Thakhek
-
Konglo to Pakse
Staying in a jungle bungalow is great but being so close to nature sometimes has it’s down sides. Two giant geckos decided decided to take up residence in the bungalow I was staying and had a territorial fight during the night. I woke in the middle of the night to loud chirping which was very close to my ear. It was so loud that it woke the neighbouring bungalow. I using my head torch and saw two geckos scurry away into the roof. I never knew geckos could make so much noise. Every time I turned the light out they came back scurrying up and down the wall and then…
-
Thakhek to Thalang – start of the Khaek Loop
Today I embarked on the Khaek Loop which is a 450 km circular trip through the central Laos countryside. The trip will take 4 days and started from the hostel in Thakhek. The first stage of the journey passed through high limestone karsts and a cave alley on my way to Thalang. A patchwork of paddy fields stretch between the limestone peaks. The rice was harvested last month and farmers were collecting and shredding the rice stalks to be used as cattle feed during the cooler months. I stopped off at Thafalang which is a Laos riverside resort popular with the locals. It was deserted in the early morning as…
-
Thakhek Day 2
A awoke this morning at 6 am as some of the people sharing the dorm were catching the early bus to Patse. I walked down to the Mekong river front to see the sun rise looking out to Thailand across the water. The town was just waking up and the monks were returning after seeking the alms from the locals. I returned to the hostel for a great breakfast of homemade noodle soup. I then spent the morning planning where I would visit next. Thakhek is the starting point for the ‘Khaek Loop’ which takes you through the central Laos countryside to almost the Vietnam boarder pass through some of…
-
Vientiane to Thakhek
I woke early to see the sunrise over the Mekong river at the Vientiane water front. It was 6 am and locals of all ages were up and about getting their morning exercise whilst the day was still cool (well it was 20oC which is considered cool here). The new modern waterfront promenade was funded by a loan from South Korea. It was interesting to walk around the city and see all the foreign investment from particularly from Japan and China. Although the water front has been modernised you could still see traces of the traditional way of life with farms on the fertile river bank and boats preparing to…
