Journey--down-the-Mekong-原文

JOURNEYDOWNTHEMEKONGPART1THEDREAMANDTHEPLANMynameisWangKun.Eversincemiddleschool,mysisterWangWeiandIhavedreamedabouttakingagreatbiketrip.Twoyearsagosheboughtanexpensivemountainbikeandthenshepersuadedmetobuyone.Lastyear,shevisitedourcousins,DaoWeiandYuHangattheircollegeinKunming.TheyareDaiandgrewupinwesternYunnanProvinceneartheLancangRiver,theChinesepartoftheriverthatiscalledtheMekongRiverinothercountries.WangWeisoongottheminterestedincyclingtoo.Aftergraduatingfromcollege.wefinallygotthechancetotakeabiketrip.Iaskedmysister,Wherearewegoing?ItwasmysisterwhofirsthadtheideatocyclealongtheentireMekongRiverfromwhereitbeginstowhereitends.Nowsheisplanningourscheduleforthetrip.Iamfondofmysisterbutshehasoneseriousshortcoming.Shecanbereallystubborn.Althoughshedidn'tknowthebestwayofgettingtoplaces,sheinsistedthatsheorganizethetripproperly.Now,Iknowthattheproperwayisalwaysherway.Ikeptaskingher,Whenareweleavingandwhenarewecomingback?Iaskedherwhethershehadlookedatamapyet.Ofcourse,shehadn't.mysisterdoesn'tcareaboutdetails.SoItoldherthatthesourceoftheMekongisinQinghaiProvince.Shegavemeadeterminedlook—thekindthatsaidshewouldnotchangehermind.WhenItoldherthatourjourneywouldbeginatanaltitudeofmorethan5,000metres,sheseemedtobeexcitedaboutit.WhenItoldhertheairwouldbehardtobreatheanditwouldbeverycold,shesaiditwouldbeaninterestingexperience.Iknowmysisterwell.Onceshehasmadeuphermind,nothingcanchangeit.Finally,Ihadtogivein.Severalmonthsbeforeourtrip,WangWeiandIwenttothelibrary.Wefoundalargeatlaswithgoodmapsthatshoweddetailsofworldgeography.FromtheatlaswecouldseethattheMekongRiverbeginsinaglacieronaTibetanmountain.Atfirsttheriverissmallandthewaterisclearandcold.Thenitbeginstomovequickly.Itbecomesrapidsasitpassesthroughdeepvalleys,travellingacrosswesternYunnanProvince.Sometimestheriverbecomesawaterfallandenterswidevalleys.WewerebothsurprisedtolearnthathalfoftheriverisinChina.AfteritleavesChinaandthehighaltitude,theMekongbecomeswide，brownandwarm.AsitentersSoutheastAsia,itspaceslows.Itmakeswidebendsormeandersthroughlowvalleystotheplainswherericegrows.Atlast,theriverdeltaenterstheSouthChinaSea.PART2ANightintheMountainsAlthoughitwasautumn,thesnowwasalreadybeginningtofallinTibet.Ourlegsweresoheavyandcoldthattheyfeltlikeblocksofice.Haveyoueverseensnowmenridebicycles?That'swhatwelookedlike!Alongthewaychildrendressedinlongwoolcoatsstoppedtolookatus.Inthelateafternoonwefounditwassocoldthatourwaterbottlesfroze.However,thelakesshonelikeglassinthesettingsunandlookedwonderful.WangWeirodeinfrontofmeasusual.SheisveryreliableandIknewIdidn'tneedtoencourageher.Toclimbthemountainswashardworkbutaswelookedaroundus,weweresurprisedbytheview.Weseemedtobeabletoseeformiles.Atonepointweweresohighthatwefoundourselvescyclingthroughclouds.Thenwebegangoingdownthehills.Itwasgreatfunespeciallyasitgraduallybecamemuchwarmer.Inthevalleyscolorfulbutterfliesflewaroundusandwesawmanyyaksandsheepeatinggreengrass.Atthispointwehadtochangeourcaps,coats,glovesandtrousersforT-shirtsandshorts.Intheearlyeveningwealwaysstoptomakecamp.Weputupourtentandthenweeat.AftersupperWangWeiputherheaddownonherpillowandwenttosleepbutIstayedawake.Atmidnighttheskybecameclearerandthestarsgrewbrighter.Itwassoquiet.Therewasalmostnowind-onlytheflamesofourfireforcompany.AsIlaybeneaththestarsIthoughtabouthowfarwehadalreadytravelled.WewillreachDaliinYunnanProvincesoon,whereourcousinsDaoWeiandYuHangwilljoinus.Wecanhardlywaittoseethem!Part3chattingwithagirlTheMekongisthemostimportantriverinLaos.Itevenappearsonthenationalflagofthecountry.Laotianpeopleusetheriverforwashing,fishing,andtransportinggoodsandpeoplearoundthecountry.TheycalltheMekongtheseaofLaos,butinTibetpeoplecallitthewateroftherocks.IfyoufollowtheriverinLaos,youcanvisittemples,caves,andawaterfall.Atnight,youcansleepinsmallvillagesbytheriver.Part4OurJourneythroughLaosThenextday,wecrosstheborderintoLaos.WewereinterestedtolearnthatmostofthewesternborderofLaosisformedbytheMekongRiver.ThecountryalsohasthesmallestnumberofpeopleinSoutheastAsia.Sothereisplentyofspaceforvillagesandfields.Aswecycledacrosstheplains,wecouldseemanylowmountainscoveredintrees.Autumnisthebesttimetotravelhere.Theweatherwassocoolanddrythatitwasverypleasanttoridealongsidetheriver.Onourthirdnight,wesleptinasmallvillageonlittlepiecesofwood.Thevillagehadnolights.Inafewhouses,however,wecouldseecandles.Itwasveryquiet.Onthesmallroadnearthevillage,weheardonlyonetruckallnight.However,theriversoundedlikeamansinginginalowvoice.Thenextmorning,wemadeanearlystartandtravelledquitefarbeforelunch..Alongtheway,strangebusescalledtuk-tukspassedus.Forlunch,weateaspecialnoodlesoup.Afterlunch,weweretired,soweputourbikesonabusgoingtoVientiane,thecapitalofLaos.Acageofchickenssangtousalltheway!Part5BYTHERIVERINLOAOSAfterleavingnoisyandcrowdedvientiane,wecycledontothesouth.OnourwaywesawanoldmanfishingontheMekong.Westoppedtotalktohim.Weputourhandstogethertogreethiminthewayofhispoeple.Hesmiledandmovedhisheaddownabit.Thenhespoketous.M=ManWK=WangKunWW=WangWeiM:Goodmorning.Whereareyougoing?WK:We'retravellingalongt