Day 72! On the road again! Today we’re departing from the quiet and calm island town of Don Det and heading back north to Pakse. It ended up being a very nice day which you’re about to find out more about!

I’ve gotten in an interesting rhythm since coming into Laos and getting food poisoning. I’ve been going to bed early and then waking up very early.

So with my body saying it was time to get up, I started my day at 7am! I cleaned up the room, packed my bags, and went outside to pay for my 4 nights in the dreamy town of Don Det!

After paying and thanking my hosts, I set off down the quiet roads of the islands. Only some locals were up at this time and majority of them were kids groggily heading to school for the day.

I thought it was so adorable seeing all the little friend groups heading over together and these two kids in particular embracing each other as they headed to their school!

I made it to the pier where I started my journey on Don Det and I couldn’t help but get a little sad that I was leaving. I really enjoyed my time relaxing here and I’m sure I’ll be back to enjoy its escape soon enough!

I also felt a bit nervous as a boat approached and I needed to go down a steep sandy hill, over sketchy pieces of wood, and onto a very small wooden boat… without falling into the water.

After taking a deep breath, I picked my feet up, let gravity and a bit of gas take me down the hill, and a few bumps later I had made it safely onto the small ferry!

It was only a 15-20 minute ride to the other ferry port that I had entered Don Det from. And here lied another challenge.

This challenge was getting off the boat, onto a sandy beach, and up a very steep wooden path! I put my bike into second gear and hoped for the best. I sailed down a wooden plank into the shallowest part of the water and up the sand I went. Slipping around until I got to the steep ramp! Here I had to put my bike into first gear and still I was almost struggling to get up, but in the end I successfully made it up safe and sound!

At the top I rewarded myself by calling my Bubbie (my grandmother) and singing her happy birthday for her 90TH BIRTHDAY! It’s amazing how in different time zones and continents, technology can still allow us to see each other face to face and still celebrate a special occasion! I love you lots and lots Bubbie!

After wrapping up on the phone, I found the nearest gas station and filled up for the journey ahead of me.

Google map decided to start off the journey by taking me down a loose gravel and dirt road for multiple kilometers…

I took these first few kilometers nice and slow making sure I wasn’t sliding around too much. Eventually I made it to the road I came in on originally and I was basically riding that all the way to Pakse!

The scenery was all one I had seen before, but I welcomed it because it was still very beautiful! For the first half of the ride, there were plenty of long, dry fields and herds of cattle.

Luckily today, the ride started off cloudy which cut a lot of the morning heat. But that of course changed as we kept going!

Halfway through the drive I stopped for gas! This ride was only 2.5 hours long and the halfway point was around 70 kilometers.

The first gas station I tried to stop at ended up not being open… and there appeared to be some sort of early morning party going on. I wanted to take a picture because there were easily 100 people hanging out at long tables enjoying each other’s company. But I didn’t want to be rude. I’ve seen a lot of these “parties” as I’ve driven through Laos so far and I’m not sure what they’re for yet!

Soon after though, I found an open gas station and topped off my tank so I could finish the ride without needing gas again!

Not long after the gas station, I passed by a side of the road barber shop… I thought, why the heck not, I’m in no rush! Turned around and parked my bike…

Unfortunately the man told me no… I guess I’ll have to wait to get a haircut till some other time

Less than an hour later I rolled into Pakse and found a place to escape the heat and eat some food! I took a wrong turn trying to find this restaurant and ended up in a very busy market that the traffic was at a dead halt. Once I got through that, I sat down and ate a very yummy meal of beef, rice, and a fried egg!

They also gave me a small bowl of soup that was very delicious.

While I ate I decided where I was going to stay and ended up going with a place my friends Charolette and Justine stayed at a couple nights prior.

I arrived at Via Pakse Hostel, paid 105,000 Kip for a bed for the night, and then immediately set out to find a place to do my laundry.

It didn’t take long as there was one just down the road. The place was run by a nice man from Belgium and his wife who’s from Pakse!

I then went back to my hostel and took a nice Power Nap before taking a 7 minute walk to a nearby gym!

I’ve been really missing the gym! It’s been way too long since my last workout and I am on a mission to pick back up the pace with my workouts. For the rest of my time in Laos, I’m going to make a point to find a gym whenever I’m in a city where one can be!

The gym for one day cost 30,000 Kip (just over $1) and it was super nice! It was in a strange location and was on the 3rd floor of an almost empty building. The bottom of which was a small shopping mall!

On my walk back I made a slight detour and passed by one of Pakse’s landmarks, Wat Luang! This is a very beautiful and ornate temple in the middle of the city!

I took a shower and then was craving food. So I wandered around till I found something. It was at an odd time, just before the dinner hour, so it took a few tries to find something open. But eventually I found a winner and devoured a plate of crispy chicken and rice!

I then went back to my hostel, hopped on my motorbike, and rode through the city and up a large hill towards another major landmark in Pakse.

After an 18 minute ride, I arrived at Wat Phousalao. This is a very large golden Buddha overlooking the city and the Mekong River! It’s also a prime destination for watching the sun set, which you all probably know by now that I’m a sucker for!

I ended up sitting and watching the sunset for just under an hour! I couldn’t catch it on my camera, but the sun had a stunning gradient from orange to purple.

There were lots of locals and tourists enjoying the sunset and Buddha as well and plenty who were using the steep hill up to the Buddha as a walking and running path!

After the sun set, I made my way back to the hostel before it got too dark! I wasn’t hungry quite yet, so for the next hour, I read more of the book I’m currently enjoying!

Once my stomach started grumbling again, I set out to see if my laundry was finished and to find dinner!

My laundry wasn’t yet done so I walked to a nearby Indian restaurant I had spotted earlier, but at that time it was closed! When I arrived this time it was open and had a number of locals and tourists enjoying its food!

For 80,000 Kip ($4), I FEASTED on two large and piping hot samosas… which I definitely burned the inside of my mouth on. Then dove into a large piece of naan with a tomato based curry with peas and tofu!

I thoroughly enjoyed this meal and ate until I couldn’t eat any more. I then paid and walked back over to see if my laundry was now done and it was! So I paid 40,000 Kip ($2) and headed back to the hostel to pack it up!

I then called it a night and laid in bed listening to nearby live music through the walls of the hostel, which was actually superb!

I think I’ve decided to head to Savannakhet tomorrow because there’s not much for me to do if I stay in Pakse another day. So instead, I’ll just take my time as I drive to my next town on my list!

A bit of a downer of the day, when I was at the laundromat I was talking with the owners and picking their brain on if I could get my motorbike into Thailand… and their answer was just the same as everyone else’s but with a few more details. They said it’s impossible to get a Vietnamese motorbike into Thailand… and potentially the only way would be if it was 250cc and in your name… which mine is neither of those things.

Hope isn’t lost yet as I have 3 weeks to figure this out! But I’m going to have to start thinking about the possibility of selling Kilby here in Laos. Until then, I’ll keep doing research and asking questions! It’s not the end of the world, but I am definitely still hoping I can continue riding through another country!

I guess only time will tell and no need fretting about it quite yet!

– Elie