We're taking a rest day in Thakek. While the pictures don't really convey it, this town has a weird, almost haunted air about it. We thought it was all in our heads, until we read our guidebook's entry about the village—the author mentions the same thing! Neither of us can put our finger on what exactly evokes this sensation in us, but this place has a genuinely dark, heavy vibe to it. It feels a bit like a ghost town, except there are people.