Laos, 22. Mai bis 13. Juni 2023
22.05. - 24.05.23 Pakse
25.05. - 13.06.23 4000 Islands (Don Det)
Briefly recap what has happened recently.
We missed the train on the way to Laos, which was the last straw, and we just wanted to go home, ready to book a flight to Germany immediately.
This was followed by the truly exhausting journey from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Pakse, Laos. We arrived there at midnight, kicked out at the bus station outside the city.
At least there's a tuk-tuk driver there who would take us to the city. However, at high prices. Our only fellow traveler, a Laotian, finds the price too expensive. We try to find another way for a while or negotiate the price down, but in the end, we have the choice to get in or sleep at the station. So we get in. Fortunately, we find a hotel that accommodates us.
We need a break.
All further plans are set aside, and we head to an island, Don Det. Yes, even though Laos is not by the sea, it has islands. The Mekong, a huge river flowing through Laos, becomes very, very wide at one point and houses countless large and small islands. The region is called the 4000 Islands (I haven't counted).
Since we've been arguing so much lately, for no apparent reason, we decide to split up. A few days each. It's the off-season, it's calm and empty. Almost every bungalow has its own hammock. The island is so small that you can walk around it. But big enough that we don't constantly run into each other.
We both spend a lot of time reflecting on ourselves.
What do we want, what bothers us, and how do we want to proceed.
Also in terms of the journey. What do we want to see and how important is it to us.
Or about each other. What does the other person do that annoys us and what do we project onto them.
5 days for ourselves.
So, each of us is lying in front of their bungalow in their hammock, looking at the Mekong. Here in southern Laos, the rainy season has just started, so it's the off-season. It usually comes once a day for two to three hours. The rest of the day is clear. I'm happy about the rain. Somehow rain makes you sad and at the same time comforted. And I like the sound. This calming and steady patter.
Our goal was simply to find some peace, time to think, and consider what we each want. Is it time to go home to Germany soon, or do I want to see more of Asia? And if so, what? Both of us took 5 days for ourselves. Reflecting on ourselves and our attitudes. Why were the last days so difficult for me?
I've thought a lot about myself, us, and our journey. Reflected on myself, listened to some self-confidence things. In Hanoi, I was about to book a flight home. The reason I stay here is the people I meet on the way. I want to meet amazing and crazy people. Discover how others think. One always does things the same way. It's through other people that you come up with new ideas. Discover other options for action. And to learn from it, to move myself out of the comfort zone and into the zone of development. To broaden my horizons.
Without being able to say why, the world looks different from day to day again. Where there was bleakness and sadness before, hope and the joy of discovery slowly return. After 5 days, we move back together into a bungalow, talk a lot, and decide to stay on the island and enjoy the tranquility of the island a little more together. Besides the few other tourists, another advantage of the rainy season is that the temperatures are so much more pleasant compared to the weeks before. Every time it rains, it's a few degrees cooler afterwards. We've heard from other travelers that they also argued every time they were out in the heat for too long, and suddenly it becomes clear to us that heat is one of our problems. It really wears you out without understanding in that moment why you're suddenly so stressed and aggressive.
These days here in Don Det are emotionally really hard to describe. On the one hand, nothing happened, and on the other hand, sooo much happened. And I'm finding it really difficult to write it down in a somewhat logical and understandable order. It was simply the best decision to stay here for a few more days. If someone asks us what we've been doing here, I can't really answer it. We haven't taken a single tour. Actually, we've just chilled, enjoyed delicious food, had good coffee, and met interesting people. And lying in the hammock and thinking. We actually wanted to work on the blog much more, but somehow we didn't get around to it. Instead, we've eaten well and chatted with people at a bar. Sometimes people we already know, sometimes new people, and sometimes both together. Within a few days, the island has turned our heads. I'm happy. I can't tell you how happy. It just feels right to be here. Every day, Karli and I talk about continuing our journey the next day and only staying for one more night. Only to postpone that plan by another day the next day.
The secret of change is to focus all your energy on building something new instead of fighting the old." - Socrates
I try to implement some of my insights. I want to overcome more boundaries. Here, it's sometimes really difficult to figure out how to get things done or how to get from point A to point B. I don't know why, but it gives me a lot of energy not to walk on the familiar paths. To have the courage to do unusual things. To have the courage to make mistakes. To take the plunge into cold water.
For this purpose, consider the following comparison. You're at the public pool and want to get into the water. There's the staircase into the water and there's the 10-meter diving board. Of course, you take the staircase because you've taken it so many times before, it's safe. You know it. You're familiar with the staircase. And then you think about jumping from the 10-meter diving board. Just thinking about it, your brain starts to spin, collecting reasons why it's the absolute worst idea of your life. That this idea is simply suicidal. And at the same time, you know that jumping from the 10-meter diving board would be an incredibly fantastic adventure, the experience of a lifetime. Translated to our journey, the staircase into the pool is the trip to the usual places, the ones other tourists also visit with comfortable buses. The jump from the 10-meter diving board symbolizes the travels off the beaten path. Like the last two days. Every time we were off the comfortable zone, it was one of the most fantastic experiences ever, but it was incredibly hard to find the courage for it. In the case of the trip to Laos, we had no other choice because there was no staircase into the pool, and we were forced to jump into the cold water. It was definitely worth it. But I know for sure, the next time I'm faced with the choice of "staircase" or "10-meter diving board," my brain will tell me, "take the staircase," and give me many reasons why everything else is reckless.
For example, the very strenuous and crazy journey from Hanoi to Pakse gave me more energy and joy than I ever thought. This incredible feeling of overcoming a wall, a boundary, and then looking back and being proud of what you've accomplished. Each of us has our own hurdles in our minds. After this realization, I'm trying to build on it and occasionally do things where my mind says, "this 10-meter diving board is too high, you can't do it." I hope you roughly understand what I mean.
I realize that sometimes even the tiniest things are enough. Here's an example: you should never drink tap water in Asia. At the beginning of our journey, we always bought 1.5-liter plastic bottles for this reason. Until we noticed how much plastic we were causing within a short time. And waste disposal is a really spooky topic here. I'll have to write more about that another time. Anyway, after that, we tried to refill the disposable bottles occasionally. But where do we get the water to refill them? In Don Det, we eventually went to the bungalow owner and asked if we could buy a 20-liter water bladder. It might sound like a small step, but it wasn't that easy for us. We hadn't seen them for sale anywhere. The bungalow owners looked at us rather strangely at first, and it took a while for them to understand what we wanted. But we managed!
And then, a second example. One day, Karli and I were taking a walk when suddenly one of those funny tractors passed by. Those tractors that consist basically only of an engine and two front wheels, and then just a really long steering rod and the wagon attached. In any case, I suddenly had the crazy idea that I wanted to ride on the back of that wagon. My mind said, "no, that's not possible," and everything in me resisted. And in that moment, I heard myself addressing the Laotian guy in English. He didn't react properly, neither positively nor negatively. Probably he didn't understand us. And now? I think of a situation from 4 weeks ago, where Nico, a guy we met while hiking, had organized a free shuttle for us. Nico didn't wait long for an answer, he just got in. So, well, let's try it out and apply it to our current situation. Therefore, we just jumped onto the wagon 😂 and actually, the Laotian guy didn't seem to mind. 😂😂 Sometimes you just have to try it out and see what happens.
People
Another realization was that the people we encounter on our journey make the journey special. Yes, the sights are beautiful and exciting, but the other people you meet... ah, I can't quite put it into words right now. Karli and I have met so many wonderful people here on Don Det.
The retired couple who has been traveling for months. Assi from Finland. Marco from Germany. Bullshit Benny, Graham, and Phil from England. Nick from Australia. Meagan. Ismael. Baptist. Shami and Isaac from Mauritius. Vincent from France. Phillip from Germany. Tim. Pa and Mai, Laotians, owners of a hostel. Jay, with whom we've had delicious Laotian coffee time and again. Tha. Renny. Flow from Brazil.
Many thanks to all these amazing people for the shared moments on Don Det.
I would really love to tell you about all these people and their life stories, but that would exceed the scope. But I'll leave you with a quote from Bullshit Benny.
Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn.
There is so much truth in that. Every day, things happen differently than one imagined, and "mistakes" are made. And it's very easy to spend the rest of the day being upset about it. But it's my decision how I mentally deal with it.
Diarrhea, Mice, Ants
But of course, there were also unpleasant experiences on Don Det. For example, when a few ants found my backpack quite comfortable and started bringing their eggs here, building their nest in my backpack. Then we moved to another bungalow, which turned out to be a bad decision, as I preferred the ants much more than the mice/rats two nights later. Yes, the mice/rats found the food in our backpacks quite fascinating. We always kept the food in a waterproof bag. The rodents simply gnawed through the plastic. The waterproof bag was ruined, which wasn't so bad, as it only cost 10 euros. However, the rodents also gnawed through the top pocket of my Deuter backpack, leaving a large hole in it.
So, the idea of cutting the trip short is now out of the picture. Whereas before we wanted to go back home, we are now of the opinion, "yes, maybe travel for another 5 to 10 months."
📷 You can find more great pictures in the photo album.
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