8 May 12
After just one night in Vientiane, decided to move on and head for Kong Lo Caves!

Got on another bus and travelled for 7 hours to Kong Lo (without any stops!!).

Arrived and got dropped off at Kong Lo Eco Lodge.

Took a walk around the area to see what was about...I am in a one street village with a few restaurants, stores out of houses and home stay or guesthouses, with the caves at the end of the road.

As our lunch food was disappointing at our lodge, decided to ask to see a menu at some of the other restaurants for tea. Only managed to find one restaurant that was a) open and b) somebody could speak some English. This is remote!!

Spent the evening playing s*** head in our lodge!! Actually quite enjoyed a night in playing cards...oh dear, I must be getting old!!

9 May 12
Visited Kong Lo caves.
They have been recommended by other travellers who have described them as the spookiest caves they have visited!!

Walked to the caves from our lodge, along the one street village, and through a wood.
Travel through the cave on a boat, and had to wear a life jacket.
The cave had bats flying around the entrance where you get into the boats.
In the cave it was pitch black, the only light was from our headlights!! How the guides could see to steer the boat!
We stopped to walk around inside the cave. The rock formation inside was stunning. Unfortunately our guide could not speak a word of English so couldn't explain anything about the cave. But still walking around the cave and just looking was great.
Stopped at a village called Natane Village at the end of the cave. This was a tiny village in the woods, and they were having lunch when we arrived so invited us to try their lunch - no idea what it was but it was spicy meat with sticky rice, quite nice actually!
Back on to the boat to go back speedily through the cave. This was quite eery as there was more wind blowing in your face and it was even darker as there weren't may boats running. Had to make the occasional stop and get out of the boat as it got stuck on rocks, had to walk in the water over rocks in the dark until could get back in the boat!

Time to leave Kong Lo - 2 hour ride to the main road where can get on a night bus to Pakse.

Well the night bus - what an experience! It was a small local bus. I sat in a seat with boxes and bags all around me, the seats couldn't recline, my knees were touching the seat in front, there is no air-con just desk fans attached to the roof that only worked when the bus stopped! Also the lights would come on when the bus stopped, and it stopped a lot! There was a TV on the bus but playing a music channel as loud as possible was not fun!! The locals on the bus were quite rude too, they would sit over your seat, didn't want to sit next to us and one was reluctant to move his bag to free a seat.
10 hours on this bus ride from hell!!!