Sabaidy!

I got home from Laos last week, and it felt good to be "home" after two weeks on the road. Ellen & Mike headed to Thailand while I hopped on a bus to Pakse, Laos two Mondays ago. I got picked up from my villa at 5:30am by a tuk-tuk to go to a different hotel, where I got on a small bus to go to a bus stop where I finally got on a bigger coach bus. It was a long day of bus travel in which I didn't arrive at my final destination until around 8:30pm. Furthermore, the roads were not unlike Southern Africa or South America (from what I've heard) in the lack of pavement and evenness on which the bus traveled along. I found a little hotel to stay at, grabbed a bite to eat, and called it a night. The following morning, I went "Laos Adventure Travel" where I booked a one day tour of the Bolaven Plateau with the French guy who runs the business. Since there wasn't a whole lot to do in Pakse other than that, I spent the rest of the day just walking around, visiting a couple more Buddhist temples, and worked out at a different hotel's gym for just 8,000 kip ($1). I ate at a wonderful Indian restaurant recommended by my trusty Lonely Planet for dinner, and by the end of the day, I felt like I had seen everything Pakse had to offer twice. I was looking forward to the more eventful day to follow when I hit the sack.

The tour group consisted of the Laos, French, & English-speaking tour guide, two Swiss-German guys, a French family of four with two boys ages 4 & 7, and me. Our first stop was a local family's machete hut on the side of the road. How the different tools are made as well as customs of the culture were explained, such as the guy going to work with the family of his wife, whatever the trade may be. Next, we stopped at a couple waterfalls and a tea plantation in between. We stopped for lunch at another gorgeous waterfall where we enjoyed a traditional Lao meal followed by a dip in the chilly water. Even though I was the only one who didn't speak French fluently, I enjoyed picking up on words I recognized from the French I took in junior high, and just listening to the kids speak was adorable.

After lunch, we headed to an "ethnic village expo" type thing where many of the various local communities were showcased; we saw different types of huts and the respective items of clothing, baskets, instruments, etc. being sold by each representative. I especially liked the courtship custom of one of the tribes in which the interested guy sings or plays music outside his interest's hut. If she likes what she hears, she'll accept his hand inside her "window" and judge his hands; smooth hands indicate laziness, and rough hands means he's a hard worker and thus more desirable.

Next, we went to a local market where there was more that grossed me out than appealed to me. Stuffed frogs and buffalo skin sticks (with the hair still in tact) were among the items being sold. It was interesting to see, but the stench was awful and I was more than ready to leave by the time we took off.

Lastly, we toured a coffee plantation owned by a Dutch guy and his Lao wife. He took us through the whole process, from buying the land to roasting the harvested beans, and of course made a fresh roast for us to enjoy at the end of the tour. It was interesting to see how the whole process works, and it definitely made me appreciate that cup of joe. When we returned from the tour, I just went back to the guest house to get a good night's sleep before departing for Si Phan Don (aka 4,000 Island) early in the morning.

4,000 Island was exactly what I picture when I think of island lifestyle. Little bungalows lined the coasts, tourists were constantly biking around the encircling dirt path, and the overall vibe of the island couldn't be described by anything other than the word chill. There were two girls from California in the bungalow next to mine, and I met up with a German guy I had met in Pakse to bike around that first afternoon. The island got electricity only about three years ago, so when the sun set, a calm darkness fell over much of the island. The following day, I went kayaking with a group of about 10, and my boat mate was a woman from South Africa. It was intense and relaxing all in one, and we were able to see some rare, irrawaddy dolphins. After making our final portage, we all piled into a big tuk-tuk and headed back to the main island. We then commenced a race against the sun to get back to Don Det, the island we were staying on, before the sun set. Fortunately, we won after paddling at top speed. Throughout the day, we had stopped at a couple waterfalls, including the biggest one in Southeast Asia by volume. Although each one was cool in its own right, I think I saw enough waterfalls in that week to fill my quota for the next five years at least.

I met up with the German guy and another girl traveling by herself from New Zealand for dinner, and then we played pool with an awesome couple from Australia. After a while, we headed to the island-wide party on the beach of Don Det for New Year's where I ran into the two Swiss-German guys from my Bolaven Plateau tour in Pakse right before midnight. There was no big countdown or ball dropping, but it was a fun New Year's nonetheless.

I ended up taking a bus back to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which took nearly 15 hours, staying there a night, and then heading on an eight hour bus back to Ho Chi Minh City. I thoroughly enjoyed being a traveler for a couple weeks, seeing amazing sights and meeting incredible people. The lax cultures of Cambodia and Laos provided a much needed hiatus from the chaotic streets of Ho Chi Minh City. I was happy, though, to get back "home" and back to the kids at the orphanage. In addition, I was anxious to get back to playing ultimate and seeing my friends there.

What I've read the past few weeks:
The Live and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
By Bill Bryson

The English Assasin
By Daniel Silva

Barrel Fever
By David Sedaris

Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides