The cavernous caves of the Phu Hin Bun

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Arrived just as the bus was about to leave the station in Pakse after a long tuk tuk ride to the station. The attendants came running and grabbed our packs which they then tossed through the back window. Note to self, do not buy any fragile items when travelling on Lao buses! Getting on the bus last we were left with only the back seat as everyone was sitting in their own seats with their bags firmly on the free seats beside them, icy stares and no inkling to let us share! Back of the bus it was! Now, sitting in the back has its own rewards - extra bumps along the whole way just like a carnival ride for free; you are close to your packs which are actually falling down behind your seat preventing you from reclining and these are only the perks at first blush! Fortunately while it was cooking, we had windows that opened and were off. The smell of monkey balm - a distance cousin to Tiger balm - permeated our pores as the locals smothered themselves in it to prevent motion sickness - not a particularly good sign, but there was no turning back! Onward and northward we went, the small towns passing slowly as we averaged about 50km in 1 1/2 hours! After the first few minutes, a local woman, feeling particularly ill came and sat beside me looking extremely green. She inhaled more monkey balm, and then gazed with desperation out the window, watching the ever shifting horizon! She continued to spread into my area, now sitting cross legged on the seat and I was keeping my fingers crossed that she would not start retching, but fortunately all I was treated to was some random spitting which caused me to pick up my bag and sit with it on my lap for the remainder of the journey! Later upon feeling better she ate a good quantity of eggs which she peeled into the floor and left all kinds of debris behind! Another note to self: arrive early for the bus to procure a seat upfront and never put your bags on the floor!

The hours slipped by punctuated by occasional stops for food when the bus was mobbed by locals who quickly ran through the aisles with some kind of animal, flattened on a stick, eggs, and other non-identifiable objects. We stuck with our water which we sipped sparingly since there were no bathroom breaks! Finally, mercifully, hot and sticky, we pulled into Savannakhet and began our search for a hotel with some other travellers. At the first hotel we struck out as they were full, second one wasn't looking too good either, but we were finally third time lucky and took the monkey of our packs off our back!

After a lunch of sushi in a cute little Japanese restaurant where I felt at home, we wandered the town's quiet streets, through the old architecture, crumbling, but charming. The heat set a languid pace and everyone seemed affected by it. It was an extremely chilled out place where the locals were somewhat more friendly. Strolling on one of the streets, two small children crossed to us, just to shake our hands and say hello! Along the Mekong, we watched as the local Petang league was full on into their evening's game with their score board keeping tally. Spectators quaffed Beer Lao as the players stuck to water and soft drinks to keep themselves focussed! Nearby, the monks were beginning to leave the temple, but anxious to practice English with us when we walked through the grounds. In another backstreet, a man with his family invited us to sit down while he spoke French with me, an obvious pleasure for him as he said that he rarely had a chance to use it anymore.

The next morning, a chance encounter in an internet cafe resulted in a birthday breakfast for Kurt with a lovely couple from Caraquet, New Brunswick. In true Maritime hospitality they generously bought our breakfast for us once again showing that Maritimers are the same at home or away! We were sorry to say goodbye to them with their joie de vivre, but we were on the move and there were more local buses to conquer!

This time it turned out to be a mini van and we were smart enough to know to get our own single seats so we could stretch out into the aisle. Little water was consumed in the morning to save our bladders and we were on our way north to Tha Khaek. Being dry season, the landscape was brown and uninspiring and not a smile could we get from our fellow passengers. The hours blurred, but finally we were dumped off in Tha Khaek bus station which was, as usual, far from the centre, necessitating a negotiation with the tuk tuk driver and never knowing if we are getting ripped off or getting a fair price!

The purpose of going to Tha Khaek had always been to go trekking so we headed to the local office and sussed out our options of which there were many! Finally made a selection with the hope of another traveller for company and we were set. Back at the hotel we separated our things into essentials for trekking and that which would stay behind with the intention of having as light a pack as possible!
After that we celebrated Kurt's 40th in style at the swish Inthira Hotel over a cheeseburger and then some decadent chocolate mousse and flan complete with candles while some little girls nearby were entralled!

In the morning we set off in a tuk tuk with company, our guide, Lucky and Virginie from Belgium who would be trekking with us. By the time we started trekking it was already smoking hot, but fortunately the trek that wound through the Phu Hin Bun National Protected Area was mostly in the bamboo forest or in these wonderous caves. The areas karst topography of limestone mountains was stunning and the 12K passed quickly as the guide stopped often to point out medicinal plants and trees. The sound of the cicadas was deafening as we made our way through the forest to a cleaning for a bbq fish lunch which was delicious except for the swarms of mossies and flies!Nearby the water buffalo grazed and kept themselves cool in the shallow streams.

The highlight of our day was the trek through several caves which not only were cool and sheltered us from the heat, but amazing in their scale. The first one had 4 chambers so we twisted and turned, ducking at times while our short Lao guides just kept walking at their normal height. The cave seemed to go on forever. The second one was more of an open concept cave where you could see all the way through and we crossed water and walked on a sandy beach to get to the other side so we could cross through it. Our voices echoed and we walked in awe at the natural wonder that had been created and not another tourist was in sight.

We finally arrived at the village where we would be staying for the night. The setting was stunning with the limestone mountains hugging its outer core and on the other side, fields of tobacco crops with their flowers all in bloom and neat fences to keep the animals out. The village was very well kept with its wooden houses and neatly chopped firewood. We climbed up the steep stairs to the community guesthouse - our home away from home for the night - and collapsed into the pillows on the deck. The trees hung heavy with jackfruit, piglets ran squealing across the grounds and cows mooed. After we had gained some energy we went off to play with the children who were quite interested in our pictures of Canada and in playing with our jewelry.

Our dinner was served to us outside on a round bamboo circular elevated tray and was communal. We dug in and tried to eat what we could, but there was too much so when we finished, the community members took our dishes, and our leftovers and began to eat right out of our bowls, cleaning everything including the fish heads and bones. Clearly in their culture, nothing is wasted, while in ours ...

As is customary, they welcomed us with a ceremony where they chanted and had a banana leaf wrapped with flowers and string. The string was tied around each of our wrists by a different person as they wished us good health, and a long life. After we had been blessed, we then got to choose one community member each and to give them our good wishes and tie a string around their wrists as well. It was lovely, but we are now wondering just how long we have to wear our strings!

Virginie, Kurt and I went to sleep under mosquito nets with huge holes and a thin mattress on the smooth wooden floor which was more comfortable than our bed the night before. As it was cooler in the mountains, we slept quite well except for the 3:30am rooster's cry!

The next day we trekked 14K mostly through bamboo forest where the bamboo grew sideways rather than tall to reach the sky. The path was up and down and the pace was quick, but we were motivated to get it done. Our reward after lunch was a swim in the phenomenally beautiful Khoun Kong Leng aka the Blue Lagoon. It was so blue and clear that it seemed like a mirage, but it wasn't. The only thing that spoiled it was the leering locals who stared at Viriginie and I even though I wore my skirt and shirt!

Our trip back was long down the worst potted roads, barely passable in the dry season and absolutely a no-go in the wet season. After that we had a last sting in the tail with steep walking for about 3k and then a 30K tuk tuk ride on the national highway while trucks wizzed by us at brake neck speeds! As a reward for our dusty, sweaty bodies, we booked ourselves into the luxurious Inthira hotel which turned out to only cost us $20, much cheaper than their other locations. Virginie who turned out to be great company, joined us for dinner as we discussed travel plans and options. The night passed quickly as we were tired, but happy.

We had made a decision that while we could continue north to Vientiane, we weren't loving Laos and wandering along the riverfront, the shocking difference of Thailand beckoning us with its highrises and luxury just a 10 minute ferry ride across the Mekong away, we decided to make a break for it and cross the Mekong to Thailand and let our real vacation begin!

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