Sekong Souksamlane Hotel.....not recommended

Just for the record, if you ever find yourself on the far side of the Bolevan Plateau in a small, dusty town called Sekong, and the sun is sinking fast and you're thinking "man, I'd better find a place to stay tonight....and quick," DO NOT, no matter how desperate you may be (and given the options in Sekong, you will be VERY desperate), stay at the Sekong Souksamlane Hotel. It's the one with the goats and piles of water buffalo shit out front.

After a long day on the back of a motorbike, I made the mistake of following a Lonely Planet recommendation by stopping for the night in Sekong. I quickly found that most of the guesthouses they had listed were no longer in operation - and, of course, by this time it was too late to move on and try my luck in the next village down the road. So, with much trepidation, I checked into about the only place still open - the Sekong Souksamlane. I should have known it was a bad idea when I had to wade through weeds just to get to the front door. Inside was no better - the two story "hotel" looked like a place the Adams Family might stay. Other than a few geckos chasing flies on the dusty walls, there was no one around. Finally, a young disheveled-looking guy came out the shadows and offered me the only room available that evening (which was odd because, after looking through the guest register, I was apparently the only one staying in the entire hotel - in fact, the last guest had left almost a week ago). Without much of a choice, I took the room and settled in. Actually, I barely unpacked, planning to make a quick escape as soon as the sun came up.

After carefully arranging a clean sarong on the bed so (in theory) I could avoid touching the sheets, I took a look at the only piece of furniture in the room - a tall wooden cabinet against the far wall. One of the door was missing and the other was fronted with a cracked mirror. Now, in retrospect, I never should have opened the door, but at the time, I had to see what was inside. Turned out to be a little display I like to call "Lao Still Life." The contents included (1) one dusty drinking glass of dubious origin, (2) one empty cellophane covered, cardboard display box for non-sharpening pencils, (3) one empty bottle of M-150 Thai energy drink, (4) one empty box of "Number 1 Deluxe Top Quality" condoms, (5) one empty foil package of said condoms, and (6) one huge dead cockroach.

Let's just say that, for once, I was very happy to hear the rooster crowing outside my window at 5:00am. By 5:30, as the sun was just cracking over the mountains in the distance, I was gone.