There
must be some kind of rule in Laos that says the further south you go the more chill it becomes cuz just
when you thought your blood pressure couldn’t drop any further you arrive in Si Phan Don… The name means ‘Four Thousand Islands’ and the few islands you are
likely to visit on this scenic 50km-long stretch of the Mekong are so chilled that
you could turn into a hammock-bound icicle! lol
Hell during the rainy season this section of the Mekong
fills out to a breadth of 14km which is the river’s widest point along its 4350
km journey from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea. But during the dry
months between monsoons the river recedes and leaves behind hundreds (or
thousands if you count every sand bar) of islands and islets. The largest of
the permanent islands are inhabited year round and offer the cool glimpses of
tranquil river-oriented village life – ‘more detached from time than from the
riverbank’ as how someone described it. Hell most communities tend to be
self-sufficient, growing most of their own rice, sugar cane, coconut and
vegetables, catching fish and weaving textiles as needed.
Seems that the Island life is changing as electricity and
tourism are the big drivers. The villages of Si Phan Don are often named for
their position at the upriver or downriver ends of their respective islands.
The upriver end is called hǔa (head),
the downriver end is called hǎang
(tail). Hence Ban Hua Khong is at the northern end of Don Khong, while
Ban Hang Khong is at the southern end.
The ferry from the mainland usally takes to Don Det unless U
specify another island like Don Khong! But Don Det is a bit more lively than
Don Khong (which attracts travellers looking for better accommodations) while
Don Det has become kind of one of SE Asia’s major backpacker magnets! Don Khon
falls somewhere in between. It seems that the power grid isn’t all that great
tho getting better but wtf it didn’t seem the electricity went off too often
while I was there!
If U want to read more about the 4000 Islands check:
Hell Don Det used to be a real
off the beaten track place only five to ten years ago. So even still today you
won't find the same crowds here as in, for example Vang Vieng (thx god) so tens of guest houses can now be around in once well kept
secret. The installation of electricity supply is now complete, so Don Det has
24 hour electrical service. But unfortunately this will most likely lead to
increasingly more services and development.
Hell
Don Det is somewhat of a mecca for backpackers and is often compared with the
much less relaxing Vang Vieng. Backpackers, mostly in their 20s and 30s, come
to this island to relax. Some stay a day or two, some for weeks & a few
have decided to stay for good. Hell met one American dude who married a chick
from Laos and has opened a sandwich or whatever type shop! Unfortunately tho
talked to the dude well never ate there cuz too expensive but hear it was good!
So
my bus took me to this Say Don bus station in the small village on the other
side of the river where we caught a boat to Don Det! Shit it was so chaotic
when we first arrived as it depended on which bus company U came on that decided
which boat U took to Don Det or which ever Island U wanted to go!
While
was waiting for a boat across met a Finnish guy and we kind of hung out at Don
Det for a few days! But the first order of the day was finding cheap
accommodations! But no prob as rooms at most guest houses cost from 20,000 kip &
up as most bungalow have the basic requirements like a porch with a hammock, a
bed and a mosquito net.
Hell
when first got there wow realized just how chill this island was so thought I’m
finally at the type of place where always look for when traveling!
We
wanted to get as far as possible away from where the boats came in and where
all the bars, restuarants and noise was happening so we could chill in quiet!
So we walked down down the main path in Don Det out of the main part of town!
We got about a couple hundred meters down the path and over a small dilapidated
wooden bridge! Then this big older type of American dude (shit can’t remember
his name) approached us to check if we wanted a room? But there was only one
room open as the place only had 4 rooms in that Guesthouse called Vishet’s
Bungalow! Bit there were 2 of us so the Finnish guy said would go to another
Bungalow while I took the open room with a shower for about 20,000 Kip or say
about $5!! Found out this American dude was kinda helping the Lao owners cuz
they couldn’t speak very good English which would help to get new guests! So hell
when he left well I took over helping them cuz got to be friendly & really
liked the Laos couple who ran the place! But wtf they only had 4 rooms which
shouldn’t take long to fill! They also had a restuarant which sold Lao
meals and it seemed a lot of Locals came there to eat, drink and just chat
there!! Hell must have ate all my breakfasts at their restaurant as it was
cheap plus got to know the owners really well so wanted to help them out! Of
course the owner happened to also be my supplier of weed as he was cool! So I’d
go and hang around the café/restaurant and sit on the hammock by the river! Or would
chill on my patio in my own hammock! Cuz regardless the main activity on the
island was chilling on a hammock doing what I do best and that’s doing fuck
all!!!
I had met this Indian dude on the other side of the river b4 taking the
boat from Don Det & he told me he ran Jasmine Indian Rest on Don Det and
should go there! So had to go & try the curry at the Jasmine Indian
restaurant. The food there was pretty dam amazing and once again in Laos feel
like could eat in a curry house every single night of my stay in a town. The
only downside of the Jasmine restaurant was that it took a minimum of an hour
to get any food. So eventually got around this by working out when was was most
probably going to feel hungry and going there an hour beforehand to pre-order. So
generally only had to wait 30 minutes b4 our food to arrive when we came back.
The place was packed every single night there as was the best dam eatery in
town! Hell can only imagine what additional profits they would have made if
they they speed up the cooking process.
Then
next to Jasmine Curry House was the Reggae Bar which would become the main
joint that hung out to spend most of my time in Don Det as chilled out on the
cushions there while having the odd beer but mostly just smoking weed &
drinking water! But it was so fuckin chill as had hammocks to chill on and
pillows & low tables to hang around! There was also a board to dive / jump
into the river in the bar!!! Hell must have spent every day there just chillin,
reading and socializing with other travellers! So got to be friendly with a few
Swedes, Finnish and couple North Americans, etc. There was also Adam’s Bar next
door which also sold ganja drinks, pizzas & showed movies so could chill
there! But found the place a bit claustrophobic as the deck was small and
crowded so didn’t hang out there often but did buy a cool shirt there as kind
of reminded me of Don Det!!!
Hell
the place I was staying was cool to hang out at as spoke to the American Guy as
he seemed to have been there for about 3 or 4 months! Think he had an apt
outside BKK as he disliked living in the US as do a lot of Americans that meet
overseas! Heck don’t blame them cuz if I were an American hell I get my ass out
of there too cuz figure that place is just a country of Gun Toting Religious
Fanatics!!!
It
seemed most nights there were parties on the beach so a few nights I’d wander
down there. Cuz some times there was a DJ playing lots of tracks as everyone chilled
and sat in the sand drinking beer. It was a lot of fun and (maybe cuz we were
far enuf away from the mainland) we were all able to drink away until 3am even
tho the bars and restaurants closed at 10 pm a Laos law! It was probably the
only time on Don Det that maybe a party went on so late! lol When I went to use
their toilet I noticed that some people had remained in the main bar there and
were singing some very bad karaoke. Thank hell that shit was drowned out by the
DJ on the beach!!!
But
had to remember the reason I was hanging out for so long at Don Det/4000
Islands & that was to meet up with J! So I’d check online quite often to
see when or if J was coming to meet me in Don Det / 4000 Islands as we had
planned! But had to wait a while to get an email saying that J was hanging out
some village in central Laos but would be coming!
So I’d hang out at the Reggae Bar most of the day meeting all the cool chill peep! Met a bunch of Israelis who seemed to be there most every day playing chess, having a beer and of course smoking weed! It was funny cuz one day a couple of the Israeli's were playing chess and smoking weed of course! So 3 or 4 of us were watching (prob more just chilling there than watching) them play but fuk the game was so dam slow like it had been like 30 mins that we were waiting for one of them to make a move! But what was funny was everyone was so stoned that no one knew who's turn it was as I asked them who's move is it? So one guy said it was the other guy while the other guy thought it was the other guy's move!!! Fuk a Russian standoff as they would have prob sat there the rest of the day if I hadn't asked them cuz each guy was waiting for the other to move - the fuking douchebag stoners! LOL
What was cool was got to became a kind of a friend of one of the Israeli's who had made a cool Bamboo Bong which he let me use quite often as we hung out at the Reggae Bar! Well after a week or so the Israelis left Don Det and the dude gave me his Bamboo Bong! Hell what sucked was got his email address but accidently deleted it from my phone so didn’t have a way to keep in touch and thank him!! So I used the Bamboo Bong for another about week as shared it with other peep met there at the Reggae Bar! Then when I left Don Det I donated it to the Reggae Bar for anyone’s use! The funny thing was the day b4 leaving Don Det most peep smoke up or get rid of all their weed cuz the Cambodian border is only about a hr from Don Det & didn’t want to have any hassles at the border! Also most peep feel why take a sandwich/weed to a banquet which Cambodia is cuz they have their share of weed so no need to bring any into the country!
So I’d hang out at the Reggae Bar most of the day meeting all the cool chill peep! Met a bunch of Israelis who seemed to be there most every day playing chess, having a beer and of course smoking weed! It was funny cuz one day a couple of the Israeli's were playing chess and smoking weed of course! So 3 or 4 of us were watching (prob more just chilling there than watching) them play but fuk the game was so dam slow like it had been like 30 mins that we were waiting for one of them to make a move! But what was funny was everyone was so stoned that no one knew who's turn it was as I asked them who's move is it? So one guy said it was the other guy while the other guy thought it was the other guy's move!!! Fuk a Russian standoff as they would have prob sat there the rest of the day if I hadn't asked them cuz each guy was waiting for the other to move - the fuking douchebag stoners! LOL
What was cool was got to became a kind of a friend of one of the Israeli's who had made a cool Bamboo Bong which he let me use quite often as we hung out at the Reggae Bar! Well after a week or so the Israelis left Don Det and the dude gave me his Bamboo Bong! Hell what sucked was got his email address but accidently deleted it from my phone so didn’t have a way to keep in touch and thank him!! So I used the Bamboo Bong for another about week as shared it with other peep met there at the Reggae Bar! Then when I left Don Det I donated it to the Reggae Bar for anyone’s use! The funny thing was the day b4 leaving Don Det most peep smoke up or get rid of all their weed cuz the Cambodian border is only about a hr from Don Det & didn’t want to have any hassles at the border! Also most peep feel why take a sandwich/weed to a banquet which Cambodia is cuz they have their share of weed so no need to bring any into the country!
Hell
was really enjoying my stay on Don Det cuz it was so chilled and met so many
cool peep to hang out with that prob could have stayed there for months but
hell had to remember that was meeting up with J to carry on traveling to
Cambodia!! But hell was really getting into the life style on the Island as
thought that Don Det / 4000 Islands was the most chilled place I had ever been
to in the otherwise boring mainland SE Asia! Tho thought Cambodia was very cool
and fun when I had gone there a few years b4! But still felt that Don Det
matched and was a lot more chill and interesting to hang out than even the Cambodia
I visited a few years b4! But Don Det didn’t have the same edge, excitement,
danger that Cambodia had b4 ie peep carrying guns and even using them in broad
day light! So had to keep reminding myself just why & how long I was
hanging out there!
Anyway
waited about 10 days until J finally came and found me in the Reggae Bar! Hell was
excited and happy to see J again! But the feeling didn’t seem mutual as all J
told me was traveling with 2 American guys but wtf most peep meet & end up
travelling to Don Det cuz hell that’s why we travel which is to meet cool
interesting peep! But what kinda sucked was J didn’t seem so cool about hanging
out with me but was more interested in hanging with new friends which was OK! I
had checked out Don Det and the neighboring island Don Khong with a friend b4
as thought it was cool to see! So when J and the 2 Americans asked what there
was to do on Don Det well suggested checking out Don Khong! But shit thought
most peep after being on Don Det for 5 mins could figure out just what peep do
there - chill, smoke weed and hang out meeting other peep chilling! But the 2
guys were typical Americans as they were a bit paranoid and didn’t seem to indulge
like moi or others but seemed to be more into the sauce which they spoke about
frequently! Which seemed strange cuz couldn’t figure out why J a stoner like me
would be hanging out with a bunch of juicers!
But
the 4 of us did go to check out Don Khong as we rented bikes and went to a
waterfall to hang out and have a drink to chill! Also did go in the water at
one of the waterfalls which was cool! So by the time we were getting back to
Don Det it was getting dark! So we ran into some locals celebrating something
and they invited us to join them which we did! But the 2 American guys didn’t
stay long cuz they didn’t seem to mix in too well! While J & I were sharing
some drinks of whatever they were shit faced on and dancing! Hell the older Lao
women who were quite pissed and the Lao guys were playing the music and
supplying the drinks! When J and I left them we were feeling quite good as we
walked back to town! Dam it felt good to kind of party and hang out with J
again as we talked and walked back! But that was probably actually the last
time the 2 of us hung out until the end of our trip!
Later
that evening I went to the Reggae Bar as I usually did prob every evening cuz
it was probably the best place for a single person like me who enjoyed smoking
and meeting cool peep to hang out and enjoy themselves! Well J and the
Americans (ha ha sounds like a 60’s Pop Group) came in and started playing
chess and horsing around! So we all seemed to enjoy ourselves as the place
always had good vibes!
Then
the next morning I wandered by the bungalow J was staying to see what they were
doing and one of the Americans told me J was out checking buses to take to
Cambodia! So I wandered down and guess J saw me so called me to join them at
this restaurant! So somehow J and I managed to book ourselves on the same bus
out of Dodge/Don Det for the next morning! Also wanted to book a flight from
Cambodia to Philippines as had planned as we both still wanted to go! The
reason we were going to Cambodia (even tho I had been there b4 & enjoyed
the country was cuz there were no flights from Laos to Philippines or would
have done that instead!) So in my research well the cheapest ticket I could get
were tickets from Phnom Penh (in Cambodia) to Clark Field outside of Manila in
the Philippines for about $300 USD (just bought us 1 way tickets) which
although seemed expensive was the still the cheapest ticket could get was on
Tiger Airways! But what sucked was that about a 1 ½ hr flt the way a crow would
fly would take us 24 hrs by Tiger Airways! LOL Cuz our flight went from Phnom
Phenh in Cambodia to Singapore (cuz Tiger Airways is based there) so would have
to stay over night at Club Changi and the next morning take the flight on
to the Philippines! But I didn’t mind cuz heard that Changi Airport aka as Club
Changi cuz of it’s decadance & it also catered to pax who had to stay over
night and continue their flight the next day – which we would be doing!
I
was still busy on the computer as the restaurant cuz it had pretty good
internet connection unlike the other 2 or 3 Internet cafes on the Island! So J
went back to their bungalow while I headed to the Reggae Bar and J met up with
me later with the 2 American guys!
Well
it seemed the 2 Americans were brothers & they seemed nice but what really
surprised me was they didn’t seem to be the type that J would hang out with but
here was J following them around like a puppy dog! But who was I to care as it
was J’s business not really mine! Cuz about then well was starting to think wtf
are we even thinking about hanging out and traveling any more! Cuz it was
oblvious that we weren’t enjoying each other’s company which really sucked cuz
we were the best of friends back home which is why I asked J to join me on this
trip! We got along so well as we both didn’t give a shit about anything but
just enjoying ourselves which wasn’t seeming to be happening on this trip!
Anyway
hung out at the bar as met up with a few of the other travellers there like I
did everyday! When the Pop group of J and the Americans came to the Reggae Bar
later well they kind of kept to themselves playing chess and talking! So I
never did really get a chance to introduce them to the interesting travelers
that I met hanging out there! Hell one of the Swedish guys was interesting cuz
he was claimed to be the guy with the most allergies of anyone in Sweden
according to a newspaper in Sweden! Hell he was allergic to almost everything
from the sun, to water, etc. But what was interesting was when I was telling
him when I was in Mali in Africa well I became violently allergic to the heat
or something! So had to get the hell out of there to Lebanon cuz my allergies
were bugging the shit out of me! Well he told me hell man U’r allergic to Ur
sweat! Holy shit didn’t know U could be allergic to Ur sweat but it made sense
cuz when ever I was in the hot sun well I would end up scratching myself crazy!
But not knowing what it was well shit I went to my family doctor, an allergy
doctor, a skin doctor, a tropical disease doctor and finally in desperation to a
Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy who put me under hypnosis! But it all
contributed to my knowledge to make me realize that none of them cured me of my
ailment!! But when the Swedish dude told me that was probably allergic to my
sweat wow it made a lot of sense!
So
anyway would have been cool to have introduced J to the Swedish guys, a Swiss
sheep herder who was going to Mongolia to work (as thought J might enjoy
talking to him as J wanted to go to Mongolia to work while I wanted to go to
Mongolia but not necessarily to work cuz they pay like fuck all there so why
work??), a couple of Finnish peep, an American chick from North Cali who told
me all about a Reggae Fest going on there in the summer which want to check
out, a French dude who told me about Tonsai (a chill rock climbing beach
village in Southern Thailand) and a few others I really wanted J to meet but oh
well! I did get a chance to introduce J to a young Vancouver kid who was
nice! The reason I know is cuz think J ended up on the same bus out of Don Det
as him cuz found out later that J changed and went to Siem Reap (so seems that
J dumped the 2 American brothers so guess J figured hell they weren’t J’s type
to hang out with as guess I wasn’t either but wtf shit happens lol) where J
ended up staying for the rest of the trip but more on that later! So shit never
really got a chance to introduce them cuz J and the Americans were too busy
playing chess and keeping to them selves which was cool too as long as they
enjoyed themselves!
Anyway
the 2 Americans left the Reggae Bar while J hung around for awhile b4 also
leaving the Reggae Bar in the afternoon! So at least J chilled enuf to smoke
some weed but for a stoner didn’t do much cuz was kinda of paranoid or some
thing or so it seemed! While I’d do the same shit regardless of where I am cuz
don’t really drink but liked to smoke! But J did share a Ganja pizza with me at
the Reggae Bar which was cool!! Anyway J told me that the 2 Americans had
invited J to stay for free in Phonm Penh in Cambodia which kind of insinuated
that J was doing one thing so guess I wasn’t included cuz wasn’t invited to
stay with them! So that kind of sucked as it kind of hurt cuz the two of us
talked about doing this trip and then after about 3 weeks of a 12 week trip
well we separated and wouldn’t see or hang out anymore in SE Asia! Hell we
hadn’t even gone to a beach yet or seen the Philippines (originally had thought
of flying into Manila but thought might be cheaper to fly into and out of BKK
which we did)! But what really sucked and troubled me for the rest of my trip
was that was the last time J and I hung out on the trip until we met up in BKK
just b4 our flight took us back to Vancouver!
But
later was walking back to my bungalow as met this Chilean doctor chick who was
staying in the room next to mine! Well J and the Americans (maybe off to play a
Pop music gig LOL hell love that title!) were coming towards us but I didn’t
even get to say hi as J shoved my sleeping bag (which J used on the Hill Tribe
Trek and on the Terrace in Luang Prabang)! All J said was “I don’t want to
carry YOUR Sleeping bag any longer but wtf J used it not me” but never got a
chance to talk about who should carry it as I never got a chance to say a thing
cuz was a bit stunned by the event and a bit stoned (would U believe quite
stoned cuz why not as a person could get stoned on Don Det as it was all
harmless plus never saw any cops or anyone hassling us not to smoke, drink or
party while there cuz it’s super cool which is why loved hanging out there!!)
So
went back to my bungalow to take a shower and then headed back to the Reggae
Bar for the evening cuz wtf else did I do there?? But never saw J and the
Americans that night or again even tho the next morning we were all planning to
leave Don Det!
But
that night I got super wrecked cuz like everyone leaving Don Det they usually
smoke all their weed/stash or give their stash away! So since I was planning to
leave Don Det in the morning well that night I smoked / shared most of my most
of my stash (didn’t realize was going to leave the next day so had just bought
a bunch of it the day b4 from my dealer the bungalow owner where I was
staying!)!
Dam
the next day wasn’t feeling too lively as kind of slept in! But wtf didn’t
hurry cuz figured why even go on the same boat with J and the Americans cuz
well they were staying in free accommodations in Phnom Penh (didn’t realize
that J had changed destinations to go to Siem Reap so maybe we would have both
gone to Philippines but hey given the time spent together in Laos maybe was
best for both of us to enjoy ourselves) which meant that I wouldn’t be probably
hanging out with them (not that I really cared given how J was acting towards
me but hell it still sucked but
hell I believe in everyone doing what they want to do cuz when I travel don’t
usually give a shit!!). But kinda later found a file that think J accidently
left on my computer which really kinda of bothered me cuz every thing that J
told me seemed liked so much BS! Hell J had written:
“i was suppose to go to
phillipines, indonesia, borneo and south thailand, but since coming to siem
reap, cambodia i have been having to good of a time--been here for one month
and will stay till i leave---“. Also “well next time i will go to borneo, i had
a ticket already paid to go to phillipines but just said fuck it, but i really
wanted to go to borneo, seems so beautiful and wild, and not spoiled by
tourists”!
Hell talk about feeding me
a bunch of bull shit as J oblviously didn’t care if it bothered me or why leave
the file on my computer as WILL NEVER FORGET READING THAT! Hell J had told me b4
that didn’t want to go to Borneo cuz was too conservative as lots of muslims
but didn’t notice that when went there! But hell figure when someone does
shit like that and kind of BS’s about it well that’s Bad Karma and will
probably come back and affect them one day! Insha’allah
Anyway
didn’t make the boat as planned as didn’t hurry so missed it! But what really sucked
was that day I had no more weed cuz smoke or had gotten rid of all mine! (dam
had I turn into such a big Stoner as that??) But what was cool & another
reason didn’t mind missing the boat was the Reggae bar was having a big all-day
party on a random island outside of town so I decided to go. The boat was
leaving around 11 am which I could make but like Reggae Bars all over the world
there’s no accurate timing that’s strictly enforced! But glad decided to check
it out cuz it was a lot of fun with lots of food, liquor and of course lots of
weed as one dude kept rolling up some big ass spiffs (a joint which candy assed
light weight weed smoking Europeans smoke with cannabis and tobacco tho dislike
smoking them cuz the tobacco gives me a dam headache plus it so dam weak! Hell
North Americans smoke straight weed and so what if we get fucking stoned cuz
after all isn’t that why we smoke?? Jamacians call it a Spiff too but it’s
usually only weed in the spiff!) Had seen or met most of the 30 peep in the
Reggae Bar!
But
thought should leave the next day since had plane tickets to go to the
Philippines so better get my black ass over to Phonm Penh to spend a week in
Cambodia b4 heading to the Philippines! So the day after J and the Americans
left well left myself on the boat to the mainland and then on a 6 or 7 hrs bus
ride to Phnon Penh!
Btw
still didn’t have a camera to use so sorry but U’ll have to check out these
pics of Don Det in the 4000 Islands! Yeah I know all the pics belong to some
other dude but wtf U still get an idea of what the place looks like! LOL
Oh
forgot but one day was playing with what I thought was my fuked up camera &
wtf it worked so like I did take a couple pics while chilling in Don Det! So
may include a couple of pics of moi!
So
even tho had some downer times waiting and hanging with my friend J (who
started this trip with lol) in Don Det. Well have to say that Don Det was such
a real cool chill place that was probably the best and only chill place in S E
Asia until went to Tonsai in southern Thailand but more about that later in my
blog! LOL ! Another thing that really sucked was I got all these email /
contact addresses of cool travellers met in Don Det who wanted to keep in touch
with but shit I accidently deleted them from my phone! Hell was so dam pissed
at myself for weeks cuz now wouldn’t have any way to contact them cuz shit I
didn’t give them my email as said I’d email them and then they’d have mine!
What a major fuk Up that was LOL!!!
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