Monday 24 December
Breakfast was passable and self service so that made the wait less. At 0930 we were off. The day was billed as hiking day but things did not quite turn out that way.
About an hour out we transferred to a jeep to head off via dusty roads to the coffee plantation. But before we got there we stopped by two waterfalls for various photo opportunities involving the jeep in the middle of the river.
Down dusty roads through villages, past the school children and all sorts of Lao country life.
Our driver and guide was in fact a coffee grower who had branched out into tour guiding and homestay. Lunch was at his simple house and was very good home cooking. After lunch we had a practical demonstration of coffee roasting and the intricacies of bean culture. His 2 year old son provided the entertainment.
After the lunch we head through the plantation only to come across the other jeep where the gear stick had come off in the hand of the driver keeping the Jeep in first gear ! Luckily for the French family occupants a another vehicle was near by.
Our next stop was a small processing plant which seemed to have major problems when we arrived. The walls of the concrete soaking tank had collapsed and so all processing was halted. In the best spirit of the British work man three guys were attacking the machinery with hammers.
As we prepared to leave our Jeep would not start but with a push from the aforesaid workmen off we set for a dusty drive to the Sinouk Coffee Resort which was our home for the night.
The resort was a little disappointing mainly because the shower was literally a dribble but the location was fine.
Breakfast was passable and self service so that made the wait less. At 0930 we were off. The day was billed as hiking day but things did not quite turn out that way.
About an hour out we transferred to a jeep to head off via dusty roads to the coffee plantation. But before we got there we stopped by two waterfalls for various photo opportunities involving the jeep in the middle of the river.
Down dusty roads through villages, past the school children and all sorts of Lao country life.
Our driver and guide was in fact a coffee grower who had branched out into tour guiding and homestay. Lunch was at his simple house and was very good home cooking. After lunch we had a practical demonstration of coffee roasting and the intricacies of bean culture. His 2 year old son provided the entertainment.
After the lunch we head through the plantation only to come across the other jeep where the gear stick had come off in the hand of the driver keeping the Jeep in first gear ! Luckily for the French family occupants a another vehicle was near by.
Our next stop was a small processing plant which seemed to have major problems when we arrived. The walls of the concrete soaking tank had collapsed and so all processing was halted. In the best spirit of the British work man three guys were attacking the machinery with hammers.
As we prepared to leave our Jeep would not start but with a push from the aforesaid workmen off we set for a dusty drive to the Sinouk Coffee Resort which was our home for the night.
The resort was a little disappointing mainly because the shower was literally a dribble but the location was fine.