Chilled day today, at Happy Bar, writing sunbathed but too hot, watched Kings,an which was good, everyone sat around.  Then ate at Sevanthanek again, yummy fried beef with garlic and pepper.   

Happy to just sit today. 

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Don Det is one of three main island people live on and visit in this area.  It was like nothing I’d experienced before and I loved it – so did Bex!  In fact, everyone did!

It was local and village like, cut off from the mainland and other islands other than hours of travel to get there.   There were wooden homes on stilts (flooding) over areas of land for a buffalo, pig, chickens and ducks, dogs and cats and children to run around in.

There was a school at one end, away from the tourist centre by the dock area for ease of getting in and out, and a village itself nearby.  The children were all ages, and came and went along the paths as we moved around exploring or wandering.

There were rice fields up that end too, on the sunset side of the island where we stayed – me at Happy hostel and Bex at one lower down, that I’d looked at but didn’t book, with individual wooden huts set back off the river bank.  Happy Place had huts right on the river but no air don in there, although there were hammocks that I got to try when one was empty!  Bex had a hammock outside on her veranda too which, one day, I just fell asleep in and it was heavenly!

I wandered round, followed the path around the island, and met Bex coming the other way, after the boat meeting, and that’s when we planned our trip out!

We also went out one night on the circular path – no lights at all and a small torch each, which Bex lent me as I didn’t have one!   It was spooky and even dangerous sort of – falling off the path into water filled rice fields, meeting unsuspectingly a water buffalo on the path or other people coming by – even a bike speeding by at one point!   Then we saw fireflies lighting up and bouncing around under the trees around the path – that was lovely, pretty and something Bex had apparently wanted to see!

We ate one night on the sunrise side of the island, again going round in the dark but shorter than the whole way gong around the top near the docking area, and ate a great BBQ meat meal made by an Aussie and his Laos wife.  We chatted, learned and enjoyed the meal.   We found that the water here went the other way to that on ‘our’ side of the island!  How?  It seems it was a tributary broken up by the island and along the side rather than the long end!  But it was weird!

We also found the bar and an hotel I found with a pool but eventually didn’t venture in it, but used the very basic loo until I got back!  

It was interesting, different, fun and Happy was how everyone seemed and relaxed.  Reggae bars, happy shakes, space cake and splifs were found here and there, and the most relaxed, chilled place I’ve ever been!  We were sad to leave.

Although drugs are illegal in Laos as well as Thailand, the locals no doubt took part (and also cock fighting I think with handsome cocks held under open covers planted over them on the ground in some homes) as well as the young travellers and local settlers.   I met some great people, ate lovely food, saw stunning sunsets and relaxed more than anywhere else for the five or six days we stayed.

Then back to the mainland and reality on the boat, much more steady and aware this time and still chilled so nothing was difficult like on the way in!