Third country of our world trip, Laos suggests a month of discovery at a fairly relaxed pace (we ran until then, you didn’t notice…). All feedbacks we had on this country are flattering, and we look forward to verify them. Our first stop is chosen quite simply; the constellation of peaceful islands dotting the Mekong on the Cambodian border, Si Pan Don or literally “4000 Islands” in Lao.
Uniforms and humanitaria
But before settling in the paradise of the laziness, a new border must be crossed by bus and a some extra dollars left on each side. Ben tried to put the notes in the Red Cross box available, but it seems that people in uniforms handle it themselves at the end of the day. Or they empty it to buy beer. It’s a little fuzzy for us (sarcasm). We think that their salary is sadly low anyway and without this second source of income, motivation must be hard to find. It’s our contribution to the local public service, come on, we’ve got this round!
The good side of this slight robbery is the people we meet. We quickly identify teasing fellows like us and start to chat. Extortion brings us together maybe. A Swiss couple shares our point of view, Marion and Patrick. Like us, they plan to spend a few days on the island of Don Khone to recharge the batteries.
Don Khone, the real life
The acclimatization looks pretty simple. Our motorized canoe winds between fishermen on the Mekong at sunset. It is a treat and a relief after the ten hours of bus that we have had to get there. Our guesthouse is overhanged above the water and a hammock is dedicated to us. No doubt, we will be pleased here.
Activities are limited, we quickly bump into the chocolate couple (you got it?) and discover our similarities, such as having an aperitif on the terrace of our bungalow, overlooking the Mekong in front of the sunset. Some passions are easier to share. We spend the next four days on this island with of our new friends alternating nap in the hammock of the bungalow, digestive nap at the restaurant, nap at the beach, nocturnal nap (it lasts about 10 hours and is a derivative of what we have in Europe except that it is on the Mekong).
Of course we never forget our three daily meals that allow us to enjoy the cuisine we missed. Because yes, immense relief, after Cambodian soups of chicken’s bones, typical Thai dishes are back. We quickly find our canteen, where we are offered a small glass of Lao Lao (rice alcohol 30 ° roughly) by the father. Here the mother manages the business and the kitchen, while the husband, in the best case scenario, serves the liqueur. Children help with the service by mixing every orders, but that’s part of the local charm. They always smile and are happy to present us huge plates of noodles, rice or curry (hence the digestive nap). The nominal position to eat is the Roman one, lying on matresses around the table. It’s not really easy to get up straight after… Once we succeeded to do something and went to see a waterfall! Fortunately, there was everything needed to take a nap on the spot, phew!
After these four days well deserved (a worldtrip, it’s not a holiday you know!), it’s time to go a little further north. Lucie and Gary, the French couple we met in northern Thailand, are waiting for us in Pakse. We will hit the road all six (we became inseparable with the Toblerone family) to discover the waterfalls of the region.
The Bolovens plateau ©
So here we are, ready to leave for three days on a scooter to discover this touristic loop apparently. What? Huh? Did you read “scooter”? But? And Audrey? She stayed in Pakse sipping mojitos duing happy hour on the rooftops of the city isn’t it? Well no, believe me or not, after more than ten days without two motorized wheels, her body began to beg for a ride (re-sarcasm)! Fortunately no more dirt roads! But roads under construction for tens of kilometers! Rather than working in sections, they decided to do a 50-km section at one time! So we ate a lot of dust on gravel roads or freshly packed bitumen (we even found ourselves rolling behind the steamroller).
Despite the somewhat upset signs, we still managed to find two beautiful waterfalls, Tad Champy and Tad Yuang. The first offering a peaceful pool to splash around and the second a fall of fifty meters high under which we were able to cool off quite amazed. An unbelievable feeling to stand under water spray of such power.
Our journey will also lead us to meet local farmers, particularly coffee producer. Mr Hook introduced us his village of 270 souls from a minority (the country has more than a hundred of them) and talked us about coffee in a perfect English for several hours. Incredible for a man no longer allowed to leave his village after a triple adultery; the last one having been discovered by his shaman after the test of the “knife planted in rice”. He told us he had tried to hide the mischief that took place during a “business trip” in Vietnam, but the knife that stayed straight in the smoking rice when it should have faillen, it does not lie! Caught up by the village patrol Captain Hook (as the tourists call him). Apart from this anecdote, our exchanges with him were very rich and incredible sincere. His lucidity about the cultural gap between his ancestors and the new generation has blown us away. Little by little, young people travel within the country, meet people and open their village to modernity. The main risk is of course the disappearance of the traditions, even if some of them seem from another time. At the time of our arrival, a six members’ family lived in the forest for three years ,and for another two years remaining, after the accidental death of one of their members. Their setting apart is total and aims to find harmony with the spirits. The village being animist, spirits are present in everything and a bad dream on a full moon night forces parents to wait another year before naming their baby. The rules have been identical for generations and still respected today, in a sense quite remarkable.
We will finally learn that the name of the plateau on which we are strolling has no real meaning except to say that it shelters a multitude of minorities (under the name of Lovens). It is therefore a © commercial name for us Westerners. The area is normally named Paksong, the major local town.
Back in Pakse it’s time to leave our companions. Lucie and Gary going to the 4000 islands and Marion and Patrick to discover the pearl of the north, Luang Prabang. As far as we are concerned, we are going up a little bit to do our third scooter loop (I swear, Audrey insists)!
The famous Thakhek loop
After a somehow strange bus ride (11 hours and 30 minutes to drive 330km without even breaking down), we arrived at Thakhek after dark. This city bordering the Mekong is the starting point of a scooter ride quite known in the country. Luckily the road has been redone almost completely in the recent years and it is no longer the ordeal that some have experienced in the past.
Here we are on a new bike (more or less the same model but in much better condition than the previous ones). There is a complete change of scenery compared to southern Laos. This time we are surrounded by karstic mountains all along the road and it is not to displease us! They really have the effect of termite mounds rising from the plains. And it is no longer waterfalls that are to be seen but caves and underground rivers.
The first one we discover is Tham Sa Pha In which presents a very vast room overlooking a lake. A wide opening at the other end of the cave lets in the light and creates a magical reflection on the water.
On the advice of our friends Lucie and Gary, we stop in the small village of Ban Thathot for a picnic. It is Saturday, and here the weekend is synonymous with village party. The lake where the children play is accompagnied by the techno music on which adults are dancing slightly drunk on the village main square. It’s quite unusual and we enjoy it. We spend a good part of the afternoon here and Ben is invited by the children to discover a huge cave hidden and not mentioned in any maps. The tourists never stop usually and the kids are really happy to get a new friend! Ben will have to hug Buddha’s arm to make sure his fingers touch each other. If it touches, it means you’re a man (it touched a little, but it touched)! The children are very respectful, both of Buddha but also of rock carved by time. They are carefully always walking in the same spots not to damage the stalactites and other rock formations. There is even a face engraved in the limestone rock dating from several generations. Everyone communes with themselves when passing by and is careful not to touch it. It’s really great to get a privileged guided tour with a dozen little boys.
The road then takes us to Ban Thalang, a stopover village located in the middle of a flooded area after the construction of a hydroelectric dam downstream. The woods covering the rolling plains have been redesigned, with the lowest areas now immersed and scattered with dead trees. We snake in this decor at the same time lugubrious and peaceful. The horizon is getting closer and the karst mountains are slowly getting closer. Audrey finds her new passion again, hills and hairpin turns (the wait was getting long). The viewpoints are superb and it’s a real treat! Cultivated plains separated by canals, villages sprinkled here and there, random rocky peaks, Buddha statues by the roadside. We just love it!
We finish this second Lao loop in Kong Lor, a small hamlet giving access to the cave of the same name. The village is nice and the people welcoming. Finally, it’s mitigated … On one hand we have been offered a beer and a dance on one birthday, on the other Ben is kindly refused to play football by the children. The secondary school’s old memories are surfacing, when he was always last in the team at recess (we managed to drag a tear out of you there, right?). The sadness is short-lived because the highlight is the visit of the cave. 7.5km with a head light in motored canoe. It’s impressive! A tunnel about fifteen meters wide shaped by nature and crossing the mountain from one end to the other. The sensation is striking and despite the silence of our pilot (the language barrier is sometimes complicated to cross for the locals), we are amazed both the outward and return.
Full of memories, we are back in Thakhek to take the bus to Luang Prabang. We expect a nice 700km trip with a change in Vientiane. But that’s for the next article!
See you soon,
Audrey & Ben
Que dire de nouveau si ce n’est que c’est fabuleux et dingue ce que vous vivez!
Vos commentaires pleins « d’ironie » et d’anecdotes, sont un ensoleillement pour nos soirées d’hiver. Hiver qui n’en fini plus ici!!! Eh oui, vous l’aurez compris, il nous tarde vraiment le printemps!
En attendant bonne continuation et gros gros bisous mes petits poulets voyageurs!
Maria, maman, on a faillit pleurer à la lecture de ce message. Ce qui est bien avec l’hiver c’est qu’il finit toujours. En attendant, prépare toi pour nos photos d’îles paradisiaques, elles arrivent d’ici quelques mois…