Champassak Province
Pakse, located at the confluence of the Se and Mekong Rivers, is the capital of Champassak Province. The Province is home to Wat Phu, a pre-Angkor Temple. Wat Phu (mountain temple) dates back to the 5th century and was built by Khmer Hindus on the site of a fresh water spring.
Today's road trip would end in Muang Khong, the largest island in the Khong district, known as the "Four Thousands Islands" of Southern Laos.
Away from the hotel at 7:00am (a person really needs a vacation after an active vacation like this) for the short drive to a river for a short ferry ride across. My heart sank at the sight of the "ferry," a small, little wood motorized raft with motorcyles and people just standing on it with nothing to hold on to!
But then a nice big ferry appeared, life jackets were passed out it was our turn to get on, sharing with a large Pepsi Cola truck
Pepsi and us safely off the ferry, everyone jumped into tuk-tuks to visit Wat Phu about 5 miles away. If you have already visited Angkor Wat, Wat Phu is a major disappointment. If you haven't, it was semi-interesting. I liked the setting of this temple...up the hill...between massive, sweet-smelling Frangipani (similar to Plumeria) trees in bloom....on some scary, uneven, stone steps. inside Wat Phu was a large, colorfully dressed Buddha...View image...
Mr. Sa escorted us around the different ruins, inside the main temple...View image...to the source of the spring...and a ritual sacrifice area with carved rocks resembling a crocodile, naga and elephant. Although the original temple was built by Khmer Hindus, it later became Buddhist.
Back in the tuk-tuks to pick up pre-ordered sandwiches from a little restaurant, short museum stop and down to a private boat for a five-hour ride down the Mekong to "Four Thousand Islands" arriving around sunset.
One more village, where some older women chewing betel nuts, gave a fast demonstration with her personal betek nut cutter...View image...and other women were making candles from beeswax for an upcoming festival.
