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So after a very peaceful couple of days, I left the islands to come back to Pakse to meet up with my friend Ali. Since I was a day ahead of Ali, I decided to go off on a day trip on my own. To get anywhere in Asia, being able to drive a motorbike is a MUST! In Canada, I'd never dreamed of riding on a motorbike, let alone driving one myself. But here in SEA, I've turned in a motorbiking diva 😊
I rented a motorbike from my guesthouse from the very skeptical man at the reception desk who asked me multiple times if I had ever driven a motorbike and then made me do a test drive to show him that I could even after telling him I had rented them before! I guess he thought it was odd to see a single girl heading off on her own or he just assumed that I was useless! hahah Anyway - so off I went, driving about an hour along the only recently developed roads of Southern Laos. This time, not only did I have to keep a keen eye out for other crazy motorists, I was also
faced with the challenge of dodging livestock (goats, cows, buffalo, chickens, ducks, pigs, etc.) who for some odd reason (really, it's beyond me) stand in clumps in the middle of the road, perfectly unfazed by the traffic around them.
To get to Champasak, I also had to take a special boat taxi, just for motorbikes which was an experience in itself! Again, since there are very few tourists and even fewer single female tourists on motorbikes, the men shuttling ppl across the Mekong that I was hilarious. I also shared my boat with multiple other motorists and a goat who was VERY unhappy to be there!
Motoring on, I biked along a tiny road sandwiched between the Mekong river on one side and gorgeous rice fields backed by mountains on the other. The beauty - again - cannot be described! I arrived in one piece at my destination - Wat Phu, an ancient city and temple built between the 5th and 13th centuries. It had seen many religious changes over time and the temple has served as a Hindu as well as Buddhist site of worship. What I loved was to wander around, touching and seeing something so
old and full of history and completely unbothered. This is why I LOVE Laos. It is so quiet and peaceful. I was probably one of maybe 5 tourists visiting the site. It was gorgeous.
The next day, back in Pakse, Ali & I met up and along w/ an Australian girl and a Dutch couple and headed east to Tad Lo, a beautiful and very tiny town that is virtually undiscovered by the hoards of tourists. After a bumpy and uncomfortable ride there on public transit, we all breathed a HUGE sigh of relief as we checked into a spotless and cheap guesthouse overlooking a set of waterfalls. We were also the only tourists around!
The raison d'etre of this area for tourists are the many beautiful waterfalls that we proceeded to hike around to visit, enjoying many good swims in the fresh water. We spend three wonderfully peaceful days in Tad Lo, reading, chatting and playing with the local kids in the town. It was the absolute perfect way to end my stay in Laos! I am so so sad to leave here. The people are so generous, helpful and nice and everywhere I go in this
country, I am always somewhere stunningly beautiful. Sigh. I WILL HAVE to come back again one day!
Next up - Vietnam! Eeep!
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