So the journey continues. After 4 days of indolence, of sheer indulgent laziness I am now in Pakse trying to assimilate the "vibe" of a large and vibrant Lao city. This means lots of dust and oppressive humidity powered by intense heat. By comparison my stay in Tad Lo was paradise. The little village has become a very special place for me. After the first night I moved into the Famdee Guesthouse. Its's a new one since I was there last. It is run by a French guy by the name of Louis (pronounced Lewys in the french way). I think he is a close friend of the Austrian guy who used to make organic coffee. Anyway Louis is now making the coffee and the Austrian guy is in Vientianne. I know where I'd rather be. The atmosphere in Tad Lo is incredibly relaxed. If you just sit in one place for a full day you actually get to see the true rythmn of the place. It is very subtle but there is a definite storey churning out each day. I got a very nice and deep feel for the community and how it operated over the four days that I mooched from resteraunt to coffee stand to water fall to resteraunt etc. In the morning there is a steady drift of kids toward school always impeccably dressed in the required uniform, sisters and brothers would ferry younger siblings on the back of the ubiquitous Honda Wave. No one wearing helmets confident in thier community that traffic would not hurt them. Later in the morning after the guesthouses have finished thier breakfasts and those that were leaving have gone, Senior women (those that run the guesthouses) would gather at a resteraunt, usually Louis's and discuss the day and any matter that needs sorting. One day it was about the water going off and who was going to fix it down at the bridge. They would sit and chat, drink excellent coffee and smoke these huge and horrible cigar-ettes hand rolled from what looked like banana leaves! It was quite magnificent to watch all this. The women would move away to prepare for lunches and Louis would have a nap in the hammock. After lunch is siesta time. All the locals lie down and have a nap. I joined them. Late in the afternoon the new tourists would start to arrive and they would filter through selecting the assorted guesthouses for the night. They have this air of expectation and fear that there will be no room at the inn. No worries there is always somewhere no matter how basic. The prices are all within the most strained of budget. Once the sun sinks the resteraunts begin to fill with new and old clients consuming spring rolls and other delights. "Mamapaps" is always full and the new clients sit there in shock as MamaPap delivers huge meals stacked high that they will never be able to consume. She never changes the portions. It is always gargantuan. By 8:30 everyone has ordered food. By 9:30 everyone has finished thier food and generally people move off to bed. All the locals are well asleep. That's the rythmn of the day. Wonderful. I wallowed in this for four days. This is the reason that Tad Lo will always be a destination for me. It is still off the beaten track and people have to be resourceful to get here. You have either to hire a bike or struggle valiantly with buses to be found 2 kilometers on the main road (some way away). On my second day I got a bit of a taste of what could be once the message gets out... 4 absolutely huge and very packed luxury buses turned up in convoy. One was full of Koreans, one full of Vietnamese and the other 2 I did not look at. They were all gawping at us tourists/hippies lying around reading and whatnot. I thought "Oh No this does not look good" the face of time and the future. So don't tell too many people about this place and maybe it will keep it's essential quietness.
As I said before I' m now in Pakse. I am here to get a service on the bike and then I'm off to the 4,000 Islands. I have contacted the place I have stayed before and they have a room for me. I hope it is the same hut as before..... paradise. More chillin coming up folks
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