Lots of Laos

That's me, Way up high!!

Travel through Laos is slow, arduous, and tedious.  A four-hour bus ride will depart three hours late, regularly, without exception and without fail.

My first stop was Si Pham Don (Four-thousand Islands).  Rural and natural beauty abound in this southern corner of Laos just across the Mekong from Cambodia.  With no ATM's and very little electricity, those who seek will find excellent bicycle paths, ferocious waterfalls, river-beaches, and copious hiking trails.  This section of the Mekong River is God's gift to pleasure swimming while the sunsets over Cambodia turn epic when paired with hearty "exhales" of the islands' native ganja buds.  Let's call it 'Lao-wee Wowwee.'

Up the river from the islands is Pakse.  It took seven hours to get there, it should've taken two.  But alas, an ATM and some steady electric, Pakse itself is less than exciting; but the countryside around is lush and deserves to be explored.  The waterfalls here are immense and the multitude of coffee farms make for an ideal pick-me-up warm-me-up as you and your motorbike climb the way to the top of the chilly yet choice Bolaven Plateau.  From here, should you desire, you can take a two-day loop out to random hill villages and mountainside retreats.  If you haven't anything to do sometime, allow me to recommend it.

Following the Mekong north again, you reach Savannakhet, a lazy French colonial port town with decent sunsets over the Mekong to Thailand.  I remember feeling very well lounging back riverside with my feet up and my shades down, all the while handling a Beerlao.  Fun Fact: Beerlao is the best beer in Asia and the bottle comes in one size, LARGE.  Drinking fast helps your beer to stay cold.  Similar to Kampot in Cambodia but with less funk, I chose to make a move to Vientiane after a brief but jolly one-night pit stop.

Now if I had a dollar for every Brit who told me to "skip" Vientiane, I could travel forever without work.  They hate on Vientiane because the Communist government's mandatory midnight curfew interferes with their incessant need to get "pissed" every night.  If that's your forte, then Vientiane may not be your best cup of tea, but if you can control yourself and accept reality for five minutes, Vientiane is a lovely place to spend a little time meandering aimlessly.  It's old, quaint, laid back, and it exhibits charm.  Vientiane still retains the aura of a bygone era as if almost in a movie set atmosphere.  It's home to a plethora of French cafe's and bakeries that have made this place a hip little oasis on the banks of the Mekong.  Monks clad in deep orange robes patrol the streets as early as 5 a.m. and there are more Buddhist temples than the day is long.  It is the calmest Asian capital in the league and to "skip" it would be a forfeiture of a worthwhile traveling opportunity.