Are we there yet? Wait, where is "there"?: Biking it in Champasak, Laos

Erik: The ride to Champasak was pretty straight-forward – boat, minivan and ferry. The highlight being the “ferry,” which was nothing more than two small du

g-out canoes with planks nailed across like a primitive catamaran. Still, it managed to take 5 of us and a couple of scooters across the large mekong safely enough.

Champasak is not much more than a small village along the mekong. It's claim to fame are the nearby Wat Phu ruins, often referred to as the “Angkor Wat” of Laos. We were able to find an OK room for the amazing rate of 30,000 Kip (just under $4.) We also found a lovely lady up the street selling delicious noodle soups and the strongest cafe laos I'd ever tasted, all for very cheap prices. Needless to say, we went there every day. Often twice a day, for an afternoon iced-coffee pick-me-up.

Wat Phu itself was a bit of a let-down after the grandeur of Angkor Wat. The ruins are from the same Angkor empire, but the similarity ends there. Wat Phu is tiny compared to the the other angkor ruins, and in a terrible state of repair. The best part of our trip out there, though, was getting T on a bike. Yes, she actually cycled 20 kilometers there and back. White knuckles and all. Not bad for someone who wouldn't even mount a bike on a deserted street a few months ago!

Outside of the noodles and great coffee, though, Champasak had little to keep us, and so after just a couple of days we were off to the real city of Pakse...

Talor: Champasak being the capital of the district, we were hoping for a bit of luxury, but found it to be a bit disappointing with its one main dusty road with not much going on. But the highlight was definitely the bike ride out to Wat Phu. They say Laos is the best country in Southeast Asia to bike in because it has the lowest population density and traffic. So I decided to bite the bullet and cycle the 10km there. Swerving around the potholes and occasionally screaming at the puppies, chickens and water buffaloes wandering onto the road, I managed to get there and back in one piece. Of course I could barely move the next couple of days, but it was well worth it. Bring on the roads!