Done Detting

From the caves south to a mystical place called the four thousand islands. Though relatively close looking on a map, this area is quite far from Kong Lo, and rendered further feeling by the hellish sauna of a busride. To make matters slightly less tolerable, a four hour stop at a unbearably bad concert ensues. After arrival on Don Khong, the largest of the islands, eat rice soup filled with ants(bonus protein) and get a boat to Don Khon, a very similarly named yet smaller island. The attitude is relaxed in the extreme, and joint toking hippies covered in dreads wander the streets barefoot, sabaidee-ing each other and cooking pizza in homemade barrel stoves.

Apart from the dope, the islands are beautiful, and lounging in the sun feels like being hit with hot sticks. After a ten minute session, a slick of sweat worthy of the pastiest northern traveler adorns most people. Street vendor samosas satiate hunger, and a kayaking trip rounds out the experience of southern Laos by showing  some of the Irrawady freshwater dolphins. Also included are some waterfalls, one of which is the "Niagara" of Southeast Asia, meaning that it has more water flow over it than any other. A return to the isle and a penchant for wanting to help leads to aiding the carrying of a three and a half ton electricity transformer strapped to a bunch of bamboo. Sore shoulders ensue, but a midnight dip in a moonlit Mekong helps to soothe any pain felt and a couple beer lao later sleep embraces us all.