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We spend a night at the transit hub of Pakse, catching up on emails and restoring our cash supplies before catching the bus to Tadlo on the Bolaven Plateau. This fertile highland of forests and plantations rises 1500mtr above the Mekong valley and Tadlo is a small village built on the banks of the Seset river surrounded by waterfalls. The ancient bus is almost falling apart, I'm sitting above the groaning gearbox which almost seizes up on every steep stretch, before finally giving up on one monster hill. They get it fixed quickly and soon the au natrelle aircon is working again (ie. air coming through window of moving bus) phew! The bus is crammed full...every seat taken and people also perched on the sacks of rice that are stacked in every available space. Tourism is young enough in South Laos for us to still be an amusing novelty, and everyone is staring, but in a good way 😊 Big smiles and a few words of Laos quickly win our acceptance on the hot bumpy journey up into their rural homeland.
The main draw for tourists to the area are the waterfalls at Tadlo, but on the first day, although
we can hear them, we never quite make it to see them. Starving after a bus journey that took twice as long as expected, we quickly check into a bamboo hut and go into the small, dusty village for lunch. A ManUtd shirt catches Ritch's attention and he asks the wearer if he knows the results of the latest Champions League draw. We end up joining tables with Brad and his girlfriend Heidi, a couple of Brits who have also decided to take it slow in Laos...they've been in this small village for a week so far, which bodes well. Lunch turns into a few afternoon beers, which takes us through to more evening beers and dinner before we know it.
Our drunky plans to meet in the morning for a hike are shelved when we wake to a huge thunderstorm. It's really needed; the heat has been building for days and the humidity was becoming oppressive. Some of the loudest thunder I've ever heard rolls and cracks right on top of us and as the lightening forks around us, we worry about our corrugated metal roof! When the rain finally stops we're gifted with a much cooler day
(though still over 30 degrees) and we head out to the falls. I thought they'd be a bit of a hike away and laugh when I realise that all we have to do is walk out our hut, turn right et voila!
I instantly understand why Brad and Heidi have been here so long...the falls are lovely. After having seen Iguazu we'd been underwhelmed by any waterfalls we'd seen since (such spolit brats!), but Tadlo, although not in the same league as Iguazu, is really beautiful. About 10mtr high, but broad and multi-layered, it's like The Land That Time Forgot; naked village kids run around, playing in their natural water park, launching themselves down water slides carved into the rocks and splashing around in swimming holes, while their mothers wash laundry nearby.
We jump all over the rocks, exploring the falls and find ourselves sharing a swimming hole with our first elephant! Laos used to be known as Lan Xang, or Land of a Million Elephants, and I'm so chuffed that we've stumbled across one so soon. He's a working elephant from the upscale Tadlo Lodge, and he looks so happy and peaceful on his break as he
bathes in the cool river.
Like Don Det, days here pass languidly but before we know it, we've been here a week. What the places also have in common, is that they're not tourist ghettos that only exist for travellers. Here we are guests in the village and life continues around us. It's an easy place to be...going for walks and swims, exploring the forest and the 3 waterfalls, and for Ritch, some jumping off ridiculously high ledges into rocky pools! This area is home to many Mon-Khmer ethnic tribes, who're virtually self governed. We visit the villages of Alak and Katu people, through the huge communal vegetable gardens into the palm and thatch homesteads, on a day trek with the man who runs our huts. He was born here and explains that almost everyone from his generation still lives in Tadlo village; it's quite lovely when you think about how they all grew up together. When I look at the marauding gangs of ridiculously cute children who follow us everywhere, I wonder if the cities will begin to draw them away or if they will continue the cycle of life here.
The large veranda of our hut
soon becomes 'the' new hangout for the kids, who at first watch us falang (foreigners) curiously, but their shyness soon disappears and before we know it we have a constant stream of visitors. Gangs of cheeky little boys, all with catapults in their waistbands, proudly show off their catch...producing dead lizards from pockets and live birds from biscuit boxes. Sugar and spice girls giggle as they perform their latest song and dance routines, delighted to have a new audience, as their passing parents smile appreciatively at our patience. Ritch unwittingly starts a new craze when he draws Homer Simpson on one little boy's arm; the next day every boy in the village is queuing for a tattoo. The little boys tirelessly tease the girls, no doubt over which one the poor things will end up married to! These kids have so little material stuff and so many responsibilities; looking after their younger siblings and helping their parents in the fields or on their boats. But they carry such a carefree air as they play in their outdoor kingdom, and when we visit the local junior school they are so bright and attentive, even in classes of over 50 kids to
one teacher.
The pace of life in Laos is relaxed in the extreme, and we have no problem fitting in. The quickest thing we do is make the decision to extend our visa and take our time. This is a place to be savoured at lesiure, and after 7 months, 9 countries and countless bus and air miles, it's a pleasure to slow it down in this lovely, friendly country.
(NOTE: I lost my photos of Tadlo, thankfully friends along the way have shared these 😊 I have also been able to add some more pics to the Don Det blog.)
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