Pakse to Vientiane- catching up with old acquanitances and making new ones, tropical waterfalls and thick-as-mud coffee, and moving on

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Our last morning in Champasak, we lazed around by the river, and managed to research our upcoming travels, before our boat came. Surprisingly, it was only the tow of us, but they neither tried to charge us extra or persuade us that it was not going. We simply sat there, on a large, lovely boat (with actual wicker chairs!) and watched the scenery. The trip was just over two hours, and we were in Pakse before dark. Now that is a day's travelling we could get used to...

We were originaly going to be in Pakse between Xmas and New Year's, so we had booked a place to stay when everything was full, and ended up with the scraps. We had, however, changed our dates since, so we ended up with the scraps when everything else was available (we had already paid for the room...).

Well, it was clear we were desperate at the time of booking. We walked 3km to get there (there was not a tuk-tuk in sight) and when we got there realized that we were living in communist headquarters for all practical reasons. No English was spoken, there was no help to be had, the beds were possibly made of concrete and a gigantic photograph of the communist party in its entirety hung behind the front desk. SIgns in English were plentiful and tempting (motorbike for rent, bus tickets), but were empty promises and were posted there by jokesters for all the staff seemed to know. We hiked back into town and immediately rented a motorbike for the rest of our stay.

We ran into the older Swedish couple, who were always equal parts bubbly, charming and surprisingly daring, and headed off to a yummy dinner of Lao food, after which we were once agin feeling great.

The next day (after the most depressing breakfast of all time, we urge you, never stay at the Paythavone Hotel in Pakse), we drove towards Pakxong, on the Bolaven Plateau, hoping to see some similar scenery to what we had seen in Vietnam's central highlands, and hopefully drink some tar-like coffee brewed in the traditional style.

We stopped to explore Tad Fane waterfalls on the way (which is accessed through Tad Fan Resort), and after hiking every which way to try and get a better view, resigned ourselves and had some lunch, and gladly, some delicious coffee. A groupd from Seattle who was on a trip around the plateau joined us for both hiking and lunch, and we all ended up going accross the road to the Tad Champee waterfall, which was breathtaking. There was a little bamboo footbridge, the water cascaded down from a shelf, and a barge had been made which could be dragged to right under the falling water. Being upin the mountains, the water was icy, but we had to prove our Norwegian hardiness and went for a swim. It was a little bit of paradise. Refreshed and happy and having made some new friends, we headed towards Pakse again, stopping along the way to buy a delicious coconut. As the sun was setting, we hiked up to the big Buddha accross the river from Pakse, and watched the sun set over the Mekhong. I ran accross the bridge back into town, and Oyvind drove alongside me (sometimes yelling encouragemet, sometimes straight out heckling), and I even raced the local boys (they were wearing converse so I don't take my victory seriously).

Our final day in Pakse was spent hanging out, catching up, and curiously anticipating the night bus that was to take us to Vientiane. There is no day bus on that route (only the local, taking double as long and with no AC), and we didn't ant to pay double to get two beds. We lay head-to-feet, and it was snug and a bit bumpy, but we both got some sleep and it was not as bad as we thought, though neither of us is dying to repeat the experience.

Settled in Vientiane after watching the city wake to life from our tuk-tuk, we spent the day in a zombie daze, meandering, drinking bubble tea while strolling along the river, eating at cheap and delicious barbeque shacks on Francois Ngin and not really doing anything of note before getting up early for our next bus adventure to Luang Prabang.

- cheapest/best bbble tea in Vientiane: stall facing the river on Th Fa Ngum, to the right if coming from Francois Ngin - 10,000 kip for a huge cup! And they even put less sugar in it if you ask...

- wheer to run in Vientiane: along the Mekhong

- nice place to hang out, like an outdoor food court (though overpriced): Nam Phu

- surprising fact about Vientiane : mosquitoes!!! everywhere!!!

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Photos

Time to chime
Two monks overlooking Pakse and getting ready to hit the big drum

Crowded
Even though its cheap for us to take a boat on the Mekong, others feel like sharing the cost

Home production
This is the real black gold. You can rant all you want about european coffee, but honestly, its just murky water compared to the coffee in Laos and Vietnam

Tad Champee waterfall
This was a true oasis. A beautifull place with almost no people and a chance for a refreshing swim

Home from work
When the day is done, jump on the first tuk tuk, fill it up and hope it will stop close to your house

Drying coffee
Just like we saw in Vietnam, every bit of land is being used to dry coffee when its been harvested

House with a garden and river view
and the garden will be flooded every year - guaranteed. No matter what, it is beautiful

Monks in transit
somehow we hit the big "transport a monk" day in Pakse

well signed
The way down to Tad Champee waterfall

Tad Fane waterfalls
not very spectacular during the dry season, but still a big drop

Our first sleeper bus
it sure had the looks, but the space... not so much

Comments

[mom]

good to have you back!
what was in the most depressing breakfast of all time???