4,000 Years of Solace

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We loved our time on Don Det, one of the 4,000 islands near the Lao/Cambodian border. We had little electricity but lots of time. Lots of puppies, kittens, children, baby chicks, buffalo calfs- every form of life possible seemed to be hatching, scurrying across sandy bike paths (only roads on the islands), and napping in the bushes underfoot. Saw roaring rapids and melted into hammocks. Played Scrabble and read a lot of books borrowed from the island library after shaking the cockroaches off their bindings. Hopefully more soon. Check back.

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Photos

Khone Pha Pheng
or Li Phi Falls, where the Mekong surges between the narrows sandwiched between Don Det and Don Khon islands. Technically the biggest waterfall in SE Asia, but this refers to water volume, rather than vertical drop. This surge is the chief reason boating down the whole of the Mekong is very dangerous, if not impossible.

view from the bridge
between Don Det and Don Khon

Abandoned engine
In the days of French rule of Vietnam, the frogs established a railway running across the island to avoid navigating trading goods up the Mekong through the dreaded Li Phi straits. After the French left, this trade route fell out of use, but the tracks still line the island.

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Fabulous
Thank you for all of these great pix. It is just beautiful and wonderful. Snow and 20 degrees here. xx

[amy Coughlin]

Gorgeous!
I want to be there with y'all!