Don Khong, Siphandon – The heat of the sun permeated through
the island’s clayish lands. I’ve done most of what I wanted to accomplish here, but one. During a late lunch at Don Khong Restaurant, I leisurely asked my
waiter if he knew where I could hire a motorbike with a driver for a visit to a
temple on a hill west of Muang Khong. He nodded and vigorously sealed the deal
by asking for 100,000 kip ($12.50) for a couple of hour’s ride. In most of my
travels in Laos, a tourist pays after completing the trip, even in nearby
Champasak and Pakse. In Don Khong, the system changes. Pay first, travel later,
which somehow gets your red flags up. Even my visit to Khone Phapaeng was
similar, i.e. I had to pay first.
I wanted to see the temple, Wat Phu Khao Kaew. Otherwise, I’d
regret not having gone to the party-island of Don Det. It was half past 1
PM, and the waiter suggested the trip to take place at 3 PM to avoid the harsh sun until it has invariably mellowed down. With some trepidation, I agreed, and paid for my
lunch.
At 3 PM, I went back to the restaurant to meet my driver. In
this sun-kissed island, I could hardly find other tourists walking around town.
I saw my waiter serenely dozing off where I left him almost two hours ago. My
meal’s plates and utensils were still there gathering dust beside an imprudent
Mekong. I nudged Kham, the waiter, and reminded him about my motorbike ride. He
excused himself to wash his face and came back wearing a new shirt and carrying a helmet.
Kham would be my driver as well, who would have thought?
We left Muang Khong with a gentle breeze blowing west and
the hanging shells making melodic tinkering. I sat behind Kham as we easily
glide south of the highway. The road was paved beautifully and the ride was
smooth and unhurried. I noted the villages we passed by – Kangkhong, Phoxay, Na
– then we turned west that spanned 8 kilometers until we reached the western
villages of Hinxiao, Sentai, Sennua, and Houasen. We were in Muang Saen, the
western village. This boasted of more local banter, an unmistakable hustle not
found in sleepy Muang Khong where most tourists converge. Here, I saw a gas
station, several houses, schools, and a busy market selling local produce. But
there were no visible guest houses that typified the eastern block of the
island. That early, I was pleased to see most of the villages I mentioned from
last post.
From Houasen, we trudged further north, passing through
Senhat Tai and Senhat Nue, turning eastward. We have practically
circumnavigated more than half the island. At this point, the terrain turned
desolate until I could hardly see homes. There were a few Caucasian bikers
slaving the roads and I didn’t envy their persistence. But I know there must be
some form of triumph in their undertaking; something that’s subjective in
manner or form.
We reached a clearing that bore no signs at the left of the
road, and I specifically remember what LP wrote: “entrance through a strand of
frangipanis”. There were none, but huge boulders of dark rocks that rose and
lead to a hill. Between these stony excrescences were wild grass and their
flowers all in bloom, bathing the terrain with a delectable reddish hue. Kham signaled
where he would wait. There was a degree of trepidation. What if he left during
my walk up the hill? After all, he already got the payment. On the other hand,
I knew where he lived. The girl from the restaurant knew where we were going.
That should suffice. Besides, I was in Laos where people could, generally, be
trusted. I breathed a sigh of relief in spite of myself, and started my ascent
up a hill. I was in the middle of nowhere! I could shout and no one could
probably hear me until I lose my voice. Wild thoughts really.
Then I saw the temple. I heard barks of dogs. Darn! I have
hated the sound of their barks since I almost got mangled in Savannakhet the
first time I was in Laos. I saw a 4-feet long bamboo stick and carried it like
a cane. It would come handy – just in case.
The ground had three structures, an ordination hall that’s
closed to visitors; a seemingly unfinished pink building with one-sided wall;
and a wooden house that rose on stilts and walled by mats. There are a couple
of Khmer relics in the vicinity, the bigger mound stood 3-4 feet from the
ground.
The temple is visually disappointing. East of the small “wat”
was a house with an open window, but I couldn’t see anyone. The barking
persisted until I saw where it came from. Staring directly at my direction, a
dog was indeed honoring my presence. I raised my stick and repeatedly swung the
pole on air. If this was war, I was gonna wage a good one a la Jacky Chan.
Haha. The dog intensified his barking, but backed off until I couldn’t see him
anymore.
The open temple was small, with thin posts painted in pink. I noticed a lone monk, probably in his mid-twenties, lying prone on the
tiled floor, reading a book. I see studying monks wherever I go in Laos. He took one
glance my way and briskly decided on my inconsequential presence. I nodded and
smiled. Sometimes you don't know how to behave in front of them, but a smile was universal. I kept walking around the grounds and saw the row of frangipanis (champa
trees or kalachuchi) at the other side of the hill. Where was the pathway through these flowering trees? Could it be a more convenient, albeit easier entrance?
I hardly think so.
Wat Phu Khao Kaew was built on the site of Khmer ruins and
I found three mounds of such relic. Unfortunately, you could hardly make out
anything from these remnants, except the figment of antiquity and imagination. The
temple grounds sit on a plateau up a hill littered with soot-covered boulders and
lush vegetation on one side. To its west , it slides down into the Mekong. What
lies beyond, I was curious. I have so far, not read of journeys further afield.
On my way down the same slope, I saw an elderly monk peek
his head from the house’s window. It was time to head back “home” – to my hotel
room in Pon’s River Guest House. The journey back would be more relaxing since I
knew I would be alright. My motorbike driver didn’t leave me after all, and
little did I know that there would be a little bonus along the way. But that’s
for another post.
This is the Eye in the Sky!
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| Flowering wild grass interspersed with a rough and rocky terrain going up the hill. |
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| Three structures on top of the hill: two temples (center and back) and a wooden house (right). |
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| Pink temple with unfinished structures seen inside. |
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| A monk is studying. |
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| Gongs in the temple hallway. |
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| A beautiful ordination hall ("sim") is closed to visitors. |
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| The bigger of three Khmer relics found at the temple grounds; this one is at the back of the ordination hall. |
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| Khmer mound up close. |
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| Dramatic view of the western Mekong and the land beyond. |
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| Wooden house with mats as walls. I saw an elder monk from its window. (above and below) |
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| Chicken shed |
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| Wild flowers |
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| A stupa on the hill. |
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| I was going to sit on the ground to enjoy the view of the western Mekong when I noticed these giant yellowish ants! Scary! |
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| Wild grass with small reddish flowers that blanket the grounds with a dramatic sweep. |
RATES OF TOURS:
Motorbike with driver to Wat Phu Khao Kaew and back - 100,000 kip (2-3 hours)
Day tour to Don Det and Don Khone from Don Khong (Pon's River Guest House rate) - 60,000 kip (all-day tour with a group)
