Saturday, Feb 16, 2008

We arrived yesterday late afternoon by moto, bus, bus, boat, bus, bus, boat (that's 4 buses and 2 boats!) to Si Phon Don, a small group of islands located in the area of the Mekong River known as "4,000 Islands."

The first thing that happened to us when we exited our personal boat that was ready for us on the mainland was.. nothing. And surprisingly so! It was unbelievable that no one would beg us to stay at their bungalow, or rent their bikes or force us to make a rash decision on where we might want to eat, drinks, stay, or how to get around. I knew I was going to love this place; and I have so much so far.

Johanneke and I walked around the island and sat on a bridge (connecting Don Det to Don Khone) to rest. There I ran into Oefie, an Irish woman who I had met in Saigon not four and a half weeks earlier! Small world. We arranged a time to meet for dinner and then we met up with the Joe's from Ban Lung, from two nights before. What a great time. Also, this is the rice pudding over here: chocolate, coconut, hidden bananas, and probably condensed milk and rice:


Si Phon Don, more specifically, Don Det pretty much equals "nothing to do but relax." Not finding a bungalow with a hammock is impossible. This should give you an idea of the laid-back-ness of this place. For some it is a haven for illicit drug use and happy shakes, but for others (myself included) it is perf for the max relax.

Our first full day was spent bike riding, coincidentally bumping into the Joes again, around the island of Don Det and crossing the Bridge to nearby Don Khone. This island boasts a very large series of tumbling waterfalls, which, after blowing out one of my tires and returning it for a replacement I really enjoyed. I could not keep up with the number of waterfalls and cascades; each time I walked 10 meters down the river there were 15 more waterfalls: some small, others large, some immediately close, and others 100 meters off on the horizon. It was a remarkable place.
From there we rode to a small and private beach. I scrambled some rocks and soaked up some sun. We returned back to Don Det's "city center," but not before stopping an enjoying--at length--a delicious lunch, including many pastries from The Bakery.

The bike ride was draining and so we retired. Hammock lazing is great.

Now I am on the porch of my bungalow, watching the greens darken as the sun sets not wanting to leave this place. So I don't think I will just yet.