I want to take you to the Islands

We've been blessed with the weather here for the last few days. Beautiful sunshine most days and beautiful sunsets in the evenings. We headed to see the Khone waterfalls yesterday and in the rainy season they are mighty impressive. The sheer volume of water going over them is amazing and although not the highest by any means they truly are spectacular to view. On our cycle we also went to the south end of the island and looked across the Mekong to our next stop, Cambodia. It is literally only a couple of hundred metres away.

Today we took the bikes across the old railway bridge to Don Det, apparently a favourite haunt of backpackers. The north end of the island is a bit of a kip, lots of shabby bungalows and loads of bars selling 'happy shakes', a poor mans Vang Vieng as far as I could make out. That said the southern part of the island is pretty nice to cycle around with some far more salubrious accommodation. We also took a trip to the 'beach' here on Don Khon. Its really a big sand bank at the side of the Mekong a few hundred meters downstream from the Khone Falls. You could only go in for a couple of metres otherwise you'd be washed down the Mekong River. With any luck and weather permitting we'll try and see the Irrawaddy Dolphins tomorrow. I was chatting to a guy today and he was out looking at them yesterday. As the only freshwater dolphins and on account of them being in danger of extinction they must be worth a look I reckon.

The relaxed pace of the 4000 Islands is suiting us just fine. We're all a bit sunburnt and tired but thats not a bad way to be. We head to Cambodia on the 12th July as our visa runs out that day. Maybe they'll have an Apprentice Boys parade to greet us.