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Running 'Hammock' in Don Det

We retreated to the stunning Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) for a few days relaxation amongst the most beautiful scenery in Laos. Most days were spent relaxing with books in our bungalow's hammocks by the river on the 'Sunset Side' of the island.

 

   

 

With no electricity (and therefore light) after ten o'clock in the evening, our days ended (and began) early. We spent most nights watching the impressive lightning storms raging in the distance, and occasionally drinking in the nearby bar with some Swiss fellows, an Irishman and an Australian who we had met on the sleeper bus. These were the entire occupancy of our little bungalow resort.

We spent one day exploring our island and the island next to it. These were linked together by an out-of-place French railway bridge between the two.

I jest, but locals really were jumping off the bridge at sunset 

and letting the current carry them back to their homes!

 

  

 

After a long, hot day of adventuring we took a dip with some water buffalo!

After five  or six days here we were sad to leave, but a lack of organisation on our part meant a lengthy foray back to Pakse to make use of their banks and ATMs, which Don Det was sadly lacking.

Pakse held limited attractions for us, but we managed to make our own fun.

We eagerly anticipated the day and a half trip on to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

(not) Bowled over by Vientiane

With a little luck and some extremely skillful paddling, we finally made it to Vientiane, safe from the law...for now...

After setting up base by the river, we decided to explore the city with a little sight seeing:

Here we have Laos' answer to the Arc de Triomphe. Only it's smaller. And not finished.

 

 View from on top

Cultural Hall

Presidential Palace

Hooray!

After we had exhausted the numerous tourist attractions Vientiane had to offer, which included a bizarre bazaar (arf), we sought out the city's fabulously retro bowling alley:

Matt won, but I nearly got a strike once!

Then we had a few games of pool in the adjoining snooker hall. Full of smoking unemployed people, just like Rileys!

Despite our regret at leaving behind Vientiane's fantastic food and bowling thrills, we headed off on the sleeper bus for what was to be our first visit to Pakse. It was no King of Bus, but the sleeper bus was very exciting.

 

And we both had a good nights sleep.

We transferred to a bus at Pakse that was to take us off to Don Det in Four Thousand Islands.

Tubular Swells and Interesting Smells

We left a rain drenched Phonsavan and a short 6 hour bus ride we arrived in the drunk British traveller's home away from home - Vang Vieng. The bars all play re-runs of Friends or Family Guy  and we experienced (with our new chums Kim and Aubrey) a phenomenon known as tubing...

As you can tell we couldn't take our real camera into the water with us, so we took this special under-water camera to capture the spirit of the place. Essentially, the idea is to float down the Mekong on inflated inner tubes, stopping at bars along the way. Here they ply one with cheap Beer Lao and free shots of Lao Moonshine until one is suitably inebriated. The bars are all well equipped with terrifying swings and slides into the river and mud fighting/tug-o'-war type affairs. When we went the day began in sun and ended in TORRENTIAL rain! We ran into our old Pai friends David and Lisa in a bath of mud, little did we know how many times we'd run into each other!

After we had recovered from tubing we bid a sad farewell to Kim and Aubrey and decided to hire bikes to go and visit some caves 13km away (go Jenny!)

Jenny and The Beast

We arrived not a little sweatily at our destination and after a minimal amount of scary stalking by 'guides' we got to have a good wander round some pretty big caves - 3km long!  We went through deep water and crawled through some pretty tight spaces...Hardcore Cavers!

 

 

The second cave was a little more disconcerting, as our 'guide' handed us some tubes, a lethal looking battery and head lamp and sent us off into some underwater caves saying only 'Follow the rope...'

 

  

Thanks to Matt's skillful negotiations we avoided paying an exorbitant fee to our self appointed 'guide' and managed to escape with our lives to visit more caves and rivers the next day :)

After this we made a lucky escape from Vang Vieng with Matt on the run from the law...

Furtive Matt risks sneaky pic - evidence of his law breaking ways.

We feared that police dogs could track us if we left by road, so we devised alternative methods of escape:

On the run from the law. GUILTY!

 We joined forces with a group of kayakers to make our way to Vientiane. After a morning of rapids and hard paddling we stopped off at some picturesque rocks for a spot of lunch and a little bit of light 10 METRE JUMPING INTO CROCODILE INFESTED WATERS!!! Will our heroes survive to blog another chapter?..

Yum Lunch

Ok so the waters might not have been crocodile infested, but if you look closely you can just about make out someone taking the death defying plunge. Faced with the prospect of limited lunch rations, Matt and I were forced to lead the way over the edge of the cliff for fear of starving through the long, arduous journey ahead. The food was LUSH mind.

The Plain of Jars...

We travelled for seven hours to Phonsavan (with the lovely Aubrey and Kim) to visit the Plain of Jars. It rained.

Muang Ngoi - what joy!

After the hustle and bustle of Luang Prabang, we decided to head off the beaten track to Muang Ngoi via Nong Kiau. So by 'bus' and by boat we ended up an hour away up the Nam Ou from the nearest road...

 

Our chariot awaits...

  

Mmm comfy boat seats!

  

  

Muang Ngoi harbour

 

The High Street

We stayed on the river side for about a pound each in a bamboo hut with hammocks!

 

  

Yes there were ducks, but there were also effing chickens which is not that much fun at dawn when they live under your house...

So with such an alarm as nature provides, we rose and shone and set off to trek into the mountains of the area with some friendly Austrians :)

 

 Friendly Austrians Liv and Andreas.

 Nungpang the Friendly Guide and his frog

  

  

  

  

Mong Village 3

Mong Village Power Station...

  

 Bath time for Matty!

  

Here's us climbing up to another waterfall. Big Whoop. Isn't life taxing? - Waterfalls are our campaniles (this one's for Matt's dad)!

After 2 days the chickens proved too much for us and we headed back to Luang Prabang playing silly games with our bus friends!