Laos: Si Phan Don

Tuesday night we boarded our night bus to Pakse around 8:00 pm, and seeing as I was starving hungry, I was looking forward to the free dinner that came with our ticket. Unfortunately, the free dinner was a small packaged snack cake and a few pieces of candy. I decided then was the time to pop a sleeping pill to get me through the ride south.

We arrived in Pakse, a pretty scrubby town, around 6:00 am yesterday morning and immediately made our way to the bus station across town to catch a saangthaew to Si Phan Don. Unfortunately, the truck was pretty packed when we arrived, so Erin and I said goodbye to Aimee (who is heading to Cambodia) and sat down with the boys Tom and Dom, along with two other guys we met along the way, Neal and Ally, to wait for the next truck. An hour later, we climbed aboard the "non-stop" truck to Ban Nakasang.

The "Non-stop" was anything but, as we dropped off and picked up Laos passengers every few kilometers. We were packed in pretty tightly for the three hour trip. Finally, we rolled into Ban Nakasang and onto a boat bound for Don Det, one of the 4,000 islands of Si Phan Don in southern Laos.

Erin and I knicked the last remaining bungalow at the first place we entered, Sunset View Resort. Our room was just $3 a night, sans bathroom and electricity but bursting out the seams with character and amazing views of the river. As soon as I looked out at the vista, I felt a deep calmness come over me, and I immediately hung my hammock next to the hammock that was already swaying on the porch. After a relieving swim to a small island in the middle of the river, Erin and I settled into our hammocks for the beautiful sunset.

After a quiet dinner, Erin and I met up with the large group of travelers that we have seen throughout Laos, now numbering nearly fifteen people, for drinks. Unfortunately, someone thought it would be funny to fill a water bottle with the toxic "Lao Lao" whiskey, and my attempt to quench my thirst almost knocked me out. The effects were strong, to say the least.

We all went for an evening swim in the river waters, and as I was heading to the common restroom to prepare for bed, I took a serious spill down our bungalow's steep wooden steps. I wish I had it on video, as I literally went head over heels, smashing my face into the bottom step. Only this morning, with a swollen lip, blood on my face, and gritty dirt in my mouth, did I realize just how strong that Lao Lao is....never again!