Everyone who has spent time on the Mekong River has had moments he’ll always remember.
Here’s one that I had. It showed me how rich the origins of Southeast Asian cultures were.
I had slept in a village called Pak Beng during a 2 day boat trip from Luang Prabang and the Thai border. I had time for a jog so I legged it through the village–after enjoying its morning market (pictured above). I always carry a small camera when I jog overseas.
I then jogged up a road that snaked into the hills. The view was so stunning that I had to stop to take it in.
Mists enveloped the surrounding hillsides. It seemed as though everything around me was enmeshed in a mystical energy.
The lush growth on both sides of the Mekong, the flowing water, the mountains and the morning mists intertwined in a big river of life. This flow was so all-embracing that nothing could extricate itself from it. Everything seemed connected with everything else, within a pulsating flow of energy.
Many other things also encourage this sense of embeddedness along the Mekong, and throughout Southeast Asia. The key thing is, all converged to foster some of Southeast Asians’ most basic assumptions about reality:
The rivers’ springtime swellings,
and the morning mists help create a sense that reality is a flow of energy which pervades all life forms and spirits. It assumes infinite varieties, so you can always discover new things when you go there. And the region’s art takes on limitless forms, which I’ll always indulge in.
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