Tha Khaek - Pakse

Following Route 13 for a second day we traveled through open farm land and rice paddies down dusty roads with the odd bamboo or wooden shack sporadically placed at the side of the road. Every 50km or so was a larger village or small town with homemakers and shopkeepers lazing in hammocks seeking relief from the searing heat.

As we pulled into a bus station at Savanakhet for a drop off/pick up stop we were bombarded by women selling food. It was like watching the dance of the seven veils, all hell breaks lose and they move and dance towards the bus sticks aloft mesmerizing and tempting you with the tasty treats. The age old question of which came first the chicken or the egg is answered as they both come at the same time on sticks through a bus window. These sticks are filled with boiled eggs, unidentifiable chicken parts, beef cubes and fruits all expertly sliced with a salty/chilli dip. The locals go mad for it all as this is their staple diet and they whip out their little whicker sticky rice pots and strip the sticks with ease.

While everyone settled back the drivers were negotiating the price for their sideline, their wages are low so they top up by delivering goods for people on their journeys through town and also picking up locals and dropping them wherever for a reduced undeclared fee. Even when all the seats on the bus are full people get loaded on and are given plastic stools to sit on in the aisles. It's hilarious and perfectly acceptable in their eyes. With regards to the various parcels most are small and fit in the baggage hold but we were in for a shock as the plastic stools and moped were removed and huge packages wrapped in grey plastic were lifted on and jammed into the aisles. They barely fit but kept coming until the aisle was full. The passengers who were on stools were now sitting on top of these strange packages and the moped was slotted back in at the front blocking the driver's seat. The best of it is nobody batted an eyelid. This is so much better than any VIP bus.

This is how the journey carried on for the next few hours and it never got boring as there was always something going on. There was a young boy who took a shine to us and was able to communicate without words as he drew us into playing games with him. He was very bright and Rod became his (and his dad's) hero after making paper planes and having an air battle with him which kept them both good for a long while.

We carried on through the dusty streets finally arriving in Pakse 9hrs later and well after dark. There were a few other travelers on the bus and we all grouped to keep the determined and slightly bolshie Tuk-Tuk drivers at bay. A lovely local lady on the bus had told us how much to pay to town so we relayed this to the rest of the group and we all stuck together when the driver of the sawngthaew demanded a ridiculously high price. It was like United Nations as we all walked away, 2 French ladies, a Swedish couple, 2 German friends, A Welshman and American, me and Rod …. And a partridge in a pear tree :0) and the driver soon came running after us and agreed to our price when he realized we were serious even if he was furious.

After chatting on the way into town it soon became obvious that everyone was heading for the same guesthouse which was the most popular one in lonely planet. We had been in this position before and it was already full so we decided to take a different route and check out a few other options. This turned out to be a nightmare as the same festival that saw the places in Tha Khaek full was also being celebrated in town and there was no room at the inn so after traipsing around for half an hour, very tired and ratty, hungry and hot after a long journey we went back to one of the overpriced options we had seen first and grudgingly booked in.

To cheer ourselves up we went to the Indian restaurant next door and stuffed our faces with Bombay potatoes, Aloo Gobi masala, Tandori and a garlic cheese naan, it was naughty but nice and our taste buds were finally awakened again by the delicious flavours. They were the only thing that was awakened and before we knew it we were tucked up and asleep by 9.30pm.

The next morning we went to explore Pakse for a little while as we had decided that rather than pay a high price for poor accommodation we would head straight to the islands and make the most of our remaining time.

From our experience although not the prettiest town, Pakse had a great atmosphere and was an inviting place to spend a few leisurely days. There are some lovely faded French villas dating back to the days when it was the colonial trading post of Southern Laos as it sits on the confluence of the Se Don and Mekong rivers. From speaking to other travelers it seemed to be more of a base for visiting the nearby Bolaven Plateau which is home to dense jungle, impressive waterfalls and endless coffee plantations, something which again given more time would be right up our street.

For breakfast we chose Indian again and we sat in the hot morning sun and tucked into Masala Dosa, they were so good and we had forgotten how much we loved them and it was strange how it felt great to eat with our hands again, quite liberating in a funny sort of way.

After checking out we hailed a taxi bike and negotiated a price to the bus station. We thought we had used every mode of transport but this was a new one on us. It was a motorbike with a small kind of convertible side car with a little adjustable roof with just enough space for us to squeeze together on a single seat with our packs on our knees. How we made it to the bus station we will never know but the driver was lovely and we had a laugh and gained a few bruises. Oh well .... Whatever next ...