The one day break taken from touring in between the Thakhek and Pakse loops had been intended for me to relax and prepare, but I got neither. The town of Pakse is bustling, dirty, dusty, and hot like the seventh layer of hell.

Relaxation was out of the question, every moment past 8am was spent attempting to cool down or hurrying from one small morsel of shade to the other.

Preparation on the other hand, seemed to have gone well, until forty-five minutes out of Pakse when I realised I'd left my tripod in my bag at the guesthouse.

I pulled over and contemplated my options.

This loop is known for it's waterfalls, the perfect subject for long-exposure shots set up on a tripod. I sighed, turned around, and headed back into the bustle and grime of Pakse.

It had been a horror start to the new trip. I was frustrated with the noise and pollution of the city, been slow off the mark, missed the first major turn onto the loop, and then finally the tripod disaster.

Back out on the road and into new territory (having taken the correct turn this time), the infuriating traffic, dust, and scorching sun all refused to dissipate. So I pulled up to the first attraction of the journey — Mr. Viengs Coffee Plantation — in nothing short of a foul mood.

As we waited for a few more to show up before the tour could begin, I ordered lunch. The menu was exceedingly curious, and I chose the safest option I could find. An omelette. With a coffee straight from the source, of course.

The coffee was excellent, it goes without saying, but to my great surprise the omelette was also absolutely delicious.

Finally we had enough people, and we all followed Mr. Vieng as he excitedly began his monologue on the origins and methods of coffee agriculture.

The tour was fantastic — particularly now that I had eaten, and recharged on coffee. The highlight came when Vieng pointed out a mass of red ants on one of the trees.

Vieng ripped a leaf off another tree, walked over to the mass of ants, and grabbed a handful of them in the leaf, squashing them.

He came back over and showed us the squashed contents of the leaf, paused for dramatic effect, then picked up a few of the ants and began eating them like popcorn.

He smiled at the expected reaction from the crowd.

'They're tasty!' he explained. Apparently they taste like lemon. I regret it now, but at the time I didn't have the stomach to find out for myself.

After the tour I met one of the others, an excitable young man, very interested in my plans for the rest of the loop. After confirming we had similar intentions, he said 'Great! Want to ride together?'.

Sure, I was in no position to turn that down.

He beamed, then declared 'awesome, but we still need a few more!' and hurried off on another recruiting mission. He was back in short order, with three girls in tow — an American, a Brit, and a Belgian. Just like that I had a crew again!

To be continued...