12 November 2010
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| "Sah-bah-dee!" |
We're now on the well paved tourist trail as evidenced by the loss of our rock star status. No looks of amazement on the faces of the locals, no little kids sprinting from half a mile away away with their lungs bursting “Sah-bah-dee!” The denizens of Don Khon seem quite accustomed to the pale, tank top wearing transients who share their island. This is our fourth day in the Si Phan Don (Four thousand Islands) archipelago.
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| A passenger truck |
Si Phan Don, located in the widest part of the Mekong river, is a vast collection of islets and sandbars. It's in the southern tip of Laos just north of Cambodia. Four days ago we arrived from Pakse in the back of a passenger truck (Note: A passenger truck, not bus) and took a ferry to the largest island, Don Khong. Our original intention had been to go directly to Don Khon (I guess with four thousand islands to name, it's difficult coming up with distinctive names). However, there was was some confusion on our part and we ended up at Don Khong. It was a nice, relaxed island with lots of rice farmers and not so many tourists.
A couple of days ago we took a skiff an hour south to Don Khon where the foreigner to local ratio is closer to 1:1. It's still a relaxing place to hang out. Also, a high concentration of falang is beneficial in that local restaurants are all certain to have banana pancakes on the menu.
Jean and I are staying in a wood and bamboo bungalow construction with an attached balcony overlooking the river. Across the channel is the island of Don Det, which our guide book alludes to as a party island. Allegedly tubing is a popular past time but at the end of monsoon season the Mekong is still swollen, churned up and a muddy brown. Swimming in it is akin splashing around in a drainage ditch. However, in December the Mekong turns blue/green and you can tube all the way through June. With a residence in Texas and Laos one could tube for the better part of the year.
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| "What? Another waterfall?" |
Midday is sweaty here in the islands so Jean and I have taken to early morning and evening forays. Yesterday, Jean and I rented bikes and rode out of the village in the predawn glow. We coasted along narrow sandy trails through lush rice paddy fields.
Our first stop was the old French pier. During the colonial days the French attempted building a rail line across the Don Khon connecting Cambodia and Laos. The rail has long since been removed and replaced by a gravel road. The beginnings of the bridge remain. From that vantage point I caught a glimpse of the endangered Irrawady fresh water dolphin dipping above the water.
From the pier we skirted the edge of the island finding a pristine sandy beach and taking in the two massive waterfalls that flank the Don Khon. By lunch time we had covered the breadth and width of the island.
With our visa expiration date less than a week away, and our stack of $6 bills greatly diminished, our time in Laos is nearly at a close. While, all the trekking, cycling, and waterfall chasing has been fun I mentioned to Jean today that, “I sure could go for a good museum.” Well, we'll see what Cambodia has in store.
Our first stop was the old French pier. During the colonial days the French attempted building a rail line across the Don Khon connecting Cambodia and Laos. The rail has long since been removed and replaced by a gravel road. The beginnings of the bridge remain. From that vantage point I caught a glimpse of the endangered Irrawady fresh water dolphin dipping above the water. 
With our visa expiration date less than a week away, and our stack of $6 bills greatly diminished, our time in Laos is nearly at a close. While, all the trekking, cycling, and waterfall chasing has been fun I mentioned to Jean today that, “I sure could go for a good museum.” Well, we'll see what Cambodia has in store. 
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