Ok so I lied. There was a very boring day 8 as expected- the ride from Thakhet to Pakse was both boring and packing some danger. Potholes, trucks, and strong cross winds do not mix well – not for 7hours anyhow.

But day 9 perked me up and I found some places worth a look if you travel this way.

First up the Buddha statue and pagoda overlooking Pakse. A gem of a place. Great views down on Pakse and the Mekong. It also has another hundred or so Buddha statues lurking in various poses. A bell and gong for prayers and a couple of small shrines (Hindu maybe?). Well wieth a look and only about 5km out of town.

After that I stayed west of the Mekong down to (Wat) Vat Phou. The current ruins are connected with ruins of an older Angkor period city. This city/temple(Laos), Angkor Wat (Cambodia) and a third in Thailand (name?) were connected by road and served as a trade route. Strong resemblance to Angkor Wat temples.

Then onwards again I caught a ferry across the Mekong. I had to hire the whole thing myself ($10) as I was not keen to put my bike in a small just to see if it made it to the other side! Ferry’s are always fun on a bike ride, so value for money!

Lastly I stopped about 10km short of the border crossing at Khone Pheapheng Waterfall. Allegedly the widest water fall in the world, but who knows. At over 10km wide, islands included perhaps, it is impressive. This is also the section where the famous 4000 islands are. I didn’t cross over – for another time perhaps!

Finally the border crossing back to Cambodia. Border staff and customs were in a grumpy mood but little drama. Another $5 to export the bike, $2 for a stamp and then nothing paid in Cambodia which is a miracle of no small matter!

So that’s it for Laos, all done and dusted. Back in Cambodia where I at least found another beerlao to reminisce with!

Catch you for the next adventure.👊