Tad Lo , Bolvean Plateau, Pic-the bus from hell

This is going to be a short post but as it is I am probably a week behind in posting I thought I better get this one in. From Pakse I thought it best to hit the road so I wouldn't have to spend another second being a 3rd wheel to the Parisians whom I was sharing a room with. So at 8 am I checked out of Sabyedee2 Guesthouse and headed to the bus station. Luckily I met a group of young Austrians headed the same way so we could share the cost of the tuk tuk. They said they were going to get a "local"bus to Tad Lo so I figured hey its cheaper what the hey I ll go with them.... Famous last words. WHen we pilled up to the "bus station" which consisted of a huge red dirt lot in the middle of the jungle with loads of food stalls,people,busses, and tuk tuks scattered everywhere in no particular order...I had my first look at a bus that lloked as though it had come straight from hell (I am going to ask the Austrians if they have picts of the outside of the bus I was too dumbfounded to even lift my camera). The bus was covered with red mud and all the windows were opened and a 30 year old brown rag was blowing in the wind then it started to rain.... I didn't know whether to go back to the hostel, cry, or get on but then one of the Austrians looked back and with a colgate smile said, "Come on this will be an adventure!" Ugh so I found a spot near the back and sat down. It was wet I was sitting in a leak so I moved back one more spot infront of a monk. Oh cool I thought to myself I will be able to ask him a bunch of questions ( most of the monks have a pretty good handle of English). So I pull out all the English/Laos books I had just bought including a Hmong Daily Life Coloring Book, (whom I had met the Illustrator and gotten a signed copy to bring home) to share with the kid. Most of the kids in the southern part of Laos have never seen a book before so I wanted to share some with him. Then as people came on the bus they grabbed a book and started looking through the pages even really old people reading these children's stories it was really a sight to behold. Then we started trying to converse a little bit and then the monk shows me his notebook where he had written, Ëverytime I look at you I fall more in love with you!" AH! That gave me a good laugh. Then when it was my stop I gathered all my stuff and forgot all my books! I was really pissed especially about the coloring book ; (
Then the four Austrians and I went walking about 4km to get to Tad Lo which is a small village on the Bolvean Plateau. I found a small guesthouse overlooking the falls with a balcony and my own restroom for about 8 USD. It was pretty basic don't get me wrong this place was far from luxe. There were many creatures who were the permanent residents I was just passing through. During my stay I saw two geckos, four water beetles, several spiders and a daddy long legs (in my room). We decided to go check out the falls after the grueling 2 and a half hour bus ride. They were incredible and it was totally worth it. We went on a short trek to find a spot where we could jump in and it was really refreshing.