beautiful laos

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hello!

oh my god i am in laos and it is very beautiful. it took awhile to get adjusted to being in a new country, more so because when you are in the laos border town of huay xai, thailand can be seen from across the river! As Huay Xai is so small and i was so tired i wiled the day away with a new found friend, marion (french) who i met in Pai. we drank beer in the afternoon, conversed with the locals, shared their food and had a delicious massage. bliss 😊)

About marion, i am so glad that we hooked up. of course i had no intention of travellling with anyone and since my face inadvertently gave off the "stay away from me" look i was quite surprised that she made the effort to be nice, to the point of asking me if i wanted to join her on the mini bus from pai to chaing khong. i stupidly said no (that's another story) and replied that i didn't like to make plans but as fate would have it we were thrown together. now i am deleriously happy because i have a girlfriend to gossip with, unwanted emotions to bounce off someone, instead of having to wear my woes and experiences like a 10 tonne chain around my neck (whence why my face and i was looking so bleak all this time), and a girl to share the cost of living with.

It would appear that the universe is on my side for it has conspired to provide me with company when i needed it the most - over border crossings because i would say that that is the hardest part of the journey.

so, after a long 9 hour ride from Pai by minibus via chaing mai we finally arrived in the thai border town of chiang khong. again, there was not much to do but we were so very tired and a hot meal and a cold shower was all that was required. however, it turned out to be better that that. outside our guesthouse we met about 5 very friendly Israelis so we hooked up for dinner and later moved onto a bar for vodka and red bulls (i am so tired of beer!!)

while they want to bed soon after, me and marion stayed up in the bar to watch Pans Labyrinth with just the bar owner and a strange man who had the appearance of having reached the wrong side of Nirvana! His eyes looked black from a distance (a trick of the mind perhaps) and he was clothed in loose fitting cotton trousers and tunic. I think he was searching for Buddha but got lost on the way. i should have pointed him to the bodh gaya tree in india where buddha found enlightenment but where no man now dare tread due to the dacoity that frequently takes place in the region.

the next morning we boarded the ferry to huay xai in loas where we spent a night. I was accosted by three sikhs in huay xai, one of whom insisted that he could tell my fortune. so i allowed him to and then he demanded 50 british pounds. suffice it to say i had a few choice words for him and gave him not a penny! besides i thought it very strange that he should be travelling here for i have not seen indians in south east asia, only the type who have settled overseas like myself. he would not say what he was doing here but he was travelling with two young companions whom i took to be his sons.

the following day we boarded the slow boat to luang prabang, a 2-day journey on the Mekong river. stunning scenery but oh so very uncomfortable. after 7 hours we stopped at Pak Beng for the night where we were invited by a few local men for a game of cards and some thai whisky. we had a wicked time. oh and we also met Jamie, a french guy in the little town. i have pictures of all this and i promise to upload them very soon.

early the next day we got back on the boat, this time for 9 hours, to take us to Luang Prabang. so glad to be on shore. Although the second day was much more relaxed on the boat with people milling around in the aisle, either standing, sleeping or talking which meant you had to climb over people wherever you went but that was ok. i was so tired i didn't care either that the floor was dirty and made my bed on the floor in between the seats.

we found a magnificent gueshouse, all wooden floors, and immaculately clean with the bonus of our own private balcony. However, little did we realise that building of a new house was taking place behind us so this morning we were woken by the incessant hammering of nails and the grinding of saws. it is a miracle i did not scream in exasperation but i think that is because the room is so dark and comforting, i so tired to the point of exhaustion and just more relaxed than i have ever been in my adult life. I say pish pash poosh to saws and hammers. let it go on. life must go on at its own speed while i will find my own pace and so far i am quite enjoying gently bobbing along.

au revoir / good bye xx

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