Chilling in Don Khone

We woke late this morning - 7am! but we didn't have to rush off anywhere so were able to lie in bed and watch life on the Mekong float by. School children in crisp white shirts zipped by in long-tail boats past our window. The rat a tat of the loose wooden planks of the tiny bridge on the opposite side of the river as bicycles and mopeds crossed it on their way to work. The smell of smoke as someone lights their fire nearby to boil their water for breakfast. Papa and his three children wash in the river, playing at the same time. It made us wonder whether any of the tiny children ever inadvertently end up drifting down stream. What a chilling thought.

A quick breakfast and we're back on our bikes to continue exploring. Don Ket today. The same disused railway track we took yesterday goes in the opposite direction over an arched bridge which was the first ever built to straddle the Mekong. The river at this point is probably only about 200m. Cycling around here is just great. Bumpy little tracks and sandy paths transport you along the river or through the rice paddies. Giant roadside bamboos creak in the breeze and local people go about their business but always taking time to say Sabadee. One track took us alongside a small tributary of the great river and we decided to stop for a while. We walked down to the river's edge and happened across a family of water buffalo's bathing in the cool waters. It was incredible to see them all there and to be so close to them. There was a lot of interacting with each other. Just one bull and several cows and calves. The bull was definitely in charge and when he said 'out you get' they all did. We were very envious of their wallowing in the cool water as it was so hot. Time for a beer then and on we went.

The beer's very good in Lao. Beer Lao is quite famous internationally now but we have discovered Nam Khong beer here in the south which is equally as good if not better.

Shortly after we stopped for a spot of lunch on the riverside. No sooner had we sat down and there was a great deal of excited chatter coming from a couple of canoes on the river. We learnt as they approached the bank that they'd found a river snake. It was incredibly long and yellow (we ascertained this from afar). It disappeared into the back of the restaurant where presumably the family will feast tonight or it will appear on someone's plate in the restaurant as chicken or pork!

Well we'd cycled both islands so we took ourselves back to our floating bungalow and settled into deckchairs on our little balcony to wait for the sunset. The end of another part of our wonderful trip as tomorrow we fly to the capital Ventiane.

Will add more photos soon, promise.