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On Our Own
11:53 PM
We're in love with traveling by motorbike. It gives you sweet sweet freedom when you're otherwise relegated to taxis, buses, trains, basically other people controlling your route. We head to Pakse which isn't an exciting town, but it's the jumping off point for a motorbike loop around the Bolaven Plateau, famed for its waterfalls and coffee that was considered the "champagne of coffee" during the French occupation.
Ryan made friends with a fly that allowed him to transfer it between his hands and even touch its wings! Maybe the fly just needed to dry off from that mist but this was not your typical insect encounter.
By the next day, we dried out and are ready to take off but when we ask about an ATM location, we're pointed back to that town we skipped through 30km ago... Of course I asked about ATM locations at our Miss Noy briefing and was told they are everywhere. Apparently that's everywhere but here, 30km back or for the next 75km. Ok, back we go. Good thing this country is so gorgeous so we don't mind seeing it again, and again.
Back on track with Tad Alone.
Tad Tayicsua is actually two falls from two separate rivers close to where a total of three rivers converge. We hike into the jungle feeling like ants under huge banana trees and rock overhangs until the first fall reveals itself. It's HUGE! The plant life is so lush and beautiful, clinging to the massive cliffs. And that mist again!
We hike over to where we think is the second waterfall. Ryan's hiking ahead of me and hears our water bottle hit the ground, when he turns, he doesn't see me anywhere... he hears, "I'm ok but I need help!" I had slipped on a rock, went to catch myself on a mound of dirt and that dirt gave way, spinning me around to fall upside down into a hole between three boulders! By my klutzy luck, I put my arms out and was safely cradled by a nest of roots, avoiding injury. Ryan found me in a somewhat helpless struggling beetle-on-its-back position and thankfully removed me quickly instead of taking a picture as I was starting to spaz over the proximity of bugs to my face. This path didn't lead to the falls, but a butterfly hung out with us for a while to make sure I was ok.
We hike back to the top, overlook the rainbow in the valley and see the other falls through the jungle. Now we just have to get there.
I would venture to guess that the trail to this guy was retired several years ago. It's really steep, almost entirely a mud slide and all the bamboo rails are broken on the ground. We got this, we're Vietnamese! 
We head to Tad Faek, our last waterfall of the day, through valleys of coffee plantations.
Thankfully we have a short drive without waterfalls for Day Three. The hiking and biking was exhausting and our bums are sore. We put on our less than clean clothes and go to a minority village of the Katu people where we meet the real live Captain Hook! Ok his name is just Hook but he has enthusiastically embraced the western reference. He has a fascinating backstory, but it's not mine to share. The main point is, Hook is western educated and is back in his village working with an NGO to teach tourists about his people and their crops. His education and experiences differentiate him from the rest of his village. They believe he holds bad spirits so he's not able to participate in their ceremonies.
By the time we get to Tad Lo (the town not the waterfall), I'm sick again so I don't have much faith in those berries. Or maybe this is how they work their magic... At least the view from our room is beautiful.
I'm feeling better after a very lazy morning so we hop on the road again starting with the Tad Lo waterfall.
To get to the base of Tad Soung we have to park in a minority village. Four of the village boys nominate themselves to guide us to the falls, which I'm sure we'll have to pay for but we consider it a parking fee. They lead us through their fields to the riverbed where we scamper across GIGANTIC boulders between swimming holes and mini waterfalls. The earth is actually purple here. How cool is that? At the base of the falls, we swim and play with the boys and they show us how to slide down the rocks on algae slicks. It's just the six of us and our trusty adventure dog playing in the shadow of the massive rock wall of the falls.
That's me down there!
When we get back to our bike, the wheel lock has definitely been messed with... But it's still here so we pay the kids and scoot on to find the top of this waterfall. From up here it feels like you can see to edge of the earth, if that were actually a thing.
That's me way over there!
Next and final stop, Tad Pasuan. Thankfully it's an easy one as daylight is fading. We crash at a homestay for a family meal instead of driving all the way to Pakse for the night.
We rent our bike from Miss Noy's as everyone has told us to do and quickly realize why. They have a briefing every night to go over details including route options, lodging options, which waterfalls aren't worth the entry fee and which places are known for stealing motorbikes, even beating you up for it if needed. Quality information! As you can see I took lots of notes and continued to add to it as we went. I love maps!
Ryan thinks it's overkill but when we meet a guy on the southern route at waterfall #4 who thought he was on the northern route and had yet to see a waterfall, the value of that briefing becomes very apparent. I made sure the lost guy took a picture of my self-detailed map.
With our laundry dry, we're ready to go!
As we drive onto the plateau, the temperature drops, the soil is so red it's almost purple which is so beautiful against the rich greens and deep blue grey's of the rainy season sky. There are mountains all around and tiny roadside stands full of pineapples. Most homes here have personal gardens, as in colorful flower gardens that are just for enjoyment and not a stream of income. Seems like such a great luxury that we haven't seen before.
We start with Tad Itou (tad means waterfall) but it's not too exciting since we can't get very close. 
Then Tad Fan although far away, is an absolute dream. We watch as the clouds roll in and out, hiding and revealing the falls over and over again. Now you see it.
Now you don't.
Tad Champi is down a road we were told not to bother with, just walk it because it's way too muddy and the most drivers get themselves into trouble. That obviously doesn't mean us. We (really Ryan) earned our challenging motorbiking badges throughout Vietnam and say, "We got this, we're Vietnamese!" And we did until the hard packed, slightly wet dirt became like a banana peel and we fell over in the slowest motion possible, giggling the whole way down. Pretty sure I left a butt print somewhere in that mud. 
Rainy season means that the typically safe and dry path is a little more challenging, but totally worth it.
This is a sad waterfall for us. We lost a member of our travel family today. And by that I mean one of our Camelbak water bottles fell and cracked on a soggy wooden deck... What?! How did this happen?! These puppies are supposed to stand up to so much more than soggy wood. What's gone is gone. Le sigh.
Tad Yuang is a much more popular place where the top of the falls is a lovely picnic area. Going anywhere near this fall required ponchos or an acceptance of being drenched by the mist in minutes. "Mist" doesn't come close to describing the power of the spray from this fall.
Ryan made friends with a fly that allowed him to transfer it between his hands and even touch its wings! Maybe the fly just needed to dry off from that mist but this was not your typical insect encounter.
We make a pit stop at the CPC Cafe (Coffee Producers Cooperative), a cafe collaboration between local small farmers as well as an educational garden. I ask for the "Fresh Tea" and watch as she goes and plucks leaves from the diverse garden. She muddles the leaves with some sugar, blends them with boiling water and serves it with local honey from the town of Tad Lo (a town named after its waterfall). Ryan gets a local Laos coffee and just look at these beautiful drinks we receive. I want to plant tea in my backyard so this can be in my life on a regular basis.
A big rain hits and we poncho-up and decide to drive through the next town and another 30km to a good launching point for Day Two. We ride out of the storm within twenty minutes and it tries to catch up to us the rest of the way.
Thankfully we have a short drive without waterfalls for Day Three. The hiking and biking was exhausting and our bums are sore. We put on our less than clean clothes and go to a minority village of the Katu people where we meet the real live Captain Hook! Ok his name is just Hook but he has enthusiastically embraced the western reference. He has a fascinating backstory, but it's not mine to share. The main point is, Hook is western educated and is back in his village working with an NGO to teach tourists about his people and their crops. His education and experiences differentiate him from the rest of his village. They believe he holds bad spirits so he's not able to participate in their ceremonies.
Hook teaches us SO MUCH about the history of coffee that when he's finished and asks if we have any questions, Ryan asks, "Do you know more about coffee?!" He shows us a plant you can blow bubbles with, one you can make a small spear out of and berries chewed for belly issues that are probably the worst things I've ever tasted. We walk by the forest where women go to give birth and meet some young boys, one is already married! We notice that many of the houses in the village are rather new. Hook explains that when the government offered electricity to the village, they mandated that houses could only hold 80 people or less so they had to build smaller ones. Previously houses held up to 160 people. Most of the time we're talking, Hook has half of his face inside of a water pipe, smoking tobacco mixed with sugarcane juice heated by a coal. Most men begin smoking these enormous pipes at three years old. With Hook's western experiences, we're able to have really open conversations with him. We only move on as it's getting dark and we have more road to travel.
That was awesome.
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