What a stunning place. Very posh in some respects, thriving
on tourism from France, as this place is teeming with French money, buildings,
people and history. The streets are few and the layout of the town is very
simple along the banks of the Mekong, and a large tributary, the NamKhan.
We spent a quiet evening drinking a few beers at a river
side bar with Eric, French guy we met on the boat, and two Ausies who were
recovering from Tubing adventures to the south.
30th Oct.
Epic adventures today, we set out this morning at a modest
hour, blue skies above, to find decent coffee and cheap breakfast. After
wandering the main drag, we were approached by a local guy organizing a mini
van to the nearby waterfalls, highly recommended. We calculated this as the
cheapest way to get there (as Im not one to opt for the 29km road on a
bicycle).
So with a little time to spare we sat down to some Lao beef
noodle soup which was the best Ive had so far, and only about $4nzd, before
heading to gather necessities at our guesthouse. Along the way we find Eric;
from the boat, and convince him to join us. The ride took around half an hour,
and as we started up the hill toward the sound of water, we find a seemingly frozen
lake, the colors were incredible, and the water not too cold.
We continued to climb, stopping at each level of pristine
lake and falls to snap photos and wonder at the fairyland like area. The clay
steps grew steeper and more leaf covered, we trudged on, occasionally wondering
where we were headed apart from up. At long last we arrived at a glade of
sorts, turned a corner and there in the sunlight, before a small waterfall (not
the origin of the larger one we had just been admiring) stood a large grey ox.
Eyes staring nervously at us as we again gathered photographic evidence we had
been there and seen that, before turning around and heading back to the main
(and obvious) path.
Eventually we came across the ridge of the waterfall, wide
and about knee deep, we make for the other side, gingerly using the wooden
fence craftily and only just itself clinging to the edge of the falls. The
colors of the rock, grey blue, and the clear fresh waters rushing over bare
feet, gripping for hold in the path across the top.
At the other side we crane our necks, perched from the
outstretching arms of trees looking down into the waterfalls valley, we glimpse
people swimming in a hidden pool a ways below the top. So on we go,, in search
of this magical swimming spot. At the wooden stairs I walked right past the
sign saying ‘do not swimming’ in large white on blue. Another tourist told us
he saw the others head straight on across, rather than down as the stairs were
leading us. Hesitant moments later we were going straight on past that sign,
into the waterfall.
Bag and body getting drenched, clinging to the surprisingly
not so slippery rocks that maintain a serene color while water hurries over the
smooth curved surfaces, we made it through some of the main streams of water.
At roughly 300meters above where we started, we spied bags, shoes and other
signs of habitants. Over the lip of another rock we hear ‘jump, do a bomb’, and
so we did. Into the frigid starry blue water of a hidden, deep and breath
taking (literally got winded from that jump) pool.
After spending a while soaking in the surroundings, we made
our way back to our soaked bags and back to the stairs. Shivering and elated at
our adventure, we walked back to the main viewing area, necks bent looking up
into the curtains of water fidning where we had just been, a mere dot in the
distance looking up at a multitude of waterfalls.
The journey back was quick with pretty views and a mellow
sky. Everything about laos emanates a cruisiness in life that reminds me of
small kiwi towns. We met up with a few people for dinner, chatting away with
ausies and brits, getting recognized as the girl from Dali by other travelers,
and finding the bad music at bars around town to be a good reason for an early
night and a way to save money by avoiding it.
