A Passage to Pakxe

My next destination was Pakxe which lies about seven hours by bus farther south of Thakek. As the road wasn't anything close to the Mekong so I could watch the river en route, I decideded for a night coach which left Thakek around 8 in the evening and arrived about 4 in the morning. The bus driver dropped me off on what he said was near downtown, and, despite the early hour several Tuk Tuk drivers were waiting for passengers. One of them took me to the guesthouse I had picked, and a sleepy clerk without opening his eyes much let me check in to get some sleep which  I needed badly after a rather uncomfortable trip without much sleep.
Pakxe is the capital of Champasak Province, and in the old days was part of the Cambodian Angkor empire. Vat Phou near the town of Champasak is the most striking relic of this time. Today Pakxe encompasses the southern Mekong region of Laos.
Pakxe retains the Mekong River-town lethargy and slightly  morbid charm found in Thakek further north but lacks the tourist infrastructure of the latter. Only few derelict colonial era buildings remain, and while I was there the whole downtown area seemed a huge building site with rubble, and open roads and sidewalks everywhere. The town itself has not many attractions but is an ideal base from where to explore the surrounding attractions like 4000 islands in the Mekong, Vat Phou and the Bolaven Plateau with its coffee and tea plantations spectacular waterfalls, minority tribes and weaving villages not to forget its beautiful rural scenery

A monk passes the old school building of Wat Luang Pakse. In the background the big new school

At Pakxe the Se Done River to the right meets the Mekong River in the background

A small market near the riverfront for the trading of livestock. These baskets hold pigs of all sizes

At the fresh market of Pakxe a wealth of local products are for sale. This woman sells mushrooms which are an essential ingredient in many Lao dishes

Fresh from the nearby farms. Poultry is an important part in many Lao dishes

Fish is of course a major source of food for the people along the Mekong. A catch is piled on the floor and sprinkled with water every once in a while

This woman prepares bark. I could not find out whether they are used for cooking or not. However, in the far North of Lao a specific bark is added to soups for a distinct flavour

A floating riverside restaurant at dawn

The Bolaven Plateau is home to numerous waterfalls, the Tad Fan waterfall being one of the most spectacular ones

A pig rifles through the grounds of Tha Taeng village. This village is home to the minority tribes of Alak, Nge and Ka Tu. Families with up to 60 members live in one house

A girls smokes her bamboo pipe. Tobacco is filled into the bowl made from an empty can that is fitted to a long bamboo stem. She was smoking constantly while I was there and no one seemed to care although she was not more than about 13 years old

A suspension bridge crosses Van Ngao River near Phasuam waterfall. Note the basalt columns that flank the river

The building of the Chinese Association of Pakxe. One of the better kept historic buildings in town