entering the Irrawaddy dolphins’ territory fairly shortly. We all got back in our kayaks and moved on. The next stretch of the river was quite dangerous, it consisted of loads of rapids, as well as obstacles in the way. Everyone had to be on guard and keep their wits about them, even the guide dropped his humour. After a few touch-and-go moments, we eventually all made it to a calm and peaceful part of the river. Any disaster had been avoided.
Eyes peeled
We now entered a large and open body of water. This is where the Irrawaddy dolphins would be located. The dolphins are quite endangered and scarce, so I wasn’t expecting them to jump out at me. Everyone was dead quiet now, only occasionally using their paddle for changing direction. Then suddenly, the guide shouted whilst whispering, and pointed to a spot about 100 metres away. To be honest, it was very difficult to see. The dolphins only popped their heads up for a second before disappearing. Plus, the Sun was reflecting off of the water, making it twice as hard. We kept trailing them, slowly and calmly, as to not spook them.
As the time went on, we saw them quite frequently, and in groups, rather than individuals. Mat and I had stirred up some friendly rivalry with the guide after he wet us using the paddle, to scoop up water. When he least expected it, we dished out our own wet vengeance upon him. It was pretty funny to say the least. We spent around an hour in the Irrawaddy dolphins’ grounds before we headed for the shore. At one point, they came within 10 metres of us, it was crazy. Once we reached the shore, we hefted the kayaks onto land, and ascended some steps to the truck. It wasn’t much, but I gave the guide a few dollars as a tip, for being so wicked. After everyone was ready, we boarded the truck, and headed back to town.
Well-deserved nap
It took around half an hour to get back to the hostel. There ride back was pretty chill, everyone was basking in the sunlight, soaking up some rays. It’s always amusing to wave to people out of the back of a vehicle when they’re on their scooter right behind you. They can’t do anything but smile and wave back at you. Once we were back at the hostel, we 3 of us had food before heading to the room for a well needed nap!
It’s always lush napping in the during the day, then waking up and still being able to do something. After a few hours of napping, we all decided to head out for some dinner. There were plenty of places to choose from nearby, I believe we ended up in the Chinese restaurant that Julie had been looking for. After our final meal of the day, we headed back to the hostel. I’d started doing a workout routine recently, this was the third day, just to try and keep me fit and healthy. In this heat, it always got me sweating profusely, so the shower was always savoured.
