Don Det (Four Thousand Islands)

After a day more of slopping around Pakse and being over run by snott, I moved on to the very relaxed place of Don Det. Well, after a not so relaxing mini bus trip there.
I was picked up at the wee hours of the morning by my VIP bus driver that I paid a pricey US 6 bucks for. I luckily had the whole vehicle to myself and thought I'd be able to stretch out and sleep off some of the dreaded flu. Not to be, my friends. My idiot of a driver decided to scour the roadsides and market for any additional passengers going our way. And I'm sure for a fee smaller that I paid. When I reminded him this was a VIP bus not a pick up he slowly (and I mean slowly) headed toward my destination. The little bugger was still trying to slyly pick up extra fare. We also made a few grocery stops for him but I drew the line at the Durian entering the bus. This fruit is green and spiky and smells like shit. Literally like poo. The smell is so pungent that it is banned on public transport and some public places. There was no way we were going to drive 3 hours with that in the car. Even if I had a blocked nose!
Finally after several stops and an infuriating drive, I arrived at the boat Jetty to take me over to Don Det. This is one of the many 4 thousand Islands that is found in the Mekong, near the Cambodian border. The Islands are masses of sand banks that have formed due to the rise and fall of the water levels in the Mekong. Mostly these Islands are uninhabited and look more like a cluster of trees rather than Islands.
I had to wait till a few more people arrived to share the cost of a boat. I was worried I would have to wait a fair while before someone turned up. Luck however was shining on my rapidly deteriorating soul. A few people showed up soon after I arrived and we boarded our sliver of a boat that ferried us to the Island. I'm amazed this little vessel arrived, considering it's size and the velocity at which the water was flowing. Safley we did arrive however and than began the process of finding a bungalow. Checking my very much lacking and incorrect Lonely planet, I was trying to find Mr. Noi's. A bungalow that had been recommended to my by a friend. As far as the map was concerned it should be ony a half a kilometer from where the boat (haha) docked and an easy find. Well after Consulting a few unhelpful locals, and a bag throwing moment of despair, I gave up and took a little $3 bungalow in the middle of a rice field. It was pretty good value considering I had my own toilet and electricity from 6:30 pm till 10 pm. Only to find Mr. Noi's bungalows much further down the track at a much latter time. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by a mini farm of ducks, chickens, baby albino water buffalo (So cute), calves and a toothless, beetle nut stained granny. This made for a far nicer way to wake up in the morning than the usual honking of horns and ear bursting chaos of most of Asia. Also a great way of recovering from the evil snott monster by lazing the days away on this little slice of land.
I did break from my lazy ways and hire a bike and rode to the ajoining island on a vagina crushing expedition. The roads were less than practical for a bicycle and the "toll bridge" to Don Knong was suicidal but a bike is the only choice. Unless you fancy a loan of a water buffalo? At one point I was wondering if I'll ever be able to bear children and if my nether regions will ever be the same again! This was a natural birth control!