The land border between Laos and Cambodia is just a dusty little town filled with dollar noodles and stalls selling batteries and flip flops. Yet just beyond in each country are two little gems worth a day or two stop whilst traveling overland. Southern Laos possesses the 4,000 islands, also known as Siphandon. A riverine archipelago in the Mekong, most of the islands were submerged due to heavy rains. Yet the three largest and only inhabited islands remained, all encircled by cheap waterside bungalows adorned with hammocks. A good book and a fruit shake were the order of the day, a welcome retreat from weeks of daily activity. Of historical interest, Siphandon was the French’s last attempt to create a trade route between Southeast Asia and China. Some signs of their efforts remain, including an abandoned railroad and bridge connecting the islands of Don Khone and Don Det, which can be viewed during a bicycle ride around the islands. Relaxing alongside the racing Mekong was a fitting way to conclude our visit in Laos, a country so firmly connected with the mighty river that runs its length.
The bus ride to Cambodia was excessively long, thanks to a two hour stop at the border and a blown tire. Cambodia’s landscape differs greatly from Laos and Thailand with flat rice fields extending for miles dotted by coconut and palm trees. Most striking are the acres of burned tree-stumps, a harsh introduction to destructive logging in Cambodia. After hours on a bus blasting Cambodian karaoke dvds, we arrived in Kratie, Cambodia (pronounced Krachay) with a pink sunset as our much deserved reward.
The riverside town of Kratie is famous its endangered fresh-water Irrawaddy Dolphins, of which less than 75 remain. In early morning, we ventured by boat to their feeding area, where we turned off the motors to wait and listen for the spray of their blow holes and the flash sightings of their flippers or distinct flat-nosed heads. The game of waiting for the dolphins to appear in the quiet of the river was enchanting. We were surprised to have seen so many given their dwindling populations yet we only managed a few fleeting pictures of them below.
beautiful as always. You guys are rock stars!