Sunset on the banks of the mighty Mekong River, Laos

Location: Mekong River, Luang Prabang, Laos (19°53′N 102°08′E)
Date: 2 November 2004; 6.05pm
Camera: Canon 300D with kit lens

I have a certain fascination with the mighty rivers. Whenever I visit a country where a trans-national great river flows through, I will make it a point to see the river, be it in Africa or Asia. Maybe it is the importance that I learnt of rivers/water’s role played in civilisation and development of nation and humanity. Perhaps it is just the satisfaction of able to see different stages of the same river in different settings, environments and countries. For example, I saw Lancang Jiang in Tibet and Yunnan of China and also its manifestation as Mekong River in Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Similarly I went to the source of the Indus River in Tibet and travel along its course on parts of the Karakorum Highway in Pakistan. I saw Yarlung Tsangpo Jiang in many parts of Tibet but will love to see it emerge as the Brahmaputra River in India and Bangladesh- one day. The Yangtse River flows only within China but it changes directions and characters, not to mention its name many times while it courses through China before dumping its water into the South China Sea. It is hard to imagine that any of these mighty rivers may disappear soon due to global warming when one is looking at its might and majesty, but the sciences are telling us just that. So make sure you take another good look at the great rivers the next time you are on their banks because they may not be there or the same when you next revisit the same spot.