Daily life at the Mekong riverbank - a photo on Flickriver

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Don Khon island which sometimes is mistaken for the larger Don Khong island to the north is a small island in the Mekong river located in the South of Laos close to the border of Cambodia. Coconut palm trees are cultivated on the island. This island is a major tourist centre in the south of Laos major in relative terms and has many bungalows still without electricity. On the west side of the island are the Tat Somphamit rapids. We stayed at the Seng Ahloune Guesthouse. This family-run guesthouse has been operating for ten years under the able Captain Cu of Thep. When he is around, things hum. Checks every box: great value for money, comfy bed, clean, heaps of character: carved wooden doors, hammocks, on stilts over Mekong. Restaurant serves tasty Lao food. Watching village life from our veranda, we saw children cycling to school on bikes too big for them, just able to turn the peddles, but legs not long enough to let them reach the seat. Women walked by with long bamboo poles, a hook at one end, to poke the mangoes high in the trees and shake hard until one or two ripe green fruits tumbled to the ground. From the riverbank we saw children swimming and playing in the water using large coconuts as floats. A monk took his bath in front of us with his soap, washcloth and river water. The island beauty is best appreciated by riding a bicycle around the few sights, swinging in a hammock, reading a book and chatting with locals and travellers alike. How is it that time seems to pass so quickly when you haven't really done that much. Our time on Don Khon, a palm fringed island in the middle of the Mekong River in southern Laos was like that.
We enjoy the daily life out here women in the paddy fields and Fishermen in the Mekong river. There are many different minorities here. They have their own language, cultures and life styles. What can be seen here are rustic thatch huts, local agricultural practices, the century-long traditions and the still-primal way of life. A chance to meet the Lao people and learn a little bit about their habits and culture.

A peaceful view on the Mekong river taken on Don Khon island, Laos. The boy is paddling is his dugout canoe along the mighty Mekong river while a Buddist monk is taking a bath & soap in the river. Laos is traversed by a thousand rivers that teem with life. The Mekong river is like an important artery, and means life in the jungle, it means water for drinking, washing, and irrigation. It means a disposal bin, playground for children, agriculture, and food. It also provides for a magnificent view of the countryside. The rivers in Laos are the lifeline of rural communities.

Don Khon is een oase van rust want gemotoriseerd verkeer is er nog vrijwel onbekend. Je kunt hier heerlijk wandelen langs tempeltjes, rijstvelden, lotusvijvers en kleine dorpjes. Don Khon is wel een beetje een backpackers paradijs met goedkope bamboehutjes, pancakes en frans stokbrood. Je kunt Don Khon per boot bereiken vanaf Ban Nakasang. Don Khon heeft geen electriciteit. Met een oude Franse spoorbrug die het eiland met Don Det verbindt, heeft Don Khon nog een aantal andere opmerkelijke overblijfselen uit de Franse periode: vervallen villa's, de Franse steiger aan de andere kant van het eiland en de karkassen van een oude stoomlocomotief. Ook zijn er de grote Phi Li waterrval, ook vaak de Tat Somphamit genoemd. Deze stroomversnelling ligt op 20 minuten wandelen ten zuiden van de spoorbrug. Vanaf een zandplaat iets ten zuiden van de oude Franse steiger in Ban Khon Tai maak je de meeste kans de zeldzame Irrawaddy zoetwaterdolfijnen te zien. We zijn hier gekomen om het lekker rustig aan te doen, dus huren we na het eten meteen fietsen om in het heetst van de dag de omgeving te bekijken. Soms begrijp ik niet goed wat ons bezielt, maar rustig aan bij ons, loopt altijd weer uit op één of andere activiteit. Je wilt natuurlijk niets missen. Het leven gaat hier rustig z'n gangetje, zo rustig als de stroming van de modderige Mekong rivier. Ik geniet van de alledaagse dingen die er te zien vallen in het dorp. Het gewone leven van de Lao langs de rivier. De mensen zitten vlakbij het water en doen hun dagelijkse dingen zoals groenten wassen, de vaat en hun kledij wassen. Allemaal in het water van de Mekong. Er valt zoveel te zien langs deze rustige slingerende majestieuze Mekong rivier.

Taken in: Cambodia / Stoeng Treng / Thala Barivat (show map)

Taken on: July 22, 2009

Tags:

The boy is paddling is his dugout canoe

The Mekong River

Daily life at the riverbank

Southern Laos

Si Pan Don

4000 islands

Seng Ahloune Guesthouse

Swinging in a hammock over the Mekong

Don Khone island

Southern Laos near border Cambodia

Mighty Mekong river

Bungalows without electricity

Relaxing and reading a book

Stilts over de Mekong

Laid back and chill

Old French railway bridge

Si Phan Don

French colonial era

Backpackers paradise

drifting downriver from Laos into Cambodia

Tat Somphamit rapids

Phi Li waterfall

playground for children, agriculture, and food

Monk taking a bath and soap in the river

Fishermen in the Mekong river

water for drinking, washing, and irrigation

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Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ8, f/3.3, 1/125 sec, 43.3mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Panasonic DMC-FZ8
Aperture:	f/3.3
Exposure Time:	0.008 sec (1/125)
Focal Length:	43.3mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	-0.66 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Spot
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	Low gain up
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Paint Shop Pro Photo 12,01
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