The first time I heard monkeys was as we sat round a brai in South Africa one night. We faced the fire and our backs were unprotected, open to the wild and the animals. I heard the noise that I now know is monkeys and when I asked about it the ranger told me that they could probably sense a leopard in the region. Hello! My back is exposed to the region! Not long after when the sounds became more pronounced he went and got his rifle and kept scanning the darkness. We went to bed, to the safety of our rondavel, but had to be escorted by an armed guard. These monkeys have no leopards to fear and anyway are on the other side of the river. I'm glad.
I'd had another sleepless night tossing and turning and I wasn't sure why, but I got up feeling shattered. I checked out of Manoly Hotel and bade goodbye to Mr Tragedy, who was now transformed into Mr Music and had a walkman impanted in his eardrum playing music so loud that I could hear it some distance away.
I walk into town, buy a few provisions, then sit for an early lunch at my old fabourite, Khop Chai Deu. An OK meal of black sticky rice in bamboo with kaffir leaf fried fish. The sticky rice in the bamboo takes on a coconut flavour and although I dont normally like coconut rice, this is really yummy. Its a bit if an effort to get it out of the bamboo if you don't know what to do, but the bamboo should carefully peel away revealing the soft moist rice. The fish, like other times I have had it, beautifully aromatic and tasty, lightly floured and pan fried so you get the taste of the burnt flour as well. Nice and light and tasty. The deep fried kaffir lime leaves an extra bonus and when taken with a piece of fish wrapped around a ball of sticky rice, not only add flavour but a new texture as well.
Just along the way I am collected by Chris, the new owner of Ban Pako Eco Lodge, in a not so new combi van. Bags in the back I hop into the front seat and we head out of town past Patuxay which I discovered hosts a gorgeous park and realised I have more discovering to do. The road leads on past some modern developments, shopping malls and some residential building that can only be called obscene. Huge, lavish, over the top homes that even in Italy would be considered too much. Hummers and Mercs in the driveway. Plain ugly, but very sad especially when these homes sit on land adjacent to some very very basic villages.
Our drive continues till we eventually hit unsealed roads and the red clay soil has become red dust that has permeated everything. I just combed my hair and once I got past the knots I looked at the hair brush and that too was red. As we went further along I could tell we were nearing the river as the ground changed from red clay to white sand. All along the trip the earth was dry and parched and the vegetation shrivelled and golden. Quite a contrast to the lush greenery in the central city.
We soon arrive at Ban Pako Eco Lodge and I figure that paradise might look a bit like this. Not a sound, not as lush as the last place on the Mekong, but the lodge bungalows look across the river to a green jungle on the other bank. I am taken to my room. A rustic bungalow on stilts, with a lovely bug deck, hammock, chairs and a bench, all atop a rather rickety deck surface bound by a cute fence.
The interior boasts a four poster bed, lovely clean linen, woven bamboo walls and a few hooks on the walls for hangers. Bed side tables, a large fan and a reading light complete the room until you step down into the bathroom. Not quite outdoors, but close to it. A tiled floor, toilet, handbasin and shower all in good nick with a meshed window to let all the bugs in and a sloping floor to drain the shower water out the corner of the bathroom. As I said rustic but appropriate and more than functional.
Out the front the river quietly slinks downstream, peaceful without a ripple, reflecting the colour of the greenery in the other side. Every so often a whirlpool breaks the surface as it glides by. A feint breeze cuts the edge off the heat. All in all pretty damn nice.
I contemplate the hammock. Maybe tomorrow.
But, its the quiet that I love. Within minutes I have relaxed and start to wonder how I am going to fill my days here then I remember the books I have bought and discover that my phone does have a connection so I don't feel totally cut off from the world.
Silence is shattered when two people a couple of bungalows away start a conversation while sitting on the deck. I suspect that they might be workers here and if that is the case should be shot as the place advertises the fact that it is so quiet and private. Talking staff shouldnt be the ones to break that silence. I'm hoping that it is other guests as don't really want to be the only one here but either way I wish they would talk quietly. They heard me writing and sure enough, workers who are now returning to work. Quiet again. Thank you.
I spent the afternoon reading my book, Ant Egg Soup and was dissappointed when she found her soup and the story finished. Through the book I saw parts of Laos that I have not visited, in a time preceding the western tourist. But best of all I learned so much about traditional Lao food, like the fact that real Larb was made from raw meat and raw offal. The raw meat I could do but raw offal, no way. Reminds me of Naboisho and some grimaces I saw from the guys as they chomped on raw kidney and tried to make out that it tasted good. Further reminds me of a putrid site in Siem Reap when I watched a stall holder pour blood on the offal, then rub it in with her hands. I can do anything at all, but I wont do that. Thanks Meatloaf.
I also gleaned much info regarding the background behind some of the local celebrations that I have already witnessed so was able to go back over my blogs and update the info.
About 5pm the receptionist came and got my dinner order. I have read conflicting reports of food so playing it safe and I have ordered a papaya salad and sticky rice. The bugs started coming in thick and fast and I was starting to worry about them, being more than slightly paranoid about getting one of the tropical lurgies that Lao is known for. Deterrent came out in force and I switched on for the first time the sonic bug deterrent on my phone. Well something has happened as I have barely seen a bug since. But just to be sure I have the Mosquito net in place and bought my own bug spray. I would have thought that they would come and set it up and spray but I guess for the equivalent of about $25NZ a night I am asking too much. I also expected that they would have a torch in the room as it is now pitch dark and I resorted to using the flashlight on my fone to get me back to the room. Oh well.
Dinner time comes and I go to the restaurant. Very nice and a lovely bar area. All new according to the write up on line. Don't know why but I sat in the bar where it was dark so ended up eating my dinner by candellight and not seeing what I was eating. Still it was very yum and didn't take ages as the reports had said. I was the only guest diner. The papaya salad came with roasted peanuts which realy enhanced the flavour and crunch; wrapped around the sticky rice the papaya and peanut mix was divine and just what I needed.
I needn't have bought the chippies and biscuits after all, but then tomorrow is another day and those chippies are really good (lemon grass and lime flavoured and you can't go wrong with a flavour combination like that). Which reminds me - lemons are scarce here and a crazy price. Limes on the other hand are as cheap as chips and everywhere; they are in everything.
I returned to my room and finished this blog while sitting on the deck, with the light on and pleasantly surprised that there were no bugs in sight. I could hear the crickets, the faint sound of music coming from far away, the monkeys, a pair of gheckos on the roof and something on the other side of the river making a noise that sounded a bit like a cuckoo but also a bit like the words "f@!k you". Not sure what that is. The sky is black to the left but to the right a feint glow presumably coming from the lights of Vientiane, which is not too far away. It is pleasantly warm but I am told that the temperature drops dramatically overnight. I might need the woolies.
The silence is broken by the hum of an airplane far in the distance. Bugger, it took me back to reality but it soon subsides and I sit still listening to nature.
I'm going to run out of books as I am already half way through one of the two new ones I bought with me but can worry about that tomorrow. I might have to go and do something physical, like, go for a walk. What I will do the next day remains to be see. I can worry about that then.
It will be an early night for me tonight. I hope I can sleep. Tomorrow will tell....... Goodnight from Ban Pako Eco Lodge
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