4000 islands (si phan don)

In Southern Laos, near the Cambodian border, the Mekong widens to about 14 km, an area known as the 4000 Islands. To get there from Vientiane we decided to take a night bus. Nervous that we might have a similar experience to one that we'd had in India, our trepidations were resolved when we saw that we were riding on the "King of Bus." It was like a rolling disco, complete with Karioke TV and mega-surround sound. Luckily, nobody was feelin' the urge to bust into KC and the Sunshine Band, so we actually got a good night's sleep.

Between Pakse and the 4000 Islands is Wat Phou. This was the former capital of the Chenla Empire (1,400 years ago), a great civilization stretching south into Cambodia, north and west into northern Thailand and as far away as Burma. The temple complex was in very poor condition but there was the beginnings of an archaeological dig, soon to be followed by a restoration project. A foreign NGO has stepped in to do the work because, as in many cases in this part of the world, the country is waysiding its own very rich history so it can feed its own people.

Helen and I left the next morning at dawn for the 4000 Islands. We had to cross the Mekong on the smallest ferry boat I've ever been on. When we hit the wake of another ferry, the water would lap over our feet. Then we took a bus to another ferry... we're very used to multi-leg travel on overcrowded public transport.

We stayed on the island of Don Khon just above the Cambodian border. It is connected by an old railroad bridge to another small island called Don Det to the north. The trick is to get there, drop your bags, and rent a bicycle. There are no cars and dirt trails circumnavigate and criss-cross both islands. Even though certain parts of Don Khon and Don Det are a bit touristy, there is still a huge local farming and fishing community that live there. To circle each island by bike will only take an hour and a half, but you will pass through many little villages that don't even bother with foreigners. The locals just smile and go about their own business repairing fishing nets, carving boats, or tending to their cattle. The connecting bridge and a barge-loading structure in the middle of Don Sac were both left over from the French colonial days; even though neither one of them has been used in about 50 years, villagers see them as the only benefits of the French occupation.

For those of you who actually follow us and read this website, you may be wondering where we've been for the last 5 months. Well, due to the economic slump and some tenant snafus in New York, I ended up working as a fitness director at a detox center in Thailand for several months. Helen was my hot little T'ai Chi instructor. Luckily, we were only involved with the exercise aspect of the center, but we spent a lot of time hearing tales of dietary mayhem and colonic mishaps which (you'll be pleased to hear) I shant recant on this website. Afterwards we went to the UK and the US and back to the UK again.

Next stop INDONESIA for some reef building!!!

PMB 7.23.09