Auberge Sala Don Khong formerly  owned by the  French transport company " Les Messageries Maritimesnow , now the first high end hotel on Don Khon 

www.salalao.com. 

Although the Lonely Planet was not impressed with their restaurant on the river bank, we enjoyed several meals there.  OK, so entrees cost $5 rather than $2 but we were in spendthrift mode.

The little engine that could - circumvent the mighty Mekong rapids that is.

This is the only train we saw in Laos as there is no railway.

The remains of a Pier for the loading and unloading of goods brought by boat along the Mekong from Saigon via Cambodia