Miniature Continents.

Hello my marvelous and greatly missed peeps at home!

Now...I'm writing this from Laos no less...that means we are about as far behind as a donkey and cart is to formula one at the Grand Prix. Therefore we'll be relaxing the detail and going for quantity not quality here after and apologies for the lack of entertainment.

So......the day after our quiet evening we felt refreshed and ready to explore.....which meant visiting all the little continents in this rather beautiful city. We wandered, plodded in the heat, meandered and staggered our way round the edge and found ourselves at the old colonial fort where the British had probably done something terrible to somebody a long time ago. Jon wanted to sit for a bit and offered to tell me a story cos' he knows how I get bored. The story was about pirates but more interesting was the fact that he knew I get bored sitting like that! I don't remember complaining of boredom in his presence...but there you go.

We wandered.....bla, bla....you get the picture....through Little India, Little China and marveled at the buildings, the markets, the food stalls the traffic that I kept wandering into. Jon marveled at how I'd managed for 31 yrs not to get knocked over by a motorcycle as he was alarmed at how I seemed to throw myself into the traffic. I'll blame this on my Dad as he always says you'll never get anywhere if you don't push your nose out. I am aware that he means when you're in a car and not your actual nose, but it seems to work for me in SE Asia!

After sometime the obligatory afternoon storm clouds began to gather and there was nothing for it but to take shelter...in a local bar. This place you'll be surprised to learn was full of....well interesting characters shall we say. People of questionable gender that kept us guessing for some time, those with what looked like wooden teeth and they were all lovely and welcoming. This is the kind of place we both enjoy...always something or someone completely strange! The rain started to lash down and the patrons made a massive fuss of shooing us inside...there safely installed we watched the owner wressle with a potplant being blown away whilst managing to keep his fag intact...now that's talent.

Several inappropriate conversations later, we emerged at the bar where the cast of Monkey Magic rule and after trying in vain to get sneaky photos of the bar staff just to prove their existence we attempted pool. That went to pot so to speak so on we moved and well you get the picture for the evening even if I can't remember much. What I do recall is that it was a very fabulous evening where I nearly fell off my stool laughing more than is my fair share in life!

Dec 1st (no idea what day of week...in fact the only time I do know is when I'm writing this!)

I awoke with what can be described as a fully fledged and ready to go hangover. No trojan here...this was the real deal, prepackaged and glowing like kryptonite. By this time we'd kinda run out of money as my card had been playing up and I'd put off ringing the bank as part of the real world I had no interest in dealing with. Jon managed to rustle up two portions of fried rice and some water for the equivalent of 2p which went down a treat and then it really was time to find an ATM that would allow me some funds.

Jon packed his bags as he was off to Bangkok and as far as I remember we sort of milled about until it was time for him to go. I'll say I was not best pleased at this thought but then realized I'd come all this way to do this thing on my own, to be selfish and do as I damn well pleased as it may be the only time in my life I get to. After I nearly started crying that is. What I did have at that moment and still is an overwhelming sense of "it'll be absolutely fine" for no apparent reason. So there you are.

We said goodbye at the taxi stop...more of a "so long" as with any joy we'll be meeting up in April to do Nepal together. We've been mailing quite a lot since....laughing over eachothers antics and generally missing the company that was so much fun for such a short time. And now I'll be closing that particular chapter...perhaps to be reopened but you'll have to stay tuned to see!

As for the rest of the day...well pretty much a right off quite frankly! And to be honest the following day was much of the same. Did some shopping...buying of souvenirs...plodding about looking at stuff...getting my ticket for the next epic adventure....eating in a semi posh chinese restaurant as the only forienger and getting totally ignored by the staff.

The following morning I put some washing into the laundry place down the road feeling in the mood for cleaning house so to speak. The rest of the day was spent farting about looking at marvelous stuff again and on the way back I noticed a rather beatiful colour bowing in the breeze on the road down from my hotel. "What a lovely color t-shirt!" thinks I. In fact I'm sure I have one just like it....and pants like that too...and bras...and it looks like all my undies are displayed along the main thoughfair here for all and sundy to have a peek and good job I'm leaving at the crack of sparrows!

That night whilst blogging my faith in humanity was tested as I gave my phone card to a fellow traveler in need. The guy looked like he'd smoked enough weed to sink a battle ship...and half an hour later when he'd not returned I chastised myself for being too trusting. But lo and behold he came up trumps apologizing for taking so long...he'd got waylaid...no dought by another joint!