Sunset on the Mekong River

I had never seen a 180 degree sunset until last night. Each evening, huge thunderstorms roll into Kratie and I say to myself “There goes the sunset” but somehow, a little light always manages to sneak through — much to my delight.

This evening was no different — we had just been drenched by a massive, lightning-filled downpour and thick clouds filled the sky. After the rain stopped, I pulled up a chair at my favorite spot on the river and dug into a good book, thinking I’d just read until the light died. Khmers love to hang out here and chat, buying snacks and drinks from any of a dozen carts lining the sidewalk.

So, like others, this sunset snuck up on me. It stretched across the entire horizon, with the setting sun in the middle and fiery outcroppings to the sides. It lasted an hour or more, fading slowly from the right. I didn’t have a tripod, but managed to take seven photos handheld and stitched them together into a single image. It sorta-kinda-almost captures the moment. [click on the image for full-size]

Pro tip: if you buy a drink from a cart lady, make sure to sit in her plastic chair, and not the competition’s — I created a bit of scene the day before, by accidentally sitting in a blue chair and not the appropriate red one. The cart lady next door came unglued, wagging her finger, dumping my backpack from the chair next to me, and shouting at the poor vendor. I was the only customer — all of the other chairs sat vacant for the rest of the evening.

Tagged as: mekong, photos, sunset