Pakse & Thakhek

It was a dull grey morning when this part of our story started. Still reminiscing about the adventures on the previous day, we ate an early breakfast and waited for our ride to the next place, the next country and the next adventure. The treacherous thing about adventures is that they usually come in unexpected ways. This morning we spend our time arguing with the staff at the Bus Stop that our new 100$ bill was still in perfect condition. They didn’t want to take it because it had a tiny tear. In the end we were defeated by their skill and ended up giving them other money bills. The ride in the Bus, went over roaring rivers, alongside green rice fields and through dense forests. We stopped a few kilometers from the Cambodian-Lao-Border to eat lunch and change Vans. Apparently the buses that travel the majority of the way can't get too close to the border. Seems very logical. For the first time on this trip we were confronted with the challenge to order a visa on arrival. For this very complicated and strange procedure we first had to withstand the relentless questions thrown at us by the questionaire. Luckily we were able to unveil the mysterious question as a team, with the equally lost French couple sitting next to us. At this point we crossed many borders on foot so this one did not pose a challenge for us and we managed to cross it smoothly. It also helps a lot to bribe the guy who stamps the passports. With new stamps in our passports and a new country ahead, we boarded the next minivan, which carried us for the next 20 min. Then we took the fourth and final bus for the day to Pakse. The journey to Pakse really lived up to the name journey. The road following the flow of the Mekong River had a few holes in it. Well that is not entirely true, to phrase it better there was a bit of road in-between the portholes. We used the time to fill some knowledge gaps and watched Good Omens. To summarize our travel day, we crossed one border, took four buses, travelled 500 km and all that in only 12 h! In the end we were very happy to arrive in our European style hostel, to eat dinner and fall to bed.

The following day broke. We broke our fast with an endless supply of fried eggs on toasts and then whisked away for this days quests. For that we needed to secure money and steeds that could carry us over the treacherous mountains of the Bolaven Plateau. Succeeding in both we ventured off to chase waterfalls. One hour after leaving the safety of the town we found our first treasure: Tat Fan. Twin waterfalls plunge down more than 120m to form the Huay Bang Lieng. The bottom of the falls were shrouded in dense greenery and therefore hidden to us. Finding a secret spot we lounged in a net listening to the roar of the waterfall and the rustling of the leaves. But as the craving for sustenance grew louder we left our refuge and ventured on to eat some great Thai food. Then our quest carried us onwards to the next waterfall. Tad Gneuang, a smaller specimen, but broader and no less spectacular. Walking down winding steps, climbing over trees that don't let themselves limit to the side of the path, we made our way to the bottom of the fall. Feeling the mist on our faces, we marveled at the sheer force of nature and cooled our feet in the water. Our next stop was at a coffee farm, where we could walk through the coffee plantation, watch them dry the beans and of course enjoy a hot cup of very fresh coffee. As the sun continued it relentless march over the sky we too were forced to continue our chase. The last waterfall we found, was also the least touristy one. Tad Champee might be overlooked by the ordinary searcher of extremes, but it is the most magical place we saw that day. Forced to leave our trusted steed of the day at the beginning of the path (they were remaking the road, leaving huge piles of dirt laying around), we walked the last part through coffee plantations and a small path downhill. The path lead us to a clumsily made wooden bridge, consisting of a few planks, leading over a stream. Looking to our right we saw a broad majestic waterfall ending in a dark forest pool. The whole valley was hidden by moss and vine covered cliffs and the tall thicket of the Jungle, resulting in a place worthy to be deemed holy by a hidden rebel group, who most definitely had their lair in the caves behind the waterfall. Perfectly fulfilling the part as the ignorant foreigner, we ignored the secret rules set up by the hidden rebel society we jumped into the holy, darkgreen and surprisingly cold water. Disturbed only by two other tourists we swam behind the waterfall and probably scared a couple of forest pixies. But the sun began to fade, so we set out again with the next destination being our hostel. Driving into the sunset, we arrived in the dark and immediately set out for the next quest: securing passage to Thakhek the following day.

Succeeding in our quest the evening before, we got picked up from our hostel, on the morning of the 28th. Our Bus, intending to directly whisking us away without unnecessary stops to Thakhek was half an hour delayed, but turned out be a sleeper bus with very short double beds. The jouney took ages. We had a couple of bathroom breaks, but no real lunch break and we stopped for 3h in Savannaket. At this point we were hungry, freezing and very annoyed. In the end we made it to Thakhek in 10 h instead of the promised 6-8 h.

The last day I want to retell in this chapter was all about breathtaking scenery and hidden caves. But first and most importantly breakfast, we had noodle soup. With refilled strength, we set out once more to find a vehicle for the day. Our quest was prolonged by our late departure, but in the end we found a pokemon to guide us that day. And then we drove into the east. Over rocky roads we ventured into the mountains. These mountains were no ordinary mountains, but tall rocks, that rose sharply into the air, with only the occasional tree growing on them. In between tall cliffs we found the entrance to the first cave, a cavernous hall, with a river flowing through it. To find a way into and through the cave we had to climb a lot, but it was definitely worth it. For lunch we stopped at a nice small noodle shop and ventured on to the next cave. This one was way more touristy, with build in stairs and lights. At the bottom of the cave a river made its way into the heart of the mountain. Afraid that the darkness would overcome us in the wilderness we returned to Thakhek and worked on our never ending to do list, preparing for whatever the next day would offer.