Volunteer work in Laos: Don Det Island
23rd of October to 13 of November, 2024.
I normally don’t do volunteer work in hostels. Among the more than fifty places where I’ve volunteered, only three were in hostels, and they were all for good reasons. Plus, they were all chill places, not party hostels.
Here in Laos it’s not different. The place is quiet and chill, in the middle of nowhere, far from the noisy and party pier. The river is right outside the restaurant, which is awesome and gives a lovely view and sunset too. The dorms are simple but clean and tidy. The same for the bathrooms. There’s a new building under construction, more dorms, but it’s going one since Covid-19. Because it’s made out of concrete, it doesn’t look as good as the other main building, which is mostly made out of wood, in a very traditional style. There are also five private bungalows.
Right across the street is the restaurant and reception. That’s where I first meet Pa and his wife Mai. They both seem very nice and friendly, and also very simple and humble people. It’s basically just the two of them looking after the whole place, with some eventual help from their niece and her “husband”. They are both sixteen years old and she’s pregnant. My hosts have a baby girl, around four years old.
Pa asks me to help him with the restaurant in the morning. Almost everyday, he must drop off some guests at pier, mostly at 10.30 a.m., but sometimes also at 9 a.m., and for that he needs someone staying at the restaurant, taking orders, making coffee and fruit shakes, sometimes some dishes like fruit salad, and sometimes also helping Mai in the kitchen a little bit. Pa is also the responsible for getting the groceries, so even if he doesn’t have someone to drop off at the pier (which almost never happened), he still needs constantly going to the groceries shop.
At first, I was not very enthusiastic about working in the restaurant. For some reasons I though I would be helping him with construction work. But after the very first morning (that is mostly my shift), I really enjoy and got the taste for it.
My routine is waking up at 5.30 a.m.; doing meditation; warm up and work out; little walk of about 40 minutes; back for a shower; and to work starting around 8 a.m. I walked everyday to the Historic Bridge Don Det – Don Khon, which I absolutely loved since the first time I saw it. There’s basically nothing at it, and perhaps that’s why I loved so much. As there are no sides or bars, or anything between the bridge and the river, it looks like as you can almost touch the river. It’s such an amazing feeling! What I like about my walks, and the walking in general around Don Det is that you can always have the river right by your side, right there. It’s so cute! It gives you this really nice feeling of authenticity, of truly being in nature, being in contact with it, as you can literally just step in the river at any moment. I think that’s the reason why one of my songs for this volunteer work, and my time in Laos being I Follow Rivers, by Lykke Li. The only thing is that, I changed the lyrics to “I follow you / Gypsy baby / I follow you” – to be more compatible with me, of course.
Some mornings are super hectic and I cannot even imagine how do they manage when there are no volunteers. It’s insane! Even though I still like it. It normally stops being busy between 11.00 and noon, so I would try to do some side projects in my remaining working hour. There’s so much that could be done, as the restaurant has a lot of potential but it looks very simple right now, just as simply a place for locals to eat, and not the restaurant / bar of a backpackers hostel. But I am guessing that Pa, being such a simple man, also doesn’t want to improve that much, which is OK as the hostel is not located in a capital, a city, or even a town! Let’s talk about that…
Don Det Island is located in a place known as the 4000 Islands. It’s a small island, you can really cycle the whole island in less than one hour. Even though is quite touristic and loads of backpackers come here everyday, it’s still also very authentic, most of the island still being uninhabited, and covered in nature. It’s gorgeous for that reasons! There are mostly traditional houses everywhere, where the local people live happily. By the pier is where most restaurant, bars and shops are; and there’s where the parties happen, and where basically everything happens. But is still contained, you know what I mean? It’s nothing like Thailand or Vietnam. It’s a place which receives a lot of tourists, but has changed very little due to it, mostly when compared to these other countries. And I think that’s why I like it here so much!
The reason why most people used to come here is because there were some river dolphins down at the other island, Don Khon, most specifically in a place now called Old French Port, where Mekong River enters Cambodia (yep! there’s a border down there), and forms some kind of delta. But the dolphins are long gone now, and nobody knows exactly why. Some people say it’s because of the dam which the Chinese built; other say that it was the lack of food; extinction; who knows! What I don’t get it is why this information is not more largely spread. I’ve got so many guest coming and asking about the freaking dolphins! And in many places in the islands you still can see folders and signs about them. Of course they don’t want the tourism income to go down significantly, which could happen; but there are also other attractions in the islands, like rafting, kayaking, many waterfalls, and the islands themselves are so peaceful, quiet and very different of the rest of Laos, or the other countries around here, that I think it really worth it to visit, even without the freaking dolphins. Just be honest!
Talking about Mekong River… I am in love with it! I first heard and talked about in Cambodia, then I was astonished by it’s beauty in Vietnam, at Mai Pi Leng Viewpoint, in Ha Giang Loop. There, Mekong was turquoise color. Here, because is just after the raining season, it’s a light brown colour, almost like a very weak chocolate milk, or milk coffee with lots of milk. Or even masala chai! I think it’s gorgeous! I have grown tired of bluish, turquoise, clear see through rivers. Laugh. I love the Mekong here so much that I just want to hug it! And I do it… by swimming on it! Ha – ha. Some tourists make inquisitive faces when I tell them that, asking me if I am not worried about it. No way!
On my days off, I pushed myself to go out for walks and explore Don Khon Island and the pier area. And I say pushing just because I would love to just stay in, resting, chilling, and working on my writing, which is already pilling up. But I also know that I must enjoy this opportunity, enjoy my life! Laugh. And I don’t regret, it’s absolutely lovely!
Don Khon Island is adorable too, with it’s traditional local houses, abandoned and restored buildings, waterfalls, traditional shops and restaurants, rice fields and lovely views of Mekong River, cute little temples, and the Old French Port. There’s also an amazing beach, which many people miss it because they only want to go to the waterfalls. Tourists! I didn’t even see the waterfalls because you must pay for all of them. This beach is for free, is super spacious, with lots of sand banks to sit, chill, lay down and enjoy. The water is also great here for swimming, as the current is not so strong and there are no plants at all in the water, only some big rocks far in the river, which help to keep the water cleaner. On Google Maps, this beach is marked as Khon Tai Beach. I recommend you to take a day to visit Don Khon Island, going in a loop, as you can cycle the whole island, visiting 1) Li Phi Waterfalls (or skip it, if you are like me); 2) Khon Tai Beach; 3) Old French Port (there’s a super well recommended local restaurant here, to your right when you arrive to the port); 4) Waterfall on Mekong River (that’s on Google Maps, I don’t remember the actual name of it), as you come here through a different road from the which you took at first; 5) cycle back to the bridge alongside the river, where you will see all the buildings, houses and shops. Another important tip is downloading MapsMe on your phone. It’s an offline maps app, which is great and way better than Google Maps. At least for here.
Almost everyday I work one extra hour. Some days, more. What happens is that, anytime I am by the restaurant on my free time, people will come and ask me for something, like making orders, or asking questions, booking buses, so I really have not much free time for myself. What do these tourists think: that volunteers work 8 hours a day? Or even the whole day? Are they just stupid? If the owner is not there, and you know I was working the whole morning serving you, you wait for the owner, you don’t ask the poor volunteer, who just want some piece of mind and rest.
But I am happy to help Pa and Mai, and that’s why I don’t mind doing the extra hours. It’s really just the two of them at some point, when the young couple stay in the main land for about a week. My side art projects were coloring a whole wooden all; making some wooden signs; installing some colorful lights and praying flags, which I suggested to Pa to buy and so lifting up the mood of the restaurant.
I’ve met some really nice people while here. I was happy to share my travel stories with them, and also to influence directly two of them to hitchhike. I even made a whole plan of hitchhiking with a really nice guy from Spain, for his journey to Cambodia. And a young girl from Belgium, Lotte, who also hitchhiked into Cambodia. She could actually speak Portuguese, as she wants to go to Brazil one day, and we used to practice a little bit. Both of them had wonderful experiences, and it made me really happy to know that I was, in somehow, part of it. Because of that, I even consider now, once in a while, to do a volunteer work in a hostel intentionally, just so I can reach more travellers, and let them know about my alternative way of living and travelling. There were these two really nice and funny dudes, Marvin from Germany, and Luke from the U.S., and I had such funny moments with them. There was this nice girl from Russia, with whom I shared my room (a one bunked dorm), Anya, and she even gave me her super cute pig pencil sharpener when she left. Martin from France was also a really nice guy with whom I chatted sometimes. And many other nice travellers too. I think I could even do good in this people / travellers’ business. Laugh.
The food! At first, Mai prepares the food for me. She is an excellent cook and everything that she makes is delicious! But then I realize that she already spends the whole day cooking for the guests, with some rest only for lunch, as for breakfast and dinner we are almost always super busy, so I start making my own food. It’s still good, and I also learn from her how to make mango stick rice. Normally for breakfast I have eggs with baguette, but twice a week I make pancakes (yummy); for lunch and dinner it can be noodles, pad thai, rice, sticky rice (which I still love it), and sometimes I even make some fresh spring rolls. And one night Mai makes me one vegetarian noodle soup which is absolutely delicious! I just don’t have more often because it’s too hot for soups! I also manage to eat some leftover fruits, or drink some leftovers fruit shake. So in terms of food I am really well served, thank you very much! Laos food is delicious in general, very similar to Thai food. Ah! The most traditional dish I have is the Laap, minced meat (chicken, beef or fish), prepared with many different spices, chilies, spring onions, peanuts and some more green leaves. And it’s served with sticky rice. Ah! And for breakfast I also have a very nice coffee here from Laos. Yummy!
One day before I leave, as the new volunteer who was supposed to come and replace me changes his plans, Pa asks me if I wouldn’t like to stay a little longer. I explain to him that I have only a 30 days Visa, to what he replies that he can help me to extend it. I think they are happy with my work too, you know? And it’s not only because they don’t have other volunteers, as I am sure Pa receives quite a few messages on Workaway. But even though I love it here, and would love to stay longer, I have to think about my travel plans, my time running out, and my cash, which is very low now after I was stolen. So sadly, I kindly tell him that I cannot stay longer.
On the day of my departure, after breakfast, Pa takes me to the pier. He even try to give me some cash, and he tells me it is just in case I have some emergencies. How sweet! Again, I kindly refuse. We say our goodbyes and thank you, and we take a photo, and then we go. It rains heavily for a while but finally it stops after 8.
I have to wait until 9 a.m. for the first ferry. I want to make to Xeno tonight, so I can stay with Noupet and her husband again, so I am apprehensive. But I am also sure I can make it. I was wrong.
10 Years Around the World 