C & C globetrotting around the world…

We entered Laos by land and got a visa at the border, heading for the “4000 Islands”. This is a region in the Mekong river where the river widens and there are lots of small islands sprinkled everywhere. We arrived to Don Det island and stayed at one of the bungalows of “Paradise Guesthouse”. The terrace overlooking the river with hammocks to hang around in looked idyllic. The island is car-less and there are only a couple of motorbikes driving around. People just come here to relax, so we did just that. Actually, we performed some of the mandatory exercises for “Paradise”: page-turning, hammock-swinging and stair-climbing (to the bungalows on stilts). Very strenuous work! Actually the bungalows on stilts the families live in are very interesting. The upstairs is for sleeping and during floods, but daily life goes on underneath it usually, so it is their way of having a 2-storey house.

We also walked around in the fields. We eventually ended up on the other side and watched the sunset from there while sipping coconut & banana shakes on the terrace. The island was very quiet, except in the morning hours when we would have liked to sleep. The screaming kids, crowing roosters and loud boat engines roars wake you up at the crack of dawn. One day we rented some bikes and headed out to tour the islands passed rice paddies, water buffaloes and to some waterfalls. We only stayed for 3 nights, but most people spend at least two weeks there.