Mekong River, China: March 29, 2004 |
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Mick O’Shea |
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My first encounter with the Mekong River occurred while
backpacking through South East Asia en-route to Europe
at age 20. Like most Australians I was familiar with
the river's name and could associate it with the Vietnam
War, yet my knowledge of it did not extend far beyond
this association. As I surveyed its roiling waters
for the first time from a sleepy palm-fringed village
in Isarn province of Thailand I could not help but
be captivated by the sheer size and serene beauty
of the waterway as it meandered south towards the
delta. I could not have known then how much influence
the Mekong basin would have on my life.
Nine years later and I’m sitting on the opposite
bank in Laos looking upstream, contemplating the logistics
associated with getting to the river's source on the
Tibetan Plateau and kayaking its 4,800 kilometer length
through six nations to the South China Sea starting
at an elevation of 5,224 meters.
As a tour developer for Wildside Asia Travel Company
for four years I was fortunate enough to survey much
of the Mekong Basin and participate in 14 whitewater
first descents on sections of the Mekong main stream
and major tributaries. During this time I have developed
a great deal of respect for the river's environments
and its peoples and feel that the world should come
to know more about the incredible treasures that lie
within this valley.
Few regions on earth can compare with the Mekong
basin in terms of cultural and natural diversity, yet
this fact is rarely acknowledged. The Mekong flows
North to South for over 3,000 miles, passing by dozens
of different ecological biomes from the Polar Desert
of the Tibetan Plateau through Pine forest, Tropical
Evergreen Rainforest to the marshes and mangroves
of the Delta. The Mekong Basin has a biodiversity
as rich as the Amazon’s. the river system
boasts an estimated 1,300 different species of fish.
Mega Fauna include endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins,
Crocodiles, Snow Leopards, Clouded Leopards, Tigers,
Sun Bear and Asian Elephant.
The basin is home to over 95 different ethnic groups
and over 60 million people, approximately 80% of whom
rely on the river system directly for their food and
incomes. Many of these cultures life remains much
as it did in centuries past. Every community, each
with its own fascinating culture, is intimately tied
to the natural rhythms of the river system and cycles
within its ecology.
The primary goal of the expedition (Besides enjoying
1,800 kilometers of funky whitewater) is to create
greater global awareness and respect for the natural
and cultural heritage of the Mekong valley, undeniably
one of the greatest and most diverse river valleys
on earth. Regular updates will be posted on
WetDawg as the expedition proceeds.
» Back to Mekong Index Page
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