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Tha Kaek

I'd never heard of Tha Kaek before getting to Laos and planning my trip down the Mekong. But it looked like a nice place to break up the bus rides so I stopped. And then stayed for three or four days. It's a great town. Few tourists seem to stop there, but I liked it at least as much as Savannakhet, Pakxe and Champasak, the big three on the tourist route. It's a great old town but there are also lots of temples and caves to explore on the periphery.
Alley by my hotel, looking toward the Mekong
Alley by my hotel, looking toward the Mekong		 Canal running through town
Canal running through town		 Laundry
Laundry		 Incense
Incense		 I went on a motorbike tour of local temples. This is one.
I went on a motorbike tour of local temples. This is one.		 Guardian
Guardian
It had been pouring for two weeks straight. I went on the rural tour to find much of the area flooded.
It had been pouring for two weeks straight. I went on the rural tour to find much of the area flooded.		 But still beautiful
But still beautiful		 Had to take boats to many of the temples
Had to take boats to many of the temples		 Beautiful countryside
Beautiful countryside		 Ornary bovine
Ornary bovine		 Inside one of the cave temples
Inside one of the cave temples
Very wet, dripping, spelunkable
Very wet, dripping, spelunkable		 Lots of this stuff
Lots of this stuff		 Lots of lonely tuk-tuk shots
Lots of lonely tuk-tuk shots		 One of my boatman.
One of my boatman.		 With so few tourists, westerners being boated around by toddlers attracts some interest
With so few tourists, westerners being boated around by toddlers attracts some interest		 Another one of the caves
Another one of the caves
Fishing thingy. In Kerala, busloads of tourists are delivered to such nets.
Fishing thingy. In Kerala, busloads of tourists are delivered to such nets.		 Wandering around my last day in town, stumbled upon a class Lao temple, filled with strange figures
Wandering around my last day in town, stumbled upon a class Lao temple, filled with strange figures		 Including these people apparently making butter
Including these people apparently making butter		 Ogres. We love ogres.
Ogres. We love ogres.		 This we can't explain.
This we can't explain.		 Ah, Laos.
Ah, Laos.
An aging, bearded, hunch backed . . . what?
An aging, bearded, hunch backed . . . what?		 No idea.
No idea.		 We are a big fan of this woman.
We are a big fan of this woman.		 Wandering around town.
Wandering around town.		 Cute girl
Cute girl		 Charitably, a canal.
Charitably, a canal.
Side street, Tha Kaek
Side street, Tha Kaek		 Another temple out in the villages
Another temple out in the villages		 Back downtown
Back downtown		 This was an interesting temple, in a cave halfway up one of those limestone cliff thingies.
This was an interesting temple, in a cave halfway up one of those limestone cliff thingies.		 Badly made statuary
Badly made statuary		 Lord Ganesha is popular in Lao temples
Lord Ganesha is popular in Lao temples
Beautiful countryside
Beautiful countryside		 Ah, Laos.
Ah, Laos.		 More water
More water		 And yet more.
And yet more.

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