Blogs from South, Laos, Asia - page 74

Comme il n'y a qu'un vol direct par semaine de Pakse à Siem Reap (le mercredi), nous devons retourner à Vientiane, puis attendre le vol sur Bangkok, puis un autre de là à Siem Reap. Nous en profitons pour visiter le Musée national du Laos, au centre-ville de Vientiane, qui retrace l'histoire du pays, de la protohistoire, en passant par les divers rois, jusqu'à l'ère communiste. Le musée renferme également une belle section sur les différentes ethnies linguistiques du pays. Nous prenons l'avion pour Bangkok. À l'arrivée, une représentante de la compagnie Bangkok Airways vient nous cueillir à notre descente d'avion et nous amène dans une navette, puis à travers des couloirs, ce qui nous évite la douane et nous permet d'arriver à temps pour la correspondance vers Siem Reap. Quel service! Nous sommes accueillis au ... read more

Another fortifying breakfast before heading back across the Mekomg for the last time, in Laos at least. We are heading off to the Bolean Plateau to the coffee/tea growing area. The first stop is for a 2 hour elephant ride up to the ruins of an old temple and fortifications. All that remains of the fortress are columns consisting of flat stones sitting on a bed of lava rocks. The creaking of the wicker saddle we sit in sways t6o the lumbering gait of the elephant. The driver sits on the neck of the beast and directs it by grunts and pressure behind the ears with his toes. It is a hot dusty day and the elephant cools herself by blowing snot/water from her trunk. When an elephant has a runny nose, it really drips. The ... read more

An early buffet breakfast at the hotel. A nice selection and uncrowded as we got there before the Thai group. Bagettes could be toasted over an electric grill . The first toast in a week. Back across the river at 8 am for the drive downstream towards the Cambodia border. Another boat trip back across the Mekong to a small village where we start our kayaking. Our watercraft turned out to be inflatable rubber boats with kayak paddles. We had to get out to portage around Liphi Waterfalls. Here the river narrows to a rocky gorge. At the bottom of the falls is a class 3 rapid about 300 metres long. Our boats are lowered into the churning water and we are pushed out into the churning current. We watched some other people navigate the rapids ... read more

Up at 03h30 to pack and be at the airport for 5 for our flight to Pakse. Air Lao plane is full, mostly tourists. At Pakse, we are met by our local guide and driver in a nine seat Kia van. A little overboard, methinks. We haven't that much luggage. Nonetheless, it is quiet and comfortable over the potholes. We take a car ferry, pushed across the Mekong by a black smoke belching metal hulled boat. We then head south along route 13 to our lodgings on Khong Island. At Champasak, we again cross the Mekong to visit Wat Phou. This temple complex was built between the 6th and 8th century, before Ankor Wat. Originally a Hindu temple, it was transformed to a Buddist temple by a later king. The ruins of temples, shrines and a ... read more

Various pictures to share ... ... read more