Lots of mist; no clouds and no old men clothed in leather. Getting up at 5 and getting on the road to Chiang Khong where the lowland fields were all shrouded in mist, and not being able to see any recalcitrant buffaloes like the ones at lunch yesterday, set a song in my mind that I used to sing to Laura and Danielle. The blanket of mist covered the fields but there was enough space for the mysterious peaks of mountians to loom above as if they were not connected to Earth. The weather wasn't cloudy. High in the sky it was clear and blue. What is more there was no old man clothed in all in leather to greet us. Maybe the song wasn't such a good analogy after all.
This was my farewell to Thailand. Our driver drove us to the crossing point as if his wheels were on fire at times. Oh, I could go on with song titles but that will force me to digress. The driver was actually OK apart from texting and driving at the same time. We got there safely so I shouldn't complain.
The crossing was painless as we had the support of a rep (not dressed in leather either) who does this sort of thing every week and then onto the boat and to float down the Mekong to Pakbeng. This was the first time this trip that I actually felt frozen and it wasn't until the afternoon sun was high in the sky that I started to thaw. I know how you must be suffering being shaved - I really do.
We visited a Khmer village that was constructed from bamboo. This was another opportunity for voyeurism but it didn't seem like that. The little school room contained forty grubby little faces, makeshift rows of desks and a blackboard at each end of the room, The teacher had the only books and was teaching two separate classes. Their first langauge is not Laotian but their schooling is. We taught them to count to 10 in English and then one little boy taught all of us to count to 10 in Lotian.
It is very humbling to see how little these people have. All our troubles are first world ones. They live in an isolated area accessible from the Mekong and their ways are still traditional. Their food is what they grow and their education is very basic. It is a known fact that Education is the key to improving lives. Yet in the west - particularly in Britain there is a resentment built up about attending school in some areas. Because education in the UK is "free", it doesn't mean it has little value. People across the world will tell you otherwise.
After reaching Pakbeng we dumped our stuff at our hotels and explored the village as a cohesive group from the boat. Travelling, you meet such interesting people and although I am essentially travelling alone, I am not lonely. At no point this holiday have I felt isolated. these people I spent this evening with were especially nice. I know you wold warm to them, too.
I have luggage and stuff I am now lugging around as it is the clothes for the warmer part of my trip. That stuff plus my suitcase stayed on the boat. It is so nice to be without the encumberance of so much extra stuff, even if it is for one night.
I am off to bed now. Tomorrow is another long trip down the Mekong through cataracts and slow flowing currents. With the amazing scenery along the way, (sceneries in Singlish) I recommend this to all my friends. You, Marmite, would love it especially as it means you don't have to move to much.
Love U.
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