Nam Theun is what comes up on Google maps when I look at the star that I made for this stop. It consists of a handful of small buildings, mostly catering to backpackers on the Thakhek loop.
I stayed at the Sabaidee Guesthouse and it was awesome. The room wasn't great (I'll get into that), but it was a super enjoyable stop for me. The price of the room was dirt cheap, and it included a big barbeque dinner. I had a few beers and enjoyed the great meal and everything cost something like $13.
I arrived in Nam Theun after riding a rented scooter from Thakhek.
The day's ride was about 100KM and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The weather was nice, if a little on the hot side. The land was very interesting. And the locals seemed friendly. Little kids would always yell "Sabaidee!" (hello) when I would pass them.
The mountains and rock formations were extraordinarily impressive. Ii was great to slowly make my way through the country and enjoy the sights.
Litter is a big problem in Laos. I had heard that it was likely because they had packaged everything in banana leaves for so many generations. They were just used to throwing wrappers on the ground. Now that things come in plastic, the habit remains.
The scooter that I rented was awesome. It would be the best bike that I had for my whole time in Asia. Other rentals and the bike that I bought in Vietnam were pretty bad compared to this one.
As I approached Nam Theun, I started riding next to a huge lake. A dam had been built and the lake appeared to be fairly new. I say it looked new because there were so many trees still in it.
I arrived at the guesthouse and parked my bike and got my room situated. There were a few groups of other travelers riding the loop. I was the only one traveling solo. We all had a good time getting to know each other.
The bar had a liquor with a snake eating a scorpion in it. I'm sure it's drinkable, but this one was just for display. They did have snake liquor available for purchase, but I didn't want any. I stuck with the beer.
We walked down to the edge of the lake and took some photos.
We returned to the guesthouse and had our dinner and beer. I don't remember a whole lot about that night, but I do remember that this was my favorite stop on the loop.
I loved this stop on the loop, but the accommodations weren't exactly 5-star quality. I'm still confused by this toilet. Notice the lack of toilet paper? There's likely a ladle or dipper in the bucket for pouring water down your butt crack. The toilet alone was it's own little adventure. I don't recall if this was also the shower. There's a hose hooked to the water spout, maybe it was a butt sprayer, or maybe a shower head (or both?).
The bed was comfortable enough and had a mosquito net. The walls were just plywood. It was fine for a night, and the price was great!
The next day I would continue along the loop. Everyone at the guesthouse had pooled their collective knowledge of the loop and I knew that the next day's road would be a little bit rough. I would be riding on some unpaved roads.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow as I continue along the Thakhek Loop!