Don Det

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27th Jul 2006
Pakse

Hi

I'm back in Pakse, waiting to catch my flight to Vietnam tomorrow.

I spent the last two days in the Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands). This is where the Mekong river fans out to 14km wide, creating a network of channels and I guess 4000 islands. The only way to get down there is to take the local bus (3.5 hours). Well it wasn't a bus, its a sawngthaew. This is a large pickup truck with a extended bed in back roof covering the entire truck. Three wooden benches, one down either side a third bench down the centre and it had a extended tail gate.
They do not waist space at all. All luggage is put on the roof and no unoccupied bench space, not a inch. By the time we left the bus station we had 27 people in the back, 3 in the front cab and 2 standing on the tailgate. About 10km out of town we droped 1 person off, 5km later we picked up 5 more people plus the one lady had a 8ft tall tree (they put on the roof). By the end of the trip I think we had 7 or 8 more people the when we started including 3-4 sittinging in the luggage rack on the roof. I was kind of a celebrity on the bus being the only foreigner. Everyone was asking me questions (to bad they were all in Laos) and giving me food. I had a blast.

I spent one night at a guesthouse on the island of Don Khong (check out the photo of the menu). I had my usual double-double. The other night I spent on the island of Don Det. Here I spent 10000 kip ($1.00) for my bungalow right on the river. (see photo) There where two sets of rapids you could get to from this Island. They were much bigger then I expected any photos I took could not do them justice.

I spent the last couple days hanging out with a American guy and his wife. He's 40, retired. He got sick of the whole rat race, sold everything he had back in the states and is living off the interest. He has been traveling around asia for the last 3.5 years, owns a place in Thialand and another in the Philippines and is able to save more money now then he could when he was working. He got me thinking!

Hope everyone is doing well.

Cheers

Tim

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Photos

Yes Tim Horton
Check Out #5 O'CANADA

Guess What I Found in Loas (#5)
On an Island in the middle of the Mekong River. I can get my Double Double. Starbucks no where to be seen.

My view on the bus
3.5 Hour trip.

Canadian Banana Pancakes ?
In Loas this is considered a Canadian banana panckes. It was good. They had no Maple Syrup. What's up with that? Ah!

Mekong River
The View from my place on Don Khong