Hey, everyone! I have been in Laos for the last week. The vibe is much chiller here and to be honest, I feel like spending more time relaxing than exploring. I was so on the go in both Vietnam and Cambodia, I think I certainly owe it to myself. I have been enjoying my days in Laos so far.

A few housekeeping things:

1) If you’re interested in my art, have a look at my merchandise on RedBubble!
2) If wanting to read my first novel, Eclipse Me, you can find the link here.

Kratie to Don Det/4,000 Islands

Around noon, I took the bus from Kratie to Don Det, Laos – also known as 4,000 Islands. It is an island situated on the Mekong River, surrounded by the water. The ride over was, again, long, but manageable. By the time we crossed the border, we only had another 30min of driving before arriving at the dock.

As the sun set below the horizon, a group of maybe 12 people loaded into the little, wooden boat. The boat was leaning slightly to the right until some of us repositioned ourselves. Another 10min later, we arrived at the Don Det port.

Luckily, I’d been able to get a SIM card at the border crossing. Once at Don Det, I exchanged my remaining USD for Laotian kip. I talked with the employee at the money exchange kiosk for a few minutes. He helped me how to pronounce “thank you” in Laotian and then invited me to have dinner at his restaurant next door. Because it was already dinnertime, I set down my luggage and ordered my first Laotian meal. Yum!

In the dark, I walked the 15min to my accommodation. The island was small, small, small. And slow-motion. Very quaint. I gathered that immediately. I arrived at my guesthouse – Mama Pieng’s, where she was waiting for me. She asked me my name and helped check me in. Before heading to my room, I asked, “and sorry, what was your name?” “I am Mama Pieng.” Of course you are. What a legend. Mama Pieng ended up being a key part of my stay. I’ll talk more on her later.

Mama Pieng showed me to my room – a little bungalow right on the edge of the river. A hammock was outside, begging to be used. And boy, did I make use of it during my stay on Don Det.

I initially was slightly disappointed in my room – online, it had said it had air conditioning but it ended up being fan only. NO!!! The bathroom also left much to be desired. However, in time, I grew to accept it. I was on an island in rural Laos. It’s not going to be a 5* situation. The wi-fi didn’t work that night, which was another annoyance. However, after talking to Mama Pieng the next morning, she got it fixed and it worked the remainder of my stay.

Exploring the Islands

Originally, I only booked two nights on Don Det. My plans in Laos have been very malleable. At one point, I had a lot of different options for what I intended to do. In the end, though, I have decided to spend more time in less places. I need a break from all the running around. So, I ended up extending my stay on Don Det an additional night. And then another additional night on top of that.

The next morning, I rented a bicycle. It’s definitely The Thing to Do on Don Det. Via bridge, Don Det connects to another, larger island – Don Khon. My mission of the day was to ride around both the islands. At that point, I hadn’t yet decided to extend.

Riding along the country roads was an absolute pleasure. I passed chickens, roosters, and their chicklets. Plenty of dogs, puppies, cows, and water buffalo. Now and again, the kids would wave at me, or shout out, “hello! Hello!!” I responded with the Laotian word for hello and waved to them.

There were a few waterfalls on Don Khon, so I decided to pay them a visit. It didn’t take long for me to arrive at the first. I parked my bike and after paying a small entry fee, crossed the bridge and walked along a path that eventually took me to the waterfall.

My first impression was that it was less of a waterfall and more of roaring rapids. The water of the Mekong was so powerful, thundering endlessly between and over boulders. I was impressed. A number of others were enjoying the scenery, too. At one point, a few monks came by – always a treat to see. Nearby, there was a small Buddhist temple – I wondered if that was their main reason for visiting.

There was a swing set with two swings and I chuckled out loud as I saw an older couple swinging on them together. “You guys, this is too cute. Let me take a photo of you,” I gestured for them to let me use their phone. They politely declined – I think they probably thought I was going to try and run off with it lol. It was such a cute moment, though!

Walking further along the path, I found the main area for the waterfall. For $11, one could walk over a suspension bridge that went directly over the falls. I felt that was kind of a steep price and was already pleased with the view I’d seen. Instead, I continued walking and found another vantage point.

The area had thickets of bamboo trees scattered along it and so, of course, I kept my eyes peeled for snakes. I didn’t see any, though.

After perusing the area thoroughly, I hopped back on my bike and continued along. I stopped for lunch by the river. Pretty much everyone from my boat ride the night before was at that restaurant. Seemed we all had identical itineraries haha. I saw signs for Irrawaddy dolphin boat trips – at times people are even taken to the Cambodian border to try and see them, which I found funny. It was really close – you could see Cambodia across the river. Because I’d already spent three days with the dolphins, I didn’t think it was worth it to go again.

Instead, I continued my journey and stopped at the other waterfall on Don Khon. After another entry fee, I crossed a small suspension bridge over a roaring river. I kept walking and was provided with a few vantage points of another waterfall. Unfortunately, some of the better perspectives were blocked by an old building. Still a great area, though. A little dog hung out near the river and dipped its tongue in for a quick drink. Lots of dogs on the 4,000 Islands – and all of them were very friendly. I have been in some towns where the dogs are legit scary. Especially on Cát Bà – eek! They were ready to bite off my legs. Don Det, nah. They didn’t mind people at all.

Once I’d finished at the waterfall, I returned back to my accommodation to relax on the hammock and read a book. I also extended an extra night with Mama Pieng. Before I knew it, it was almost sunset. Because my accommodation was on the east side of the island, I decided to head over to the west to grab dinner and watch the sun go down. I ordered spring rolls and soup. Yum.

As the sun set, I couldn’t help but smile at a group of small kids rowing a boat together while happily shouting. Too cute.

Enter: Crazy Frenchman

In the late morning, I met up with another backpacker for tea at a restaurant on the west side of the island. A crazy Frenchman, Alexis was traveling around for a couple of months but his time was winding down. We got to know one another as we smoked cigarettes and enjoyed our drinks. Before I knew it, it was already noon and we moved to another restaurant two doors down to have lunch. By 2pm, we were still together. Alexis had plans to, like me, ride around the island and maybe stop at one of the waterfalls. I joined him on the adventure.

As we left the restaurant, I went to put on my knock-off Birkenstocks… and I wasn’t sure which ones were mine! I started to laugh, noticing that there were three pairs of identical looking sandles – BirkenSTOCKS, BirkenSTONES, and BirkenSTORKS. They were even the same size.

Alexis reminded me a lot of two other special travelers I’ve met – both Marion (French) and Hulya (Turkish). They are just very, very optimistic people that seem to see the good in all the world, at all times. I wish I could say I am the same, but I certainly lean a little more cynic! However, I love being around the optimists.

We went to the second waterfall I’d visited the day before and found a bench to sit on as we admired the view. We must have sat for thirty minutes, enjoying each others’ company and the waterfall. Afterwards, we drove back to the other island. Alexis was invited to hang out with some of his French friends, which he invited me to – but we both knew what would happen there… everyone would be speaking French haha. So I politely declined and said maybe we could get together afterwards for dessert or something.

I grabbed dinner by myself and after, went for a night ride to try and look for, you guessed it, SNAKES! I rode from Don Det to Don Khon, but didn’t see any. But then… as I turned around to head back, I pulled over at the sight of… what is that? A snake? Upon closer inspection, I realized, no, that’s not a snake. It almost looks more like a… giant earthworm? After looking online, I’ve discovered it is what’s called a “caecilian” – it’s actually a type of amphibian. How wild! I had no idea these creatures existed.

By the time I finished my night ride, Alexis had finished up with his friends. We met up for milkshakes and spent some more time together. Of course, I had told him during our earlier visit that I like snakes. And he said after we parted ways, he saw one crossing the road. And I MISSED IT!? DAMN IT!

Final Moments in Don Det

The next morning was a bit of a bummer. I got a call from my brother who shared with me he and his wife were going to have to be putting down their beloved dog, Maia. We talked for a while and I just felt so terribly for them. My brother told me how he wished I was home. I ended up crying a little about the situation. Near the end of the call, I spotted a snake on the edge of the water next to my bungalow. As we wrapped up, I snapped photos of it. I’ve since learned it is a yellow-necked keelback.

After, I went to see Mama Pieng to pay for my final night. She apologized that she hadn’t been around the day before. She had crossed over to the mainland to visit her ailing father. As she spoke about it, she got emotional. I reached out my hands and she placed them in mine. I squeezed them and as she started to cry, I went over to embrace her. Hugging isn’t always really culturally the norm in Asia, but, whatever, that’s how I communicate my sympathy. She didn’t seem to mind. Mama Pieng mentioned she had been giving some offerings to Buddha for her father’s health and so I drove to the store and got a few fruits and a samosa for her to bring for Buddha as well. She seemed confused at first, and I said, “for Buddha. For your dad.” She lifted her hands in a prayer gesture towards me and thanked me. Later, as she was checking some people into the room next to mine, she saw me again and came up to give me a hug and thank me again.

It was a heavy morning.

As I rode my bike into town, I spotted… another snake! In the middle of the road! It was curling its body in a sort of defensive display. And someone else pointed out it had blood in its mouth. It must have been hurt. I wanted to help it off the road but couldn’t find a stick. A local came by and knocked a stick next to it, driving the snake towards the river. I hope it will be okay – I’m afraid it maybe had gotten run over slightly and was suffering internal injuries. Poor l’il guy. This one was also a yellow-spotted keelback. I even saw a third and final snake during sunset, but couldn’t grab a photo in time. Another water snake.

I stopped for a very yummy lunch where I had some of the best spring rolls of my life the night before. I ended up ordering two batches… eight fresh spring rolls altogether. Lord have mercy, can I eat!

While waiting, the owners’ child came up near me and started playing peek-a-boo. We began playing peek-a-boo together and then we would both roar out with laughter. It was very sweet. Some of the experiences with the local kids is truly so endearing.

It drizzled on and off in the early afternoon so I spent some time reading on the hammock, digesting the heavy morning.

Around 3pm, I decided to ride around the island again. More of the same – farm animals, excited children, etc. Don Det was so peaceful and slow-motion. I loved listening to music and cruising between the islands. I hadn’t expect to like the place as much as I did.

As I was about to cross over from one island to the other, I spotted Alexis on the side of the road, buying some bracelets from a shop vendor. I waited for him to finish and then we biked back to town. We made plans to grab dinner together. Later in the evening, we met and hung out for a couple hours. We went for a night walk to look for snakes. We didn’t find any, but I spotted a giant millipede and some tiny frogs for us. Cute! It was a nice night with Alexis – I enjoyed having a friend to explore and chat with during my time on the islands.

The next morning, we were both leaving the island. I packed up my things and checked out with Mama Pieng. She told me to wait one moment while she fished for something in her purse. She pulled out a bracelet and tied it around my wrist, saying something in Laotian, maybe a prayer. Then she told me it was for good luck. We embraced and said our farewells.

Alexis and I ended up bumping into each other once again at the port. He told me I must visit France to try the cheese, the bread, etc. I am not sure when that will happen, but I appreciated the invitation. It felt bittersweet to be parting ways – I was glad we spend the better part of two days together, but he was heading to Thailand before going home in a few days’ time, and I was moving further north along Laos. We waved to one another as his boat pulled away first. Funnily, during a rest stop later that morning, we bumped into each other one last time. “See you soon,” Alexis joked as we both returned to our respective vans.

Pakse

When I arrived in Pakse, I checked into my hostel and then went for a walk around town for sunset. I came across a cool temple but otherwise, made my way to the waterfront to see the sun going down. It was a beautiful sight – so orange and warm-looking. The temperature was cooler than I was used to. I think I will need to buy a sweater one day soon!

I was feeling pretty weepy, knowing that my brother and Maisie were going to be putting Maia down while I was asleep. I felt so sad for them. I felt sad for Maia. It is hard to say goodbye to our pets. So, yeah, some tears were shed.

As it got dark out, I went for Indian food and then retired to my room for the night. I was staying in a dorm room for USD$4 a night – but no one snored. Everyone was very well behaved. Yay!

I did wake up at 4.19am – right around the time my brother and his wife would be taking Maia in. I later learned that she passed away shortly before they went to the vet. Rest in Peace, sweet Maia dog. We’ll always remember you.

I wasn’t sure what to do that day. Should I rent a scooter and go see the iconic waterfalls about an hour away? Should I walk to the massive golden Buddha statue across the river and pay my respects for Maia? I spent some time debating it. Spent some time tearing up thinking about how sad my brother must feel. Oof. Heavy stuff, y’all.

In the end, I rented a scooter from my hostel and drove towards Tad Yuang waterfall. It took about an hour. The area was gorgeous and the waterfall was certainly impressive and beautiful.

Lots of people were there, but not so many that it felt annoying. I snapped photos from various angles and even hiked down to the base, where the mist clung to my glasses. A very lovely area.

Once I’d had lunch at the nearby restaurant, I drove six minutes away to the other waterfall – Tad Fane. This one was pretty impressive, too, and people were even able to zipline right across the waterfall! So nuts! While I thought the waterfall was gorgeous, it wasn’t quite as interactive as Tad Yuang. It was far away, whereas I was able to walk all around the area near the other one. I think the main draw is the ziplining activity, which I felt was just a little too expensive and I wasn’t interested.

Heading back into town, I made my way to the golden Buddha statue across the Mekong. For 10,000 Laotian kip, I was able to buy a stem of flowers which I brought to the Buddha for Maia.

Nearby was a Buddhist temple and dozens of smaller, golden Buddha statues. A really lovely area. It also had a nice view of surrounding mountains and the bridge built over the Mekong.

I returned my motorbike and walked to the river for sunset once again. It was stunning. I saw a beautiful streak through the sky. I think it is too thick to be the trails from a plane. Made me think of Maia.

I sat on the steps, watching the light darken. Once I started getting goosebumps from the cooler temperature, I went for dinner and to relax for the remainder of the night.

You can see the giant golden buddha on the hill in the picture above.

Pakse is popular for having the “Bolaven Loop,” a multi-day motorbike trail leading through some beautiful landscape around Laos. Unfortunately, I am still not super well-versed with motorbikes and I don’t want to have to carry all my gear for multiple days. If I ever return to Laos, and I have an International Motorbike license, I would love to try. But this time… skip.

Reflections

The past couple days have been emotional due to the passing of Maia. I knew there was the possibility she would pass before I came home this round. But, to be fair, that is part of why I usually get emotional when I’m leaving the States. I never know if I’m going to see everyone when I return. I am very sad I wasn’t able to be there for my brother and sister-in-law, but I’m glad to have known Maia and to know that she lived a wonderful live at the Darien home.

Tonight, I will be taking a sleeper bus from Pakse up to northern Laos. It is going to be a very, very long journey. I also have a cold, so something tells me this is going to be a miserable journey haha. But once I’m there, I’m there. My birthday is in a few days and I’m looking forward to relaxing in Vang Vieng for several nights.

Until next time, sending you all my love. x