喬松普·薩達馮

In training for a Vangvieng Trail hike at the end of this year， my friends and I would normally walk along the Mekong riverbank to prepare for such an event but one recent weekend we decided to try somewhere different.

Out of the many places we considered， we settled upon the Tad Xai waterfall at Ban Hatkhai in Borikhamxay province， which lies within the Phou Khaokhouay National Protected Area.

Reached by travelling on Road 13 South， its near the border between Vientiane and Borikhamxay province， and is about three hours drive from Vientiane.

We chose this place because we heard that trekking guides are available， which we thought was a good idea because we were by no means experienced trekkers.

I have been to Tad Xai a few times before， but mostly just to have a picnic and enjoy the waterfall， which is one of the most beautiful of the many that are to be found in the national protected area. This was the first time I would be able to explore the area more fully.

We arrived at Ban Hatkhai around 10 am where a local tourist officer was waiting to guide us on the walk. The fee for each of us was 45，000 kip1. It was several kilometres from the village to the park itself and some sections of the road were quite rough. Drivers would need a vehicle with good clearance or four-wheel drive.

We arrived at the parking place which was shaded by large trees and bordered by a stream which burbled through various shaped rocks. It would make a good picnic spot and you could also have a dip as the water was not at all deep. A sign pointed the way to Tad Xai waterfall， which could be found at the end of a 400 metre path.

But we were intent on having a long walk so we went in another direction along a small trail which passed through woods， so the tree canopy protected us from the hot sun.

We quickly became immersed in our environment and stopped to look at the unfamiliar plants and flowers that we encountered in profusion.

Our surroundings were so enjoyable that we walked slowly and took loads of photos， forgetting that the purpose of the expedition was to get in training for the strenuous Vangvieng Trail. Never mind， the whole experience was all part of the goal， we told ourselves.

After a while we heard the unmistakable sound of a waterfall， which soon came into view. The water cascaded down from a high cliff， so it is aptly named Pha Xay waterfall， or cliff waterfall. It was one of those hidden gems that you would only encounter by walking deep into this scenic area.

After lingering for a while to enjoy the view and taking more photos， we continued on our way through more oddly-shaped trees and plants and then came to an open field of green grass interspersed with rocks.

Then we were back in the forest again， walking through small and large trees， listening to the sounds of insects and birds against the backdrop of faraway waterfalls， and observing the strange plant life around us. We became engrossed in our surroundings and never had time to feel tired. Now and again we saw groups of colourful butterflies， and stopped to relax near a small stream.

The many streams that traverse the park meant we sometimes had to walk across wooden bridges and near the end of the trail we came upon a mass of different sized boulders piled up on top of each other alongside a large stream overhung with dense foliage.

The tall thick trees were a wonderful sight and created a calming atmosphere so we took a long break and breathed in the smells. We felt we had earned a rest as this was the first trek we had made in this kind of environment.

From here we took a different path back， which led us to the main Tad Xai cascade where most people come to enjoy a picnic.

The waterfall has seven levels over which pours a torrent of foaming white water on its way through Phou Khaokhouay， creating a spectacular sight.

This made another great rest stop and we loitered here for some time before making our way back to the parking area， deeply satisfied with our achievement and our decision to visit this awe-inspiring area.

我和朋友們計劃今年年底去萬榮步道徒步旅行 。為了準(zhǔn)備這種旅行，我們通常會沿湄公河河岸行走，但最近一個周末，我們決定去不同的地方走走。

我們考慮了很多地方，最終選定了波里坎賽省班哈凱的泰德賽瀑布，它位于普考奎山國家保護區(qū)內(nèi)。

那里靠近萬象和波里坎賽省交界處，距離萬象約3小時車程，沿南13號公路即可抵達。

我們選擇這個地方是因為聽說這里有徒步導(dǎo)游，由于我們?nèi)狈ν讲铰眯械慕?jīng)驗，所以覺得有個導(dǎo)游比較好。

我以前去過泰德賽幾次，但主要就是去野餐和觀賞瀑布。這個國家保護區(qū)里有很多瀑布，泰德賽瀑布是最美麗的瀑布之一。這回是我第一次能更全面地探索這個地區(qū)。

上午10點左右我們到達班哈凱，當(dāng)?shù)氐囊晃宦糜喂賳T正等著為我們此次徒步當(dāng)向?qū)?。我們每人的費用為4.5萬基普。從村子到公園里還有幾公里路，有些路段相當(dāng)崎嶇。開車的話得開高底盤或四輪驅(qū)動的車。

我們到達了停車場，這里有大樹遮蔭，場邊還有一條溪流，潺潺流過形狀各異的巖石。這是野餐的好地方，也可以游會兒泳，因為水一點兒都不深。一塊路牌指示了通往泰德賽瀑布的路，沿著一條400米長的小徑走到盡頭就能看到了。

但是我們打算多走些路，于是便沿著一條林間小路向另一個方向走去，樹冠幫我們抵擋了炎熱的陽光。

我們很快就沉浸在周圍的環(huán)境中，沿途遇到許多陌生的植物和鮮花，我們不時停下來觀賞。

周圍的景色令人愉快，我們慢慢溜達著，拍了很多照片，忘了這次短程旅行的目的是為艱苦的萬榮步道旅行做準(zhǔn)備。我們安慰自己說，沒關(guān)系，整個體驗都是實現(xiàn)目標(biāo)的一部分。

不一會兒，我們聽到了確定無疑的瀑布聲，很快瀑布便映入眼簾。瀑布從一處高高的懸崖傾瀉而下，因此被貼切地稱為帕夏瀑布（即懸崖瀑布）。這個瀑布是隱藏的瑰寶之一，只有深入這個景區(qū)才能看到。

我們逗留了一會兒，欣賞風(fēng)景，又拍了些照片，繼續(xù)前行，穿過一些奇形怪狀的樹木和植物，來到一片開闊的綠色草地，草地上散布著巖石。

之后，我們返回了森林，經(jīng)過大大小小的樹木，聽著遠處瀑布背景下昆蟲和鳥兒的鳴叫，觀察周圍奇異的植物。我們?nèi)褙炞⒂谒幍沫h(huán)境，根本無暇顧及疲倦。我們不時看到一群群色彩斑斕的蝴蝶，便在一條小溪旁停下來休息。

公園中有許多溪流穿行，這意味著我們有時必須走過木橋。快到小路的盡頭時，我們在一條大溪流旁發(fā)現(xiàn)了一片石堆，許多大小不一的卵石層層堆積，溪邊大樹枝葉繁茂，掩映溪水。

茂密的大樹構(gòu)成美妙的景觀，營造了寧靜的氛圍，于是我們在此好好休息了一番，呼吸著各種氣息。這是我們第一次在這樣的環(huán)境中徒步旅行，我們覺得可以像這樣休息一下。

我們從這里返回時走了另一條路。這條路把我們帶到了泰德賽主瀑布，大多數(shù)人都是來野餐的。

瀑布有七級，逐級傾瀉而下的激流噴濺出白色的浪花，一路穿過普考奎山國家公園，形成一道壯觀的風(fēng)景。

這里又是個可以好好歇腳的地方，我們在此處閑逛了一陣子才返回停車場。對于決定來這個令人驚嘆的地方并且收獲滿滿，我們都感到非常滿意。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎?wù)?單位：常州工學(xué)院）