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Lao People's Democratic Republic/Don Không Round the world trip 2008
1-12-08
We are back in a land of mirrors: Laos motor bikes sport rearview mirrors. There is little or no honking of horns and the children don’t shout their “Hellos” nor do they ask “what is your name?” Someone told us that the Laotian people were laid back. Yes, they are in their own way. They will respond; they are helpful if asked but do not approach us as did the Cambodians. Yet Bici still draws a crowd to touch and point at his workings.
No troubles crossing the border except the road is under construction and the old trail is a terrible mess. No charge leaving Cambodia but there is a $1US stamp fee on our pre-purchased $40 visa procured in Phenom Phen to enter Laos. The road in Laos is smooth and sealed, side roads are dirt and gravel. Soon after entering we left the main road for the 4,000 Island area in the Mekong. We loaded Bici onto a taxi/ferry ($10US) to take us to the island of Don Khon, where we found a guest house with a room in an old French cottage, Sala Don Khone, for the princely and expensive sum of $25US, including electricity from 5pm to 10pm for hot water and fan. We looked at another place that looked much better south of the railroad bridge for $10US: ensuite bungalow on the river with fan called the Seng Ahloune Restaurant and Guesthouse. We weren’t planning on staying long enough to warrant a move.
Dinner on the porch of our guest house restaurant at sunset took our breath away: a red ball of fire setting behind a mountain with reflections on the narrow channel of the Mekong with local fishermen flinging their nets. It reminded me of the sunset ending each episode on the TV program China Beach. The two nights were quiet, filled with gin rummy, reading and listening to the Ipod.
Morning we awoke to swing open our shutters in the bath only to find just outside a mother water buffalo and newborn calf grazing happily in the warm sunrise. Later, we took off on Bici to explore the two islands of Don Kong and Don Det. All combined, we got in about 20km of dirt track, passing farms, villages, rice fields, now dry and brown with water buffalo finishing off the last stubble. These two islands are located in the middle of a vast fourteen kilometer wide expanse of islands in the Mekong River. Just down stream from our room there are hundreds of falls and rapids exploding through narrow clefts and chutes. It in not easy to miss the noise and power of the mighty Mekong.
Irrawaddy dolphins can be spotted in a few remaining small pods of four to six animals just below this area of cataracts and falls. We decided not to disturb them, but tour on the bike instead. The island of Don Det is the smaller one, yet has the most development of the two islands. On the north end along the perimeter trail are found all the back packer bungalows and support services. Lots of beds to choose from. There even is internet access so we stopped to check our email and thank Judee's son Phil and his wife Tricia for sending us money via Western Union!
Tonight finds us on another island, Don Khong, in the 4,000 island area. Our guest house is the Villa Kang Khong with cold water and fan for $7US. The exchange rate now is about 9,000Kip for $1US. Not too long ago it was 10,000K to $1US. Art’s butt is still rather raw so short days in the saddle are good for now as is the baby goop he is administering daily to his saddle sores. After a day or two of internetting, reading and staying off the bike, we will ride on to Champask about 100kms north of here.
January 19 Lao People's Democratic >
We are back in a land of mirrors: Laos motor bikes sport rearview mirrors. There is little or no honking of horns and the children don’t shout their “Hellos” nor do they ask “what is your name?” Someone told us that the Laotian people were laid back. Yes, they are in their own way. They will respond; they are helpful if asked but do not approach us as did the Cambodians. Yet Bici still draws a crowd to touch and point at his workings.
No troubles crossing the border except the road is under construction and the old trail is a terrible mess. No charge leaving Cambodia but there is a $1US stamp fee on our pre-purchased $40 visa procured in Phenom Phen to enter Laos. The road in Laos is smooth and sealed, side roads are dirt and gravel. Soon after entering we left the main road for the 4,000 Island area in the Mekong. We loaded Bici onto a taxi/ferry ($10US) to take us to the island of Don Khon, where we found a guest house with a room in an old French cottage, Sala Don Khone, for the princely and expensive sum of $25US, including electricity from 5pm to 10pm for hot water and fan. We looked at another place that looked much better south of the railroad bridge for $10US: ensuite bungalow on the river with fan called the Seng Ahloune Restaurant and Guesthouse. We weren’t planning on staying long enough to warrant a move.
Dinner on the porch of our guest house restaurant at sunset took our breath away: a red ball of fire setting behind a mountain with reflections on the narrow channel of the Mekong with local fishermen flinging their nets. It reminded me of the sunset ending each episode on the TV program China Beach. The two nights were quiet, filled with gin rummy, reading and listening to the Ipod.
Morning we awoke to swing open our shutters in the bath only to find just outside a mother water buffalo and newborn calf grazing happily in the warm sunrise. Later, we took off on Bici to explore the two islands of Don Kong and Don Det. All combined, we got in about 20km of dirt track, passing farms, villages, rice fields, now dry and brown with water buffalo finishing off the last stubble. These two islands are located in the middle of a vast fourteen kilometer wide expanse of islands in the Mekong River. Just down stream from our room there are hundreds of falls and rapids exploding through narrow clefts and chutes. It in not easy to miss the noise and power of the mighty Mekong.
Irrawaddy dolphins can be spotted in a few remaining small pods of four to six animals just below this area of cataracts and falls. We decided not to disturb them, but tour on the bike instead. The island of Don Det is the smaller one, yet has the most development of the two islands. On the north end along the perimeter trail are found all the back packer bungalows and support services. Lots of beds to choose from. There even is internet access so we stopped to check our email and thank Judee's son Phil and his wife Tricia for sending us money via Western Union!
Tonight finds us on another island, Don Khong, in the 4,000 island area. Our guest house is the Villa Kang Khong with cold water and fan for $7US. The exchange rate now is about 9,000Kip for $1US. Not too long ago it was 10,000K to $1US. Art’s butt is still rather raw so short days in the saddle are good for now as is the baby goop he is administering daily to his saddle sores. After a day or two of internetting, reading and staying off the bike, we will ride on to Champask about 100kms north of here.
