Day 26: Don Khong - Don Det (via Don Som) - Frankie goes to.....Indochina

January 15, 2018

Day 26: Don Khong - Don Det (via Don Som)

Routing: Island tracks

Funny trade this cyclo touring! Three days in the saddle, less than a 150 km done, result: Two of the very best days of cycling I ever had and possibly the worst one as well. Let me talk about today though as it was certainly one of my most enjoyable rides. Ever! Only 26 km overall but packed with excitement. It´s only 6 km from the Souksabay GH down to the ferry terminal,which is just a couple of clicks south of that new (to me) bridge over from the mainland. The bridge hasn´t done as much damage as I thought it would when I first heard about it. There were a couple of tour groups in the guesthouse next to me but they somehow appeared to be more travellers than package tourists. If that differentiation makes sense.

When I came to the ferry landing point I had to wait for a few minutes as the boat was still on the other side. So I walked to the shop right next to it and asked for a bottle of cold water. As I had always paid 4000 kip so far I asked her "Si pan?" - "Sahm" - Three! Why didn´t she accept my "offer" which would have been a 1000 kip extra for her? Have my 37 years in the police spoilt my expectations towards mankind? However, this day could not go wrong for me anymore.

So over to Don Sam for 10000 kip and the next 14 km on the paddy field dominated island were a delight to ride on despite the bumpy, sandy track. Still enjoying it is a matter of your own speed and even more importantly no vehicles generating those clouds of dust I guess. Just one more remark regarding the track: You turn right after the ferry and then it is basically all straight down to the southern tip. There are two y-junctions down in the south though: keep taking the right option.

When I came to the ferry over to Don Det there was nobody there but only 1 minute later a guy on a motorbike arrived. "Sip pan?" I asked. "Sao pan" he answered. 20000. Either the crossing to the backpacker hub is more expensive for that particular reason or - which I simply don´t want to believe - I had to pay the often discussed farang supplement. The questions that arise in such a situation are: a) Is it worth having a principal discussion on it? - b) Can I "win" anything by doing so? The answers were clearly No and No from my side. This man came on his motorbike to provide ferry service for me only and what would I have done if I had insisted not to pay more than 10000 kip as all other ferries charge? My only option would have been riding back to that first ferry of the day and go back to Don Khong. No thank you.

You can already see from the Don Som side that you will be entering a different world soon. Pubs, bungalows and Beerlao signs everywhere. I never liked this part of Don Det and I do even less after today. I was actually determined to ride down to the bridge on the southern tip and go over to Don Khone but when I was approaching that former rail bridge a lady in a hammock called out to me. This part of Don Det is definitely far more relaxed than the North, you will find the same phenomenon on Mallorca or Bali e.g.

From the roadside the Mekong Dream Guesthouse looks very different to what the name suggests but I had seen it´s one of the old wooden houses so I stopped and decided to have a look inside. Huge first floor terrace with several hammocks and the rooms appeared to give you as much privacy as those wooden houses can do. You simply have to accept the acoustic insulation is different to that of a concrete building. I like the place and the 50000 kip are definitely a fair price for quite a spacious ensuite room with full mosquito net. And good wifi which really surprised me! Two nights please.