Houses Along the Way

On the Road Again

On to the next waterfall. The houses along the way range from small pastel villas to straw huts.

The Falls

Khone Pha Phung Waterfalls

At this point we were fairly far south in Laos and the Mekong begins branching into smaller streams, and in some places, waterfalls. This is actually the largest cascade in SE Asia - it's 15 meters high and 1 km wide. The sound will get your heart going.

Searching for Dolphins

In this part of the river there is a rare breed of dolphin called Irrawaddy. There are only about 300 of them left and I did actually see a few. I didn't get photos however, because they just aren't as extraverted as their Florida cousins. The only time they rise to the surface is to get air.

The View of Tou

Tou (Doe) was my driver and I could never get him to understand that I wanted to ride in the front of the boat so that I could take photos. As a result, I must have 20 photos of his back.

The Waterfalls at 4000 Islands

The trip to see the waterfalls required another trip on the Mekong - this time in a longtailed boat.

Catching a Ride

The guide books give really detailed instructions on how to get to the various points of interest but invariably they end with "just catch a ride with anyone going that way." You can see a tourist hanging on to the back of the tuk tuk, but I just didn't have the courage. I usually opted for a driver. Especially in Laos, everything is very cheap. I'm a millionaire here. After exchanging money at the airport I received 1,600,000 Kip (about $200). A tip of $1 is seen here as extravagant and creates a lot of goodwill with the recipient. Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Water Reward at the Top of the Hill

Heading for the Mountain Top

Visit to an Elephant Conservancy

Lunch on the Mekong

The perfect place for a lunch overlooking the Mekong and also a tourist boat newly arrived from Pakse. The boat is a more luxurious way to get to Wat Phu. At lunch I met a Canadian who is living local in Southeast Asia for 8 months. He had great stories of being a part of local village life. It was so good to talk to someone who spoke fluent English, after 12 days of not meeting anyone who spoke English. There are a lot of tourists but they are all from France or Germany. (There was one very nice couple from New Zealand who invited me to join them for lunch).

Holy Water from Wat Phu

Wat Phu Worshippers

The temple is still an active site for worship and people make the pilgrimage to pay homage to Buddha and to bring back holy water from the nearby mountain stream.

Temple at the Top

Wat Phu - View From the Top

The Beginning of a Steep Climb to Wat Phu

Wat Phu

Archeologists are on site, digging and shoring up the walls of the temples.

Welcoming Blossems

As you approach the temple the path is strewn with frangapanni (sp?) blossoms from the trees that line the ancient stairway to the top.

Wat Phu - first level

As always there are more levels that involve lots of climbing. It is a beautiful temple and significant also because it predates Angkor Wat. It was built in the mid 400s as a first model for what would be Angkor Wat. This specific site was chosen because the mountain in the background was considered holy and a natural spring flows down the mountain to the site of the temple.

Beauty of the Mekong

Makong Ferry

The ferry is made of several boats and planks all somehow tied together, but it seems to work.

In Search of Wat Phu

In Laos we continue the temple marathon - this time for Wat Phu - considered one of the 10 must see sights in southeast Asia. The trip is an adventure beginning with a 2 hour drive south on Laos Rt 13 and then a wait for the ferry across the Mekong.

Pakse Hotel - a Roof With a View

I stayed at the Pakse Hotel for a whopping $19 a night. The room was better than most Holiday Inns I've experienced and the 7th floor roof/bar/restaurant provided a 360 view that was an event - especially every evening when the sun was setting. It became a habit for me - every day after touring - head for the roof and their mega bottle of Lao Beer and spring rolls.

Spend the Night in a Palace

The white building to the right is actually a palace built by the last Prince of Champasak and the Prime Minister of Laos between 1960 and 1962. It is now the Champasak Palace Hotel and the rooms have a panaoramic view of the city. I talked to a woman who was staying there and she said it was truly like staying in a palace - all for $40 a night. Everything in Laos is so cheap that $40 a night is equivalent to paying for a night at the Four Seasons.