Unfortunately, our boat finally crapped out near the tourist trap of the Whiskey Village. These villages lining the Mekhong make a sort of bootleg whiskey, and the boats invariably stop there so you can sample the merchandise and see a typical Lao village. But unless every villager in a typical Lao village sells postcards and t shirts, the place gives off a strong sense of tourist trap.

I really did want to get to the caves. Each year for hundreds of years, the king would sail up the river from Luang Prabang, presumably in a boat that didn't break down, and dedicate Buddha images and shrines for the cave. Over the centuries, the caves have accumulated over 4,000 Buddha images, from thumb size to human size, lining the entirety of the cave walls. So, even though I said at the beginning of the Laos section that I would refreshingly be able to end this entry with a "never again" instead of my usual "I'll be back", maybe I will return to see the cave after all.