Our travels have brought us from Northern Laos to an island (one of the 4 Thousand Islands) in the Mekong Delta of Southern Laos. The capital, Vientiane, lies midway between these 2 locations. New Year’s Eve was imminent and we thought this would be a place to celebrate. We were right. Between the 2 coffee shops we frequented, we watched the final preparations for a city-wide celebration in a large gathering place where several streets converged. A stage with rock concert lighting and projections of the performers and the audience was the focal point for those seated at the tables filling the area and those milling around the margins. Anyone who wanted to watch the performers could - no entry fees or barrier gates or walls. The female guitarist/singer we saw was being well received by everyone, including us. Later, well before midnight, we heard fireworks bringing in the New Year.
Wat Si Saket, a temple with many small niches that contained well over 2000 silver and ceramic Buddha statues and more than 300 seated and standing Buddhas of varying ages and in varying conditions, was the highlight of our visit in Vientiane. It was Rajiv’s favorite Buddhist temple up to this point. While there, a college age monk approached us wanting to speak English. We found out he had come to Vientiane to go to “Buddhist College”. He was originally from a mountainous tribal village in the Northern Laos area we had come from some days ago. His village was so remote he wasn’t able to go to school there. At the age of 13 he moved to Luang Prabang to become a monk and hence get an education. Becoming a monk to get an education, we are finding, is a fairly common practice particularly for the many young men living in rural villages. (85% of the population here live in small rural villages.)
The sleeper bus (our first anywhere) made the 12 hour overnight journey to 4 Thousand Islands a restful and somewhat comical experience. At the beginning and the end of the trip we propped ourselves in the bed to see the countryside and in between we slept. In order to complete the journey, we had to travel further on a local bus over very dusty roads and then on a boat to the island of Don Det which turned out to be another perfect place for us. Rajiv wakes up and comments appreciatively every morning with, “Another perfect day in paradise.” It is in the 80’s most of the time. This morning it was 72 and the local people had on their jackets and stood around a fire. It is winter for them.
One guest house had been recommended and that was the direction we doggedly pulled our bags walking the narrow dusty pathway. Before we reached our destination, Marianne stopped at Mama Leuah’s Guest House saying she could go no further. We chose one of the 2 rooms available not knowing how perfect it would prove to be. The view of the Mekong River from our bungalow includes many of the smallest of the 4,000 islands, the long boats with proboscis-like prows going up and down and the various river activity.
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Rajiv is taking pictures of 6 boys rowing a boat and diving in the water right now. The local activity is similar to that we observed in Muang Ngoi, the other river village we loved. The water buffalo and ducks wander in and out of the water entertaining us always.
The area is flat and easier to cover on a bicycle although more is missed as we watch for rocks and other cyclists. We’ve ridden all the roads/paths on this island which is covered with rice fields. There is evidence of the crop having just been harvested when we hear a whirring sound and see a drum device being pedaled by a family member holding sheaves of rice over it The rice kernels fall on a large tarp where they will dry and be winnowed, then bagged.
One day we ventured over the old French Railroad Bridge to Don Khon, the neighboring island where tourists also stay. We were surprised as we cycled to a beach and to a waterfalls to see small dump trucks working to widen several paths into real roads. The huge waterfalls was impressive and we could see that in the rainy season it would be even more amazing. The French were going to use this river for transportation until they came to these impassible falls. They then built a railroad which was used for hauling the sugarcane growing here then. The railroad was abandoned when the French left and all that remains is an old steam engine rusting away in the middle of nowhere, some stray tracks and the bridge we crossed. 
On that island, there are several old abandoned French villas in states of ruin. Rajiv took many pictures being mesmerized by the beauty of the structure and the effects of nature dissolving it. He could see it as a dream location for a fashion photographer. 
The owner’s daughter and the German manager at Mama Leuah’s have a very good restaurant. Since the town is a 30 minute walk away, we are grateful for their friendliness and their food. Yesterday, Rajiv was asked to help them make some new snacks. He thought he would need some sort of leavening and an oven. Neither is available here. However, they did have a pancake mix which was adapted to make banana fritter balls rolled in sugar. Liking fried potatoes with eggs for breakfast himself, he showed them how to make home fries and hash browns to add to their menu. 
Now to Cambodia and Angkor Wat.
We send our Love and Joy to you all.
Rajiv and Marianne
Thank you. More exquisite scenes and engaging commentary. The pedal thresher reminds me when we saw tethered oxen circling over barely to thresh it with their hooves, accompanied with song, and considered funding a pedal thresher to ease their work, then stopped ourselves from interfering with the harmonious flow of their lives.
ReplyDeletethank you for taking time to share your adventures with us armchair explorers!!
ReplyDeleteOnce more, the names of places were known only to me during wartime. Thanks for sanctifying those places and changing the pictures in my head and heart.
ReplyDeleteOh, I want to travel on a "sleeping bus"!