It' s always the perceptions that do not correspond to reality. They generate the biggest surprises.

The so-called southern bus stop in Pakxe is located far to the east of the city. So the person who gave it its name was kidding. Or, by judging the Laotians who are not really known for absurd humor, someone has been absent in the geography lesson.

 

Sorry, no bus

So, in the literal sense, it means a "bus" stop, which might indicate that buses run here. Another conception that is not fulfilled. I had figured, then, that there would be a bus, one like the last two days, but there is no such bus at Kilometer 18. In retrospect, I understand the smirk of the ticket official. He acknowledges my question about a bus with a broad grin. "Sorry, no bus, only TukTuk."

And so the day starts with an unplanned, but surprising and wonderful ride.

Today I want to reach the southernmost point of my journey - Si Phan Don - the 4000 islands. Let's see what's waiting for me.

 

Pickup to the South
Packed to the South
Full or not?
Full? Or not?

In the minibus to the south

Instead of the phantom bus, a TukTuk will take me south. It is in fact a wrong expression, because the so-called TukTuk turns out to be a kind of pickup truck with a covered loading area, already teeming with women, children, hens and countless pieces of luggage in all sizes.

The question of where someone like me might find a seat in this chaos is almost desperate, but I notice that there is still a vacant seat at the back, just perfect for me. So, with apologetic words, I squeeze myself in between the ladies ready to leave with their children and bags and sit down on the few square centimeters that are just barely available.

 

Opera Buffa

It takes quite a while until departure. Until then - cabaret, Opera Buffa, Laotian-style satire. A wonderful presentation of the Asian art of producing a lot out of a little, and all that with a lot of noise and gesticulating and laughing and cursing. Just imagining how a similar event might play out in our latitudes raises doubts. Have we forgotten all that? Out of sheer optimization, hectic pace, control mania? I don't know, like so much ...

Now, at the departure, a good 25 people, including children and a boy with trisomy, sit in this truly small vehicle. His mother deals with it quite naturally, does not lose her composure for a moment, not even when the boy starts leaning up against the women sitting next to him or even sometimes makes a child cry. In this case, too, the different, culturally conditioned behavior is clearly noticeable, and once again it becomes clear why only one's own experience, the 1:1 observation provides true insights.

Everything else is fiction.

I almost feel a bit sorry for the car, as you can almost hear the protesting moans of the suspension. But the vehicles are designed for these kinds of loads; even the most brutal treatment won't make them back down.

 

The meandering monster

And so the four hours pass. Sitting motionless without the opportunity to stretch the legs or the limbs is quite tiring. After a while, my butt starts to ache, but I nevertheless feel that the ride is just right this way.

I wouldn't want to miss it for anything in the world.

We keep driving along the Mekong. Visible in the distance as a glittering brightness, the river waves to us every few kilometers as if welcoming us. My fellow passengers care little, for them it is something commonplace, even though the river affects their existence in every way. At this point it has become broader and more massive, and the first signs can already be seen that it will soon become a meandering monster, a monster split into countless limbs and tributaries.

 

Mekong meander
Is that still a river?

And then we arrive at our destination. A quarter of an hour of confusion, until everyone has gathered their belongings, their children and grandmothers, and the waiting relatives have been greeted.

However, it is now a matter of getting to the islands via the Mekong, hardly recognizable as a river at this point. There are different boats, varying in age and reliability. The wooden boat with which I am being transported with a few other fearless passengers between countless islands and islets to Don Khon does not look as if it might survive many a summer, but the trip is great.

 

A great trip between the islands

The engine chugs along loudly and irregularly as we surrender to the fantastic surroundings. Passing huge trees extending into the water, inhabited and uninhabited, large and tiny islands, we leisurely approach one of the two main islands, Dom Khon.

 

Mekong at the 4000 islands
This is indeed the Mekong
Birds on the shore
A welcome committee
The first buildings over the water
Buildings above the Water
Houses over the Mekong
I feel fine already

Dom Khon

So this is the southernmost point of the trip (except for a few kilometers I plan to do tomorrow), Dom Khon, the somewhat neglected sister island of Dom Det.

But for how long will it remain like this? Building, hammering and sawing is underway on every corner. New bungalows, new restaurants, new entertainment miles for the endless ocean of insatiable tourist souls that will one day stroll along these places. Everything beautiful must go, it seems.

 

The "main street" on Dom Khon
The "main street" on Dom Khon

I follow the "main road", the watchful eye on what awaits me here. I like it, I like it very much. Eventually, after attentive searching, I find a bungalow that corresponds exactly to my ideas. It is obvious that an exceptionally pretty young lady plays a role in the rental. It seems that I urgently need to activate my long-forgotten flirting skills.

 

Pretty lady at hotel
My hotel manager - old feelings are awakened

P.S. Matching Song:  The Smiths - This Charming Man

And here the journey continues ...

 

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