Remembering!

      This is another day minus original thoughts. With that in mind I'll recount a past adventure from my travels in SE Asia.

    On my first trip to Laos I flew to the capital, Vientienne. After a few days there I flew to Luang Prabang, the former Royal Capital. It is 200 miles between cities. Spending some time there I then took a bus back to Vientienne with the intention of continuing to the south tip of Laos. This being 2009 it was before smart phones and tablets. At an over night stop in Takhek, the internet cafe was out of order for two weeks. The men in the cafe told me to cross the Mekong to Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Returning to Laos, after going to Thailand, I was refused re-admittance because they had stamped my visa "expired."  Thus ended my attempt to travel to southern Laos.

    Back in Thailand in 2012, planning to teach, with some days to use before teaching, I decided to finish the journey begun in 2009. Back in Takhek a local guide offered to take me to the local caves. Entering the second cave, out of which water was flowing, I slipped and fell, gashing my legs. The guide took me to the local hospital where I was stitched up, minus anesthetic, or at best, a light dose. The next day I was infected so went to Bangkok for medical treatment, see the hospital pictures a few blogs ago. Never did I see southern Laos.

Takk for alt,

Al

The view from the first cave.