a mickey mouse experience

23/03/10



Don Det. Everyone is talking about Don Det. 4000 Islands and Don Det. Granted, everyone is under the age of 30. So my expectations are not high. I take the early morning minivan. There are 10 of us foreigners crammed in. At the pier,a long wooden rowboat outfitted with a motor takes 2 minivans full. There are 25 people and their backpacks aboard. My trusty blue pull suitcase is not too efficient on sand. A young backpacker with his huge backpack on his back offers to carry it for me to the boat. One advantage of greying hair. I used to feel motherly to these kids. Now, I am starting to feel grandmotherly.



We arrive at the island and pile out. Everyone disperses to find accomodation. There are 2 dirt roads, Sunrise Blvd on the eastern shore, Sunset Blvd. to the west. I choose Sunset. I walk along the dirt road, pulling trusty blue. I am hoping for a river view bungalow with indoor plumbing. I have been hoping for too much. All the river bungalows have share toilets. It is around 11:30 am. I am hot and sweaty. It is 4 km. further to the "nicer and quieter" bungalows. I don't have the energy. I settle for one nearby where the young man speaks a decent English and the family seems kind. Peace and Love Guesthouse. Poor choice. Mid afternoon, Reggae music starts in the restaurant. I am 2 bunglaows away. Then at 9 pm the English boys come back from their adventures full of Lao Lao (the local firewater) and high spirits. Some girls have been waiting for them. They talk and laugh. At 11 pm, I wake from a fitful sleep. The volume has escalated by several decibels. I imagine there has been lots of Beer Lao by now and probably some "happy" shakes (fruit shakes with marijuana blended in). They are now very happy, excited and noisy. Earplugs help a bit. They disperse at 2 am. At 7 when I wake, the family is already up. The TV is already on. I notice that my sheets have Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck figures all over them.