Given that Champasak was slow and quiet, we decided to see just how low key we could go. We found out that we really can handle slow and quiet rather nicely.
With a bit of stress over whether we could get a ride out of Champasak or not (it took about three hours before transportation came through), we got out of town in style. A sangthaew (a three wheeler that seats about 8 people on wooden benches) came by with two Swedish girls (the Nordic countries are traveling everywhere) and us headed about three kilometers out of town to the ‘ferry’ dock. The ‘ferry’ consisted of three wooden boats hooked together with planks across them that could carry about seven vehicles slowly across the river. We made it across in style, the ladies were selling sodas and M-150s out of plastic buckets filled with ice which was very popular with the two of us and the locals. The only hitch on the ride over was that our brightly painted sangthaew needed a bit of pushing to get it started again once the ferry docked. Swedish girls that carry backpacks are a force to be reckoned with.
We had good luck on the main Route 13 and the bus to Pakse came by just as we pulled our luggage from the tropical imagery in the vehicle. The bus was on the low end of bus travel comfort. It was only a thirty minute ride, but it was jammed packed with folks. I made peace with the lady sitting next to me who did not really appreciate my oversized white butt sitting on her bench by admiring her pink painted nails with silver stars. It turned out she, like any person I’ve ever met who paints their nails, was quite pleased by the compliment and gave over a few more inches on the bench. Derrell on the other hand had it a bit rougher. He had his feet on the edges of some edge-of-death ducks on the floor and the standard nuclear chain reaction of smoking was occuring bench by bench in front of him. Some travel is good when it is old-fashioned and, well, some a bit unpleasant.
We decided to throw some money at the next phase and hired a tuk-tuk to take us out to Tat Lo. It was a windy ride, then a rainy ride which ended up equating to a reasonably cool and pleasant ride. We had one stop at the petrol station handing over some of our payment to the driver so he could buy gas for the trip. One stop to pick up a friend that needed to deliver a fixed tire. One stop to pour water on the brakes to cool them down using water jugs they were carrying, and one more entertaining stop to pour water on the brakes again using shower water that two teenage girls were currently using in the front of their village. Lots of giggling on that one. Ah, but your mind is wandering, the girls wear sarongs when bathing and swimming in these parts. It sort of is a laundry/bath combo deal… very efficient.
Ah, Tat Lo. We were pleased to see the waterfalls. The area consists of a choice of four guesthouses, one village and one wat complete with a handful of drum happy young monks. Our choice in guest houses ended up being a raised bamboo hut looking out at the falls and river that included such amenities as a hammock, writing table and chairs, mirror, electricity and mosquito netting (unneeded, thankfully), all for the exorbitant price of $2.25 USD.
We were on the edge of the village, but maybe it was more accurate to say we were in the village. We met a half-grown pot-bellied pig that came trotting over to greet us when she could figure out we were around (pig eyesight is amazingly dim). This always ended up in a complete flop on the ground, lots of tail waving and the eyes closing for minute or two. After the greeting, she got back up and joyfully trotted off. I became a vegetarian for the village stay after that in honor of our new friend. Other clues about being in the village was that one of the laundry and bathing stations for folks was in front of our hut. Lots of small vegetable plots were fenced off around us, probably to keep out the pigs, and chickens were in full plumage (some actually looked rather regal in their dark blue and red feathers). Oh, and the homes behind us as well as our restaurant was cooking over charcoal.
We did the tourist thing and headed up to the ‘expensive’ guesthouse (about $25/night) and went for an elephant ride in the morning. The two elephants were born in 1939 and 1944 and must have been domesticated when the French were still around these parts. Since they live to around 100 years and they aren’t logging elephants, they get some work from the handful of us who think it is quaint to go for a jaunt through the woods. It was quaint. We learned from the elephants themselves that young bamboo is a favorite food, shade is much better than walking in the sun and they are suspicious of villagers coming up on the trail on bicycle behind them. The matriarchs seemed fine with their jobs, but munching bamboo would have been preferable.
After two nights, we thought we would head back to Pakse. We did not make it past our breakfast stop for iced coffee and fresh baguettes at the mid-range guesthouse ($15/night). The view of the falls and the heat of the day melted our ambitions. We checked in and then soaked in the rushing water for the day’s main activity. Lots of birds of paradise flowers, papaya trees, plumerias and odd strange looking plants growing on the sides of trees we could not name were in view from the patio. Freaky looking colorful beetles were also around, but the volume of moving entities in view were butterflies. Every shape, size, and color were flying through the air. Land of a million elephants? Maybe. Land of a million butterflies… much more apt.
Even though we were no longer on the edge of the village, we still met another animal friend. Derrell was walking through the guesthouse restaurant and noticed one of the girls was feeding a one month old monkey. He said hello to it when passing. A few moments later the girl left the youngster wrapped around the table leg to go back into the kitchen for something. This was a clearly a monkey nightmare, the youngster flew across the room for Derrell to hold him. And so Derrell had a new friend that was soon thinking about sleeping in his arms for a good portion of what would have been his lunch hour.
Monkey hands are amazing. They have a rubbery texture on their super long fingers, normal sized thumbs and little tiny fingernails. Our friend’s arms were extraordinarily long and could just reach the width of Derrell’s chest. He could not have been more than eight inches tall, but his tail was about twice that length. We did not get the full story given our limited Lao, but something had happened that orphaned him. He was getting good foster care and hopefully he will have a free-spirited adulthood. Either way, I’m sure that they will hear about it from him, he was a talkative soul with a mouthful of rather nice teeth.
Needless to say, we were a bit sad to leave Tat Lo. It was a full nature park experience. Between the park-like feel of the place and the dread of another bus ride, we had a bit of work in the morning to get us moving. The bus dread was misplaced, however. The guesthouse drove us out to the main road and the bus arrived within ten minutes. This time the transporation had plenty of seats, looked like it had been washed in the last millenium and had curtains. It also had the standard worldwide bus attribute of playing earsplittingly loud music. But hey, and it could actually go uphill! So, all told, we made it to Pakse within two hours and had lots of good views of the jungle, coffee plantations, and villages, although no one was showering at this early hour of the day.
Pakse is it for Laos. Not a very interesting town, but the airport works, the rooms are abundant and cheap ($5/night) and a bowl of noodle soup will set you back ($.80). Laos has been one of the more wonderful finds on our trip. We met a few travelers who were more enthralled with Thailand and an equal number that had the same opinion about Laos as us. I suppose it depends on what you are looking for… if it is luxury, food, and leisure, Thailand is the hands down winner… but for a step back in time to a place where farmer markets still exist, villages are centered around wats and why someone would travel is still a complete mystery, Laos it is. What a sweet tempered lovely place.
