Goose Liver...

Goose liver is considered a delicacy in Hungary. It is listed on almost every menu..."goose liver in butter", etc. It was the source of some merriment between us. The last night we were in Budapest Curmudgeonette looked at the menu and said, "I like liver, I think I'll order the goose liver". So she did and discovered she liked it. That should have been no surprise because she likes liver...the joke was on her...she could have been enjoyed earlier.

Surrendering My Credentials......

Traveling on Frequent Flier miles separated the Curmudgeon from the Curmudgeonette. Originally I was scheduled to overnight in Hartford on my return trip. Yesterday in Amsterdam I was able to rebook on a direct flight to Mpls. Because it was a last minute change I decided to pay for an exit row. The agent warned me that it was an inside seat but I chose to risk it. Settling into my seat I was soon joined on my left with a young couple and their one year old daughter, Shiloh. They had no more than settled in when a young mother with her two year old daughter, Evasophia, sat down on my right. The Traveling Curmudgeon did a personal inventory and decided that there was one way to survive an eight hour flight in that situation, and, no it didn't involve alcohol. "If you can't get out of it get into it" I think is an Outward Bound motto. So I did. I held Shiloh who thought my beard was cool. Her Mom's from Monte Carlo. Evasophia was also a delight. Her mother is of Croatian descent, grew up in Ecuador, is an American citizen who lives in Spain with her Spanish husband. I never had an eight hour flight go so fast. Does this mean I have to surrender my credentials as a curmudgeon?

Heading Home

We spent our last day walking the inner parts of Budapest including the Chain Bridge that links Buda and Pest. The unseasonably cold weather kept us from patronizing any of the out door cafes either in Vienna or Budapest. We leave for home tomorrow, the 27th, though I have to overnight in Hartford, CT., because of the Frequent Flier ticket I'm using, so I'll be home the 28th. I'll post pictures from home.
We recommend the places we stayed. In Budapest, Hotel Pest is a boutique hotel about a block from the Opera House in the central historical district. In Vienna, Pension Suzanne is about 50 yards from the State Opera House and just off the main walking street. Good values in prime locations.
I will likely post some reflections on the trip after I get home. Thanks for all the kind comments and responses. It's been a grand trip and I told the Curmudgeonette that she did well...or as a Norske might say, "She could have been a lot worse!"

Tales of Vienna

Returning to Budapest has made clear that Vienna is a gleaming city. Not that Budapest is bad. It just does not evidence the gleaming, scrubbed prosperity of Vienna. Trains no longer stop at the borders of countries in the European Union. We could tell when we crossed from Austria to Hungary by the condition of the houses and villages. Hungary shows the effects of the stress on it's economy. Yet, there were beggars in Vienna showing that not all have shared the obvious prosperity. Vienna is a cultural mecca with music, dance, theatre and other arts readily available. One of the high points for me was free...hearing the 30 ton bell in St. Stephan's pealing! As we walked the few blocks from out hotel to the subway at St. Stephan's Platz we were accompanied by the ringing of church bells from several directions.

Take the Yellow Line...

The instructions from our hotel seemed simple enough; "From the train station take the Yellow Subway Line three stops to "Opera". The Chinese fire drills began as we dismounted the train and ploughed our way through 3 gazillion people in the station. " Which way's the subway?? Down these stairs? You stay with the luggage and I'll go look...nope not there. Hey, see over there? doesn't that look like a stairway accross that street? Yes. But is that an under ground parking garage? You stay with the luggage.....Yes, it's the subway. Now what? There's an information desk. You don't speak English? Yes. She pointed to the ticket booth and down the escalator and left. Two tickets to 'Opera'...much writing, stamping with tickets in hand and down the escalator. No sign for Opera, on the train getting farther from recognized landmark, off the train slip past the ticket inspectors, up, over...oopps another ticket inspector...unloose a barrage of English...waved on, we get the world's oldest subway car..three stops later we emerge near our hotel. All this and not a cross word between the Curmudgeon or Curmudgeonette! Much easier than driving in Romania last year!

Still to come: Reflections on our stay in Vienna.

The Style To Which One is Accustomed

A couple of days ago we rode the subway out to the train station to buy our tickets back to Budapest. We had the world's crabbiest ticket seller and in the ensuing melee` ended up with second class seats. Having ridden in royal style to Vienna, Curmudgeonette was hoping to go back to Budapest the same way. When we arrived at the train station Stepahnie was more than happy to upgrade us with smiles and good cheer. Curmudgeon and Curmudgeonette schlept their bags down track 6 as prescribed. So far so good. A division of opinion occurred. Curmudgeon maintaining that lst class cars had compartments and 2nd class open seating, while Curmudgeonette held that lst and 2nd class cars were identified by a '1' or '2' on the side of the car. Following Curmudgeon's lead they settled in a compartment on a car clearly marked '2'. The conductor carefully inspecting tickets informed us that we had first class tickets but were in a second class car...where we could stay if we like and we did because first class had no compartments. The moral of this story is never argue with Curmudgeonette unless she suggests an upgrade.

When In Vienna Make an LWR Visit....

The last evening in Vienna was one to remember. It began with an organ (circa 1730) and trumpet concert in a quaint church. We'd walked by this church several times a day and never paid any attention until we found the concert there last night. A full complement of Bach, Handel, Mozart, et. al., in this accoustically wonderful setting. The church is Catholic of the Maltese Order. It's as old as the organ and is eight pews long and between 30 & 40 feet high with much marble, stone and wood giving great reverberations. One to remember.
From there we went to dinner at our favorite Italian place two doors from our hotel. It's very small, seats about 20, run by this delightful couple who immigrated 33years ago from the part of Croatia that abuts Italy. We'd made it our hangout because the food was so good and the couple so winsome. It was sad to say goodbye to them. They took great delight in our attempts to speak German. Surprisingly a bit of German came back to me from college...which must be over 100 years ago.
While we were having our dinner another American couple came in. She kept staring at us but he was facing away. Finally she asked Joanne; "Are you Mark Hanson's sister?" Joanne, of course, went into denial mode and said three times; "I do not know that man!"! JOKE. As it turns our they are John & Jen Augstine from Milwakuee whom Joanne had visited on behalf of LWR (Lutheran World Relief). John and Jen met when Jen was in the Lutheran Volunteer Corps in Chicago. She was assigned to Lutheran Family Mission at the time my cousin Al Bergh was the director. John was a seminary student an Al introduced them. You can about imagine how much we had to talk about! I'm hoping that Joanne's supervisors at LWR giver her extra credit for carrying on the work even in Vienna!

And Then the Dog....

In our ungoing effort so see as much dead marble as we can we took a trip (short) to Schönnbrunn Castle. We were admitted to 23 of the 144 rooms which we agreed was enough. We did get to see the room in which Motzart played his first concert at age six and then leaped in the Empress' lap and smothered her with kisses. The Empress response was not recorded. We also got to see where Franz Joseph pooped, which reminds me.....dogs go everywhere in Vienna; restraunts, hotels, subways, etc., which I thought was nice until I saw one in the train station with diarrhea......
The day began with snow but the eventually the sun appeared. The wind keeps the air clear and reminds me of South Dakota. The dollar doesn't go as far as it used to but then neither do we! Tomorrow we head back to Budapest.

A Tale of three Easters

At St. James, Crystal, it was a long standing tradition to to invite people to join the choir to sing the Hallelujah Chorus at the end of the service. When we left St. James Joanne said that is one of the traditons she would miss. Last year, in the first year of my retirement, we spent a wonderful Easter with Lars' in-laws in NJ. There, Joanne and Lars, sang the Hallelujah Chorus with the choir of First Methodist Church, Hackettstown, NJ. Today we went to a Easter Service at an English Speaking Lutheran Church and they, too, had the tradition of inviting everyone to sing the Hallelujah Chorus.
We checked out the Mass at the Cathedral but the orchestra wasn't up to the size of the space so we went on to St. Peter's....much better. From there we went on to the Lutheran Church so it really feels like Easter.
Gotta love a country that puts chocolate flakes in granola! and the beer's not bad either. A lot of marble gave it's life for the buildings of Vienna!

Churches and things....Vienna woods, etc.

A visit to Karl's Church rounded out architectual styles with Baroque; Stephan's Cathederal and Votiv Church were Gothic and St. St. Peter's was Rococo. There is a metal scaffold in Karl's which houses a lift that goes the first 200 ft and 50 ft of steps from there lead to the very cupola offering a close up of the art work and a panoramic view of the city.
We used our week's pass on the tram to ride out to the Vienna Woods for a hike. It is a lovely sunny day and the Woods are grand. I thought I should compose some music after that hike but nothing came to mind.
Franz Joseph just got his marvelous palace constructed and along came the first world war and ended his reign. There are many Hapsburg large building here and we saw them. Some where there is a story about a wealthy farmer who had a great crop, decided to build bigger granaries and then he died. Maybe someone wants to preach about this sometime.
Reflections on continental differences in public transit: In America you can't get on a subway, etc., without paying. In Europe you can get on or off without paying but if you get caught riding without a ticket the fine is very steep. In Bangkok you have to pay a minimum to get on but if you ride past the zone for which you've paid you can't exit the station.

Opera House, Vienna

We took a tour of the Vienna State Opera House...many oohs and ahs. It is much bigger than Budapest's but much was lost in the rebuilding after WW II. In Budapest there was an l.e.d. screen above the stage which gave an Hungarian tranlation of the Italian....didn't help us much. In Vienna every seat is fitted with it's own monitor and you can choose either German or English.
Tommorow we will see many more large old buildings.

When A Scam is Not a Scam.......

Remember when I said I was scammed by being given two 400 Ruble notes instead of 400 Florents and I thought it was a scam? I took the Rubles to the money changers, not in the temple, today and received $25. which is 4 times the value of 800 Florents. It's a mystery but I pocketed the money!
Curmudgeonette and I went to a Viennese concert last night, (surprise since we are in Vienna) of Strauss, Mozart, etc., complete with operatic singers and dancers. Fun, but probably once is enough. Scmaltz is like frosting...best if you don't have too much.
Yesterday we off loaded the train from Budapest and headed for the subway. We found the automatic dispensers for subway tickets and proudly bought tickets for a week. How foolish of us to assume that a week ticket would begin on the date of purchase when everyone knows that the week begins on Monday. Ahh the Austrian mind......
We began a walking tour of central Vienna until the cold drove us inside. We did see St. Stephan's Cathederal and St. Peter's Church. Vienna could be summerized by, "many large, old buildings." We'll finish the tour on a warmer day. We'll go back to St. Stephan's tonight for a Good Friday Mass with the Passion of St. John,

I'm dreaming of a white Vienna...

Not only am I dreaming of a white Vienna I'm dreaming of an English keyboard! Our train from Budapest entered Vienna to the heaviest snow they had all winter. The delightful Aussie couple, with whom we shared a compartment, were estatic because they could go home and tell their friends they saw snow! The traveling Curmudgeon and Cumudgeonette have both seen snow....... The Budapest train station makes the one in Bangkok, though much larger, seem simple. (The population of Bkk and Hungary are the same.) It was a fun ride with wildlife, deer, pheasants and rabbits accompanying the farmers in the field.
We're in a B & B 50 yards from the Opera House and a half block from the Karntner Strasse pedestrian street. There is free internet access at the B & B but the catch is a German keyboard and you know how those Germans are. We're off to a concert of smaltz (Yes, Lars.) tonight. It will be nice to have five days here!
Blessed Maundy Thursday!

What does Mt. Fuji have to do with Budapest?

The opera was grand...from the fifth row we got a clear view when the bad girl shot the good girl just as she was to drive off in a new, sporty, BMW with Edgar. The moral of the story, as I understand it, is, don't hang out with good girls. The opera house, built in 1884, is grand and it was an interesting contrast with the modern staging of the opera....2008 chic. I'd do it again but not twice.
A traditional Hungarian dinner in a tradtional hungarian place; painted walls, marble columns, huge chandeliers, silver service, (goose liver is big here) with a live band, introduced us to a new musical instrument. It sounds like a piano but is played with mallets like a marimba and is called a "timbolo" or "timpolo". The player said it was unique to Hungary. He sat in front of it and the strings lying flat in front of him were struck with mallets in each hand. A good time was had by all.
In 1961 I spent a few months in a tent camp at the base of Mt. Fuji. We arrived under the cover of darkness and awakened to Ft. Fuji looming above us with little snow, pictures taken; soon it snowed, pictures taken; more snow, pictures taken....and on and on until I was the proud owner of 300+ pictures of Mt. Fuji. Walking Castle Hill in Buda today in the sunshine I had to restrain myself from turning the Parliment Building in Pest into another Fuji experience.
It was interesting to visit St. Mattias' church and Europe's largest synagogue on the same day. Similarities, large, ornate, painted walls and ceilings....yet significant differences, e.g., statuary, etc. Which reminds me, at the Basilica the most prized relic is St. Stephan's, first king of Hungary, right hand. I also saw a rosary with beads the size of chicken eggs. (Go MaryJane!)
Tomorrow we'll take the three hour train ride to Vienna. The boat on the Danube only goes during the summer. We'll be glad to get a couple of more days in Budapest on our way home. We've found it to be as delighful as everyone says.
My first scam is amusing. I went to pay my internet bill with a 500 bill thinking it was Florents worth about $3.33, and they wouldn't accept it. Turned out it was a 500 Rubles bill which looks similar but isn't worth anything, here at least. I'd been given two of them somepace as change...good joke on the Curmudgeon!

The Pietist

Our hotel Pest is located one block from the Budapest Opera and about five blocks from St. Stephan's Basilica. We wandered on down to the Basilica for a look-see. Wow! Much marble and gold but only one mention (a picture) of the collapse of the dome while it was being built in the 1880s. The pietistic Curmudgeon couldn't help but wonder if this is what Jesus wants?
The hill behind the castle gave a wonderful view of the hills of Buda and the flats of Pest accross the beautiful blue (grey) Danube. The broken clouds dappled the scene with light and dark effects.
The Hungarian Goulash, actually a very good soup, came in a bowl with a cap of bread baked on it. It went down well on a chilly day when there were occasional snow flakes in the air. Signs of spring are showing in the green grass and trees beginning to bloom. Paprika's big here. Our breakfast table had salt and paprika shakers but no pepper.
Wanting to see the opera we went to the ticket office (Budapest's version of Ticketmaster) next door to the hotel. The "system was down" so we agreed to return after our two hour bus tour. When we did, they had tickets for us ( in the fifth row so we'll be able to see the fat girl sweat). They don't take credit cards so I offered to go to an ATM. The clerk motioned me to follow her, she led me to my hotel and there I was able to use my credit card for the tickets. The opera is Puccini's EDGAR. I'll report on the experience tomorrow and double check the spelling of the composers name. (The traveling curmudeonette gave me the correct spelling.)

Illiterate

After meeting Greg Mortenson and hearing him speak at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum at Concordia, Joanne thought she should read his book, Three Cups of Tea. It tells the story of the building of schools, particularly for girls, in Pakistan and Afganistan (61 to date). A well written and inspiring book it illuminates the problem illiterate women face. Living with the Dutch gives us some small sense of the frustration of illiteracy, or, Joanne would have read the sign that proclaimed "this lane closed" and not have waited in vain at the grocery check-out. Everyone here seems to speak English very well but signage is only in Dutch, unlike SE Asia, where everything is in both the country language and English. Oh, Yes, and Joanne recommends the book.
Deep into the biograpy of Gengis Khan I also recommend it. Written by a professor at Macalester College it is both very readable and very educational.
So, tomorrow, it's on to Budapest......

Palm Sunday Proicessional

The map says "Lutheran Kerk" and it's about a ten minute walk from our bed without breakfast so I put on my rain coat and Joanne grabbed her pink umbrella and off we went. Assuming that worship services are at the standard 11:00am we arrived at the minute. But the ancient round brick Lutheran Kerk is now the Renissance Hotel Conference Center. So our Palm Sunday Processional was with a pink umbrella rather than with the traditonal palms. Hosanna In the Highest.
I got my turn at angelhood for a young Japanese woman schlepping her luggage through the rain looking for her youth hostel. I was able to point her in the right direction.
Maria, the owner of the bed without breakfast stopped in this morning. She buys apartments and renovates them herself. This buiding dates from ca. 1700. We booked this online. There are two rental rooms. The common area has internet access.

Interesting Decision

As a young man Vincent van Gogh decided he was going to be a painter. There's no record that he had shown any aptitude at drawing, painting or artistry. Today there is a museum dedicated to his art where we spent most of the day. The visiting exhibit is of the work of Millais about whom I knew nothing. We were joined by hordes of people who also wanted to see Vincent's work.
Joanne missed the trip to Argentina, working you know, when Lars and I went. Sick of hearing about Argentina grass-fed beef she whined (maybe not whined)until I took her to an Argentina restaurant. To quote her response; "best steak I ever had". It cost about the same as a week in Argentina.
Amsterdam is a city of bicycles. People sit ram rod straight and everyone seems to ride. In front of Central Station there is a three story bicyle parking ramp. Every street has a bike lane.
Several long streets have been turned into pedestrian malls. A warm Saturday brought out hordes of people looking a bit like gophers emerging from a long hibernation.

Grace Abounds

We, Joanne and her Traveling Curmudgeon, flew into Amsterdam. With Joanne along I'd made a reservation at a bed no breakfast place within walking distance of the Central Station. Fortunately it wasn't raining as we had about a fifteen minute walk. We misread the directions and were standing on a street corner trying to puzzle it out when angel number one stopped and asked if we needed help. She soon had as on our way and we found it with no more trouble.
When we arrived there was a note in the window for me to call the owner. That revealed two problems. First, I thought I had called her from the station. The pay phone was 100% Dutch but in spite of that I thought I had left her a message. Who knows what I had really done though I know it cost 2 Euros. Second, we had not activated our cell phones, so there we stood on a side street with no way to call. Out of the next door came a man, who, when he saw us standing forlornly with our bags said we must call Maria. We explained we had no phone, he popped back into his apartment, returned with a cell phone and called Maria for us...angel number two. Soon Hans showed up to let us in.
Hans had directed us to a good grocery store and because we have a kitchen we went. Thinking there would likely be an ATM in the store we entered and stood inside the door looking about . Angel number three asked if she could help us and pointed us to an ATM acrros the room. We hadn't been in Amsterdam three hours and we'd been visited by three angels.
I'm so jet lagged I think I could sleep standing up! Once when I was here with family we made the mistake of taking a canal ride the first day....all six of us slept through it.
Oh, yes, spell check is in Dutch and many of you know my spelling ablities.

Some Reflections

They did the best they could. It is not their fault that the hospital in Tha Khek, Laos, is less than the best. I was treated with respect and dignity and the staff did the best they could with what they had. My bill, approximately $10, for sutures and medications is the same that a Laotian would have been charged. They did not radically inflate the bill because I was a foreigner. In a country where many people work for $1. a day $10. would be more than they could pay, but for me, pocket change. In a health care system that relies on families the doctor deputized my Tuk Tuk driver to be my family. The Tuk Tuk driver accepted the responsibility cheerfully and was always concerned about my welfare.
Because I'm a person of wealth and privilege I could go to Bangkok for treatment at a state of the art hospital. What would happen to a Laotian who got an infection as I did? Would they be able to get IV antibiotic treatment in-patient for two days? Many could not. The experience has made more conscious of the billions of people who live with that level of medical care...not to mention the millions in this country with out health insurance. Our work is not done!
The kindness of strangers who appeared when I needed them could be the subject of a sermon. The woman who took me under wing and assisted me as I bused across the border from Laos to Thailand is an example. In Mudakarn, Thailand, where I had a three hour layover between buses, a Tuk Tuk took me to an e-mail cafe. Returning to the bus depot I stood on the street waiting for a Tuk Tuk. The one that stopped for me had a passenger who told the driver to take me to the depot first. Tired, hungry and in pain I was very grateful. The nurses at the hospital in Bkk who un-bandaged me and decided to call the surgeon served me well. The Christian Guesthouse held my room while I was in the hospital and worked to find space for me for the three weeks of convalescence is yet another example. So, when people ask, "How was your trip?" I can honestly say, "Great"!

Pictures

Loading all the pictures on the blog is difficult so I'm offering them via e-mail. If you haven't seen them and would like to, send me an e-mail at ajnegstad@gmail.com

Shoes, socks and long sleeve shirts

MN was kind to me and gave above freezing temps. for my return. It was a long and uneventful flight. Now I'll have to adjust to winter clothing....the sandals, etc. are put away for MN summer. It was a good trip with some interesting experiences...but you know about those if you've read the blog. I'll try to get some pictures up soon.
We, Joanne is going this time, leave for Budapest and Vienna on March 13, so I'll resume blogging then. Once I get my pictures posted I may take some blog time off until then.
Thanks for all the kind words about my blogs...I enjoy writing them.

Dengue Fever

There is much concern about Dengue Fever(Breakbone) a mosquito carried virus. Actually there are 4 separate Dengue virus and immunity to one does not protect for the others. 2.5 billion people worldwide are at risk. The effects are high fever, aching joints (thus Breakbone) and in some cases fatal internal bleeding. The mosquito that carries it is active in the daytime and has spread both in times of activity and geographically due to global warming. A local university has just announced a successful vaccine which is wonderful news...assuming it checks out.
It was hard to say goodbye to the doctor and staff at the hospital when I made my last visit today. I've been there every other day since my discharge and they have been superb. The flowers I brought to the nurses station were a big hit. Either, that doesn't happen very often, or it was the traditional Thai graciousness. Everything is nicely healed except one small spot left on my shin and that is much improved.
My boarding passes are printed so that must mean it is time to go home. As anxious as I am to get home, I always feel a tug of grief in leaving a place where I've been awhile. Escaping the MN cold has been a plus but I've promised Joanne I will deal with the weather in MN. It has been an interesting trip even if not what I planned. But, then, how many people get a first hand experience of a hospital in Laos? When I get home I'll post some photographs though I did not take a lot. So, most likely, my next post will be from MN.

The Reality Behind...

She was very articulate, as she needed to be, for a her job as a tour guide. Caught in a traffic jam on our way back from the canal tour we had a chance to talk. Hers is a common story. She's from northern Thailand and is in Bkk working to support her twelve year old daughter and eighty year old widowed father who live together in the north. Her room costs (I've converted to $$ equivalents in this blog) $70. per month without a/c and sometimes she barely makes that. On a good month she might make $150. and then she can send money home. Seldom does she get home because the bus fare is more than she can afford. The conversation began around a discussion of Thai massage and her saying she couldn't afford it($9.). Poor Thai...and comparatively she's not poor...are being squeezed hard by the rise in energy prices. For those living on the edge any increase can mean disaster. The man who wants me to teach English in Burma next year told of an orphanage there where the children were sickly because there was no money for a $10. per month water filter. Bkk gives a glimpse of how hard many people work to eke out a bare existence...if one's eyes are open. People collect cardboard, paper, cans, plastic bags and bottles and some beg. Imagine making a living selling brooms (name almost any item) on the street.
The noodle stand across the street is called, "Cheers". Often there are mid-day noodle stands which give way to evening stands that occupy the same spot. There is a street near here that turns into a night market. About 4:30 the traffic stops and out come the crews complete with fork lifts to transform the four block section into five rows of stalls selling mostly to tourists.

Venice of the East

Bkk has been known as the Venice of the east because of it's extensive network of canals. Perhaps the title is not so appropriate now becasue many of the canals have been covered by development. Technically, Bkk is one small section of the city known to Thai as Thrung Krep. The official name has about fourteen words. So, I did the tourist thing and took a boat ride on the canal. It was a very Asian experience complete with an extremely perky (Joanne with a pep pill) tour guide. Her English was good and one more reminder of how fortunate are native English speakers. I asked her if she good give the whole Thai name of the city, she broke into song and all the Thai on the boat joined her. Students are taught the song as a way of learning the city's name...anyone remember memorizing the books of the Bible in song? It's a Buddhist something holiday...Buddha did something on this date via lunar calendar so we got to the canal an hour early because there were no traffic jams. The people who sleep under the bridge, singles and families, were just getting up. We went up a canal on the Thonburi (opposite Bkk) side of the river to a zoo/refreshment place where we stopped for an hour. My recommendation is that you skip Asian zoos. Many Thai live in houses built on stilts in the canals. It made a nice mellow morning and a different view of the city.
Medical update: All stitches are out and only two bandages left. My knee is healed but the doctor continues to bandage it as a protection against bumps. My shin is healing slowly. The wound is near the site of previously surgery so blood flow is less than normal. I'm scheduled to land at MSP Sunday morning....Oh, I hope its warmer!

In your dreams.....

Deb hadn't kept up with my blog so on my return home she was interested in my account of the hospital in Tha Kek, Laos. It was such a vivid dream I decided to turn it into a blog. The hospital is a concrete or cinder block, single story sprawling structure. When the Tuk Tuk driver delivered me to the hospital after my fall at the cave I was shown to what I assume was the emergency room. It was a grey, poorly lighted room with a gurney, a desk, a surgical table and a cabinet with medical supplies. After I was stitched up, by a person of unknown title, he took me to a men's ward and gave me a bed. There was only one other patient in the ward, an old man who looked very sick. Becasue there is no kitchen at the hospital it is the family of the patient who provide food. When I appreared in the ward the old man's family all came over to have a look at me and closely examine my bandages. Pantomining their question about what happened, they assumed a motorcyle accident, I replied in kind showing a geezer taking a fall. In time a doctor appeared who spoke English. He prescribed antibiotics, pain killer and anti-inflamatory. Because I had no family he deputized the Tuk Tuk driver, who was quite truamatized about the accident to his customer, to escort me to the hospital pharmacy and cashier. We picked the prescriptions, I paid the $10. bill for all services rendered...which included the prescriptions... and headed back to the doctor. He explained the prescritions and dosages, told me to remove the stitches in three days and sent me on my way. On the way to the pharmacy we passed the children's ward. It had about 40 beds all surrounded by concerned family members.
It was the next day, after taking my second tumble this time on the Guesthouse steps, with my knee showing signs of infection, that I headed back to Bkk. The Bkk hospital is state of the art. The routine is; I show up for my appointment, usually the surgeon sometimes a nurse cleans and re-bandages my cuts, I go sit in the lobby until a cashier calls my name, I pay the bill and leave. The whole process takes about 30 minutes.

And then it hit!

Ruts develop quickly and my eating patterns were in one. There are my favorite street vendors and a favorite Thai place called Noodi. Time to find a new place, I thought, so I went to a Chinese one by the Skytrain stop for a noon meal yesterday. About 3pm I went for a $9. two hour Thai massage (Yes, I know it's hard living here). About 30 minutes into the massage I recognized the, all too familiar, signs of food poisoning. I ended the massage and headed back to my room for the famaliar, 'afraid I'm going to die, afraid I'm not going to die' routine. At least I was in a place where people spoke English next to a great hospital unlike last year in Kunming, China.
Stanley Olson, my college philosophy professor, illustrated the plasticity of time by contrasting an hour with one's girl friends with an hour in philosphy class. He was correct and when food poisoning strikes time stops! But, I lived to tell about it and I'm fine today. Had planned to attend an evening worship service yesterday at the Guesthouse sponsored by a local congreation but it was when I was at my sickest.
All cats in Thailand are Siamese.

Maybe Next Year.......

Travel writer, Rick Steeves, encourages travelers to pretend that they are extroverts even if they are not. That's good advice but not always easy for introverts like me. Joanne and I agreed that if she were here she'd know all the stories of the people who flow through the guesthouse.
At breakfast this morning I decided to be and extrovert, parked my self next to a man and struck up a conversation. When he heard my story of intending to volunteer to teach English he lit up like the White House Christmas tree. Turns out that he is involved with a school that teaches English in the hill tribe area of northern Burma. He recently did a stint of teaching at the school but other responsbilities mean that he can't continue doing that. So he has the responsiblity for recruiting native English speakers to work at the school. No surprise, then, that he tried to recruit me. As I told Joanne, the only commitment I've made is to hear more and think about it.
Timing is everthing. It has just become clear that I will not be teaching here this year. One leg isn't healed well enough for me to risk it. My finger, the other leg(knee) and arm are doing very well. Mary Jane asked if I wan't bored to which I responded, "Being bored in Bkk would be evidence of total lack of imagination." Of course I'm disappointed about not teaching but determined to make the best of it. Who knows...maybe Burma next year!

I didn't know I was lost until...

Sometimes words fail and just heaping up adjectives doesn't help. If you've ever been to an Asian market I could simply say this is the mother of all markets. If you haven't been to an Asian market but you've been to Minneapolis' Farmers Market it would give you a small glimpse. Chatuchek is Bkk's weekend market...though it is pretty lively all week. Size? Think a little smaller than the Minnesota State Fair. I liked the Thai guy playing country western on a banjo, the elementary students playing their instruments with a note inviting contributions to their tuition, and the chaos. Everywhere there are physically hadicapped persons selling lottery tickets....maybe a self help program. I marked my entrance to the market carefully so I could find my way back to the Skytrain and I still got lost...didn't even know it until I tried to leave.

CR SEN TH MUM said the sign. What is it? A flower. Roasted banana on a stick...perhaps an aquired taste. T-shirt on a mannequin; NORTH LUTHERAN HIGH

Shriveled Soul

The banker was correct and the ATM switched on in a couple of hours yesteday. My response was something else. Fascinating to see how quickly I switched into 'scarcity' thinking. In reality I have plenty of $$ to get by. But my anxiety didn't reflect that. It was noticable when I encountered my favorite beggars.
The area of the city where I stay is upscale. It makes it a good area for beggars so there are several but not a lot. There is a mother with three small children who camps out on the stairs to the Skytrain, elderly men and women in various places. One man inches along on his stomach pushing a coin cup in front of him. Someone has outfitted blind people with portable Karoke style music boxes. They walk the sidewalks singing traditional Thai songs. Near the Guesthouse are some severly crippled men. I enjoy making eye contact with them and exchanging pleasantries as I give them a few coins.
Suddenly, with the ATM problem, my soul shriveled and I began to think 'scarcity'. Could I afford to give to these folks? Of course, the reality is, I had pleanty to continue my giving even without the ATM. Ah, anxiety, now there's a gift that keeps on giving.
PS to my disposal of money from Laos; I saw the woman to whom I'd given the money at breakfast. It turns out she's a Peace Corps volunteer in Northern Thailand living on on $176. per mo so the ca. $20. I gave her was quite welcome.

At the ATM

On my way to the Skytrain this morning I stopped at an ATM, inserted my card, and requested a cash withdrawl. In the screen in plain English it said that there was a communication problem and my request could not be filled. So, on to the next ATM, same same and for two more. I always have a stash of $$$ but I wanted to know if this was the time to use it or what? Now, being the hopeless romantic that I am, I thought, "This is the perfect excuse to call my sweetie on Valentine's Day!" So I did and said, "Oh by the way, will you call the bank and see what's up?" She did and there was no problem there.
Readers of this blog know that I left Laos rather huriedly so I had some Lao money called Kip with me, 180,000Kip worth about $20. Bangkok Bank's central location is about three blocks from the Guesthouse. So I wandered over to it thinking I'd change the Kip for Baht and enquire about my ATM card. My first learning is that Kip has no value except in Laos. Not wanting to go back to Laos for $20. I gave it to an American woman staying in the Guesthouse who is on her way there.
My second learning was in customer service. As I was standing surveying a signboard of services in the bank wondering where I could enquire about my ATM card, an employee came and asked if needed help? I explained my problem, was shown to an information desk and brought to a bank officer(?) who told me that the electronic connections between banks was down. He said my card should work in two hours. I felt like royalty.
PS to the posting about Valentine's Day in Thailand: One govt. office announced that they would not accept any petitions for divorce on Valentine's Day. Thye should just go home and try harder.

Romantics

Valentine's Day is huge in Asia and not least in Bkk. Signs and advertisements are everywhere. I think there is something romantic in the Asian character. Several articles have appeared in the paper expressing concern about teens and sex. The articles tell about steps being taken to keep teens from sex; motel checks, etc. A number of aspects of the situation come to mind; e.g., the unversality of awakening hormones, etc. It also illustrates two aspect more unique to Thailand. First, is the changing morality. In the past there was very little teen pomiscuity but the world, via media, is changing attitudes here too. Second, is the rare access to automobiles. Very few Thai teens have access to a car, thus no cruising to 'make out park'. Remember your youth, Americans?
Sign, "Luxury Little Pay" or as we'd say, "Pay less for Luxury". Added two more items spotted as street vendor food; popcorn and waffles.

Man of Leisure

Just 'hanging out' is a new experience for me. Shouldn't I be doing something? Producing something? Is OK just to be? Of course my head tells me that life is about being but there are others parts of me that suggest value comes from doing. As I wrestle with these issues I will admit that if I have to hang out the tropics have advantages, e.g., no snow! Weather here is pretty consistant; mid 90s daytime and mid 80s at night. That's well within my comfort range.

On letter drop boxes there are two mail slots labeled; "Bnagkok" and "Other Places". I wonder if there has been some Danish influence on Thai food. Street venders do a version of the Danish round pancake, Abel Skiiver. They use laarge cast iron skillets with round indentations into which they pour batter and rotate so the outside is done and the center gooey. Mighty fine!

Travel Options

Paul has suggested that I should consider a Grayline Tour to Branson, Mo. Perhaps he's thinking of my crash in Laos. A couple of years ago my friend, Dick, signed up for a bus trip to Branson. I teased him that I'd rather go bowling in Minot, ND, than go to Branson. Well wouldn't you know...while I was falling on the rocks in Laos, Dick was on a leisurely cruise from LA down the Baha California coast. Yes, Dick, you get the last laugh.
Betty (Dahl) Holden and her husband, Graeme, who live in Australia are in Thailand on a tour. Betty is the daughter of my cousin Marjorie (Negstad) Dahl. Their Bkk hotel was just a few blocks from my guesthouse so I wandered down for a good visit. Graeme is a native of Australia and speaks a language that often had me asking, "What was that?" It was fun to have some in depth conversation.
Health report: All of my stitches were removed today. My knee, arm and finger are closed up and just need a little protection. My shin's still is not closed up. That was more of a tear than a cut and I need to regrow skin on a section about the size of a quarter. I'm being very careful that I don't get re-infected. This means no teaching this week. Teaching next week depends on the progress in healing my shin. My ticket to return to the US is for Feb. 24, and that's what I plan.

An Honor

I was honored to disocover that my blog appears on Terri Speir's blog http://www.thesnakecharmerswife.blogspot.com/ You'll want to check her's out. She's got lot's of interesting postings. Her husband, Bob, now Pastor Bob, was one of my students and Terri works of LWR,
Ever wonder where the 7-11 Stores went? Bkk...there's at least one on every block. Burger King in Bkk delivers via motorcycle. The street sweepers have Sunday off and it shows. I wonder how many persons it takes to sweep the streets and sidewalks of a city of 10 million by hand?

Briefly

At the hospital today ( for regular wound treatment) I made a statement that an aide didn't hear. Wondering what I had said she asked, "May I hear you again?" It struck me that that's a gentle way to ask, "What did you say?" which can be harsh.
I found a new treat at a sidewalk food vendor. Fresh sweet corn is very popular but at this stand it had been cut from the ear. It was served in a bag which included a plastic spoon for 5B...about 15 cents. It made a nice addition to the drumstick and egg rolls.

Bkk Misc.

When I was checking into the hospital they weighed me and measured my height. During that process an orderly stepped on the scale to compare his weight to mine....his was about two thirds. On the front lawn of the BNH Christian Hospital is a Bhudhist(?) shrine.
I'm in the neighborhood where I often stay, when I'm not needing medical care. So, I'm back in my favorite family internet place. Grandpa lit three joss sticks, did his moring devotions in front of the family altar and then turned the TV on for the day.
Wish I had my camera department: Last night a I saw a motorcyle towing an occupied wheelchair down a busy street. The motorcycle had a bar attached to the back to which the woman in the wheelchair held. That kept the wheelchair on the same path as the motorcycle.
Thai and SE Asians in general love uniforms and whistles. Every driveway/car ramp, etc. is attended by uniformed guards who do much blowing of whistles and waving of arms. I can't tell that anyone pays any attention.
They also love shirts with English slogans some of which are rather funny. I saw a young woman this morning sporting a shirt that said; "Juicy Girl Next Door". In Phnom Penh, Cambodia a few years ago I saw a Cambodian man wearing a t-shirt that said, "Death to Yuppie Scum". Another man here was wearing a letter jacket from some high school in America which fit him very nicely. On the front was embroidered, "Julie".

Happy Chinese New Year

At the hosp. today they gave me a fancy package of two oranges in honor of Chinese New Year.
Don't hesitate or you'll be left behind! The Bkk water taxis wait for no one. I once saw a tourist family, two made it on and two were left behind. The Chao Praya river is an important avenue for people and cargo. Long tail boats; perhaps 35 feet long and 6 feet wide, with an automobile engine mounted on the rear deck and a 20 foot shaft to the prop. the pilot steers by pivoting the engine, race up and down the river. Barges, towed not pushed, house families who live on them. The beautiful bridge (others not so beautiful) spanning the river was designed by the king. Ocean going ships reach the southern end of Bkk via the river. I took a ride on the taxi today just to enjoy the sights....30B ($1.) takes me the whole length. It was really hot today until a late afternoon thunderstorm and then I read about the mid-west snowstorm....1000 flights cancelled at OHare! Hanging out in Bkk is hard duty but someone must.

"O, He Never Returned...."

People my age may remember a popular song about the raising of the transit fee, I think in Boston, that went, "O, He never returned, no, he never returned and his fate is still unlearned...." All because he didn't have the nickle needed for the new fee. For a moment, yesterday, I thought that might be my fate. I was on the Bkk Skytrain and misread the zones. When I put in my fare card to exit the exit didn't open, a security guard hurried over gun drawn (well, actually they are unarmed), told me to wait, took my fare card to a booth, came back and said I owed 30 cents. I wondered on that fully automated system how they avoided cheating, now I know.
The Skytrain's great. Whips around Bkk over the traffic on the street and doesn't cost very much. It's good to avoid rush hours though.
Bkk scene; School children going to school all in uniforms carrying briefcases.

Contacting Me

Several have reported difficulty in contacting me via this post. I check both my Hotmail and gmail accounts everyday. Just send me an e-mail if you want to be in touch.
Even the sidewalk food vendors take a day off. My favorite food stall guy told me Monday was his day off. Sure enough, not only he, the whole row of vendors were absent yesterday(Monday). Some set up against the wall and block whe entire sidewalk and others the edge of the sidwalk out into the street. This leaves a narrow passage for pedestrians. A meal runs about $1.50 to $2:00. Thai don't have three traditional meals but are more likely to eat a little when they are hungry. They often carry the food away if plastic bags to eat later. If soda pop vendors want to keep the bottle they pour the soda in a plastic bag and give the buyer a straw.

This & That from bkk

When sending my laundry out this morning I noticed the bottom of the laundry list said, "No soiled clothes." When the laundry came back my pj's were pressed and on a hanger. It took me a moment to figure out this sign on a Bkk street, "Bar Ber Upstairs". An article in the Bkk Post told of the stress caused the lowest income people by 4.5% inflation. With that as an average inflation many of the nescessities have risen above that.

Scenes from a Thai Hospital

The Bkk Nursing Home Christian Hospital (I know many of think I should be in nursing home) was founded in 1898. It appears that it has become something of a specialized hospital catering to expats. All staff speak some English. Signs are in both Thai & English as is common in Thailand and all of SE Asia. When I walked in I was shown to the emergency room. The staff on duty examained me and called a surgeon who has been my doctor since and whom I now see every other day as an out patient. When he had sewed me up and changed my dressings he said he wanted to hospitalize me for a day or two,

The hosptial sent me back to my guesthouse a half block away with a van, driver and orderly all of whom waited as I packed up things and sent an e-mail home. Then they brought me back to the hosptial for no charge.

There was a choice of rooms; basic suite 7800B, (32B+ 1$) deluxe suite 21,000B or super suite for 28,000B. I went basic which gave me two rooms + bathroom, couch, table easy chairs and refrigerator. My two day stay including all costs was $1,500.

Hosp. glimpses; Nurses in starched uniforms with hose, heels and caps; Nurse's aide's daily questions "How many poo poo?" "How many pee pee?" Choice of Thai or European meals. Flowers from the pr. dept.; Total quiet in my room...no hall or other hospital sounds; Large lounge areas...always were empty while I was there; Nurse trying to say "anti inflamatory" so I can understand....

More to come from the land of smiles and the Traveling Curmudgeon

This and Thay

Scenes from Laos: Traditional Lao houses built on poles with the livestock underneath, the walls are woven bamboo with a thatched roof, a ladder and no door. A more urban version has a patio underneath; Watermellon patches (no I didn't try to steal any, they sell for a dime)with huge piles along the road for sale; The chicken bus stopping so a crew member could place an offering at a shrine; Sunset over the Mekong, a bright red ball through the humidity as a lone fisherman in a tiny boat casts his net; A young woman on the next computer copying Lao text to English at at least 100wpm; Same woman typing up a document on an ancient upright typewriter; Internet cafe also served as a copy/stenographic center; Women in long skirts, anklets and sandals; Women riding motorbikes with their coats on backwards against the 75 degree cold; Four amd five persons on a motor bike; Trucks lining up for the ferry to Thailand; City on the Thai side with ten times more lights than on the Lao....more on this later.
On the over night bus ride I was so smug about nabbing the seat behind the driver. This was not a chicken bus, i.e., the seats reclined and there was a/c. But some of the smugness evaporated when the TV just in front of me was turned on to play Thai music videos. Both Lao and Thai tend to speak loudly so when they would awaken me I would say in a loud voice, "Use your inside voices" assuming correctly no one spoke English. The funniest part was that everyone acted as if I hadn't said a thing.
Coming later....inside a Thai hospital.
Today's a rainy day in Bkk and I'm healing well....Thanks for all the messages!

The Silence is Broken

Many thanks to you all for your messages, prayers and thoughts. I got out of the hosp. today and feel fine. Two days in the hosp., emergency rooom treatment, medications inc. those I took with me when I left, everything, cost $1500. The dr. wants to change my bandages every two days so I'm staying close to the hospital for awhile. I can see why many foreigners come here for treatment.
Now, to catch you up a bit with the story. The morning after getting stitched up in Laos I didn't like the looks of my knee. There was a light rain falling as I left my guesthouse. I paused a moment to take in the scene; across the misty Mekong I could see Nakon Phnom, Thailand, on the near shore trucks from Viet Nam were lined up to take the ferry, next door was the fancy new hotel I was headed to for breakfast. I took one step and my foot shot out from under me on the rained slicked tile steps. Crashing like a ton of bricks I scaped my left forearm, cut my left index finger(7 stitches) and put a bruise on my upper left backside the size of a dinner plate.
I scrubbed out my wounds with soap and water, plastered them with antibiotic ointment and made a decision. I need the medical care of Bkk. My finger needed stitches but I didn't want the local treatment again. Heading for the bus depot I caught a bus to Svannakhet, Laos, where there is a major crossing to Thailand.
At Svannakhet I was waiting for the bus to Mukadhan, Thailand, where I could catch the overnight bus to Bkk. A Thai woman pointed at my bandages and said something in Thai. I pantomined the two great Al falls and pointed to Bkk. From that moment on she took me under her wing. She save a front bus seat for me, got me in the right lines both at the Laos and Thai borders and again saved a seat for me after the border.
By this time I wasn't walking very well. The infection in my knee was very painfull and it was hard to sit on one side. At the station in Mukadhan I got a ticket to Bkk. for a bus that left in 3 hrs. I sent some e-mail, had two plates of fried rice and boarded a the bus at 6pm due to arrive in Bkk at 5am. Without going into detail I'll say that may have been the longest ride of my life.
From the bus I caught a taxi to the Bkk Christian Guesthouse, which is just around the corner from the hospital, got a room, had breakfsast, walked over the hospital emergency room and was admitted. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
That's the broad outline. I'll fill in the details later.

Hospital

I'm in a hospital in Bkk being treated for an infection from my fall in Laos. I expect to be in the hosp a day or two. I'll give you all the details when I emerge.

Hello, Sabatee!

The greetings from children are one of the joys of being off the beaten track. Seeing a Caucasian, and perhaps an old one, is a novelty. So they wave, smile and call out; Hello or Sabatee, the Lao version.
I have yet to figure out the tuk-tuk world. Yesterday leaving my guest house in Vientiane I walked out on the street and agreed with a driver on a price. When I returned with my luggage I was directed to a different tuk-tuk. I figured out it was better suited for the long trip to the depot. Last evening I made arrangements for today's ride to the caves. This morning a different driver showed up.

Well then, Things happen!

This morning I wandered over to the huge new hotel next door. Marble and teak, it'd match up with the Hyatt or Hilton in Mpls. {If you build it will they come? It's on a beautiful spot on the banks of the Mekong. But who is coming to dusty Tha Khek?} I treated myself to breakfast and wandered out to do some e-mail. At the inter net cafe I felt for my wallet, with my credit and cash card, and it was gone. Picked pocket was impossible because I hadn't been withing 5 feet of anyone. I always carry my wallet in my front pocket to be more safe. The only thing I could have done was leave it on the table. Not to worry, after all this is Laos. I walked back expecting the staff, all six who served me, to smile and wave my wallet. My face fell when they said they had not seen it. They remember seeing me put the change back in it. The manager appeared who's English was good. He said that it was all on video tape and he'd have someone review it. I didn't find much comfort in that because the staff would have found it if it was there. He invited me to a seat on a bar stool. I sat down on my wallet. I'd inadvertently put it in the back pocket I normally carry it in at home! I gave the staff a good tip.
The tuk tuk driver picked me up at 9:30, as arranged yesterday, to visit the karst mountain caves outside of town. We stopped for a subway, baguette, at a local stand. The first cave was near town. We hiked up the steps high into the huge limestone cave filled with statuary and prayer flags. Then we were on to the second one which was farther. We hiked back through some woods and as we entered the cave we had to cross a small creek. I slipped on a wet rock, you may have felt the tremor when I landed. My right knee and left shin were gashed. That tuk tuk really flew as he took me to the hospital. They walked me into the emergency room, flopped my on a gurney, and stitched me up...no Novocaine, thank you, no "this will hurt a little" (of course he didn't speak English) these Lao are not sissies. I don't know what the man was, who stitched me up, intern? technician? Then he led me out to a ward and sat me on a bed. That's when the doctor showed up. Perhaps in his 50's his English was good. He checked on my Tetanus (current), gave me an antibiotic shot, antibiotic pills for five days, pain pills for five days, told me to limit my walking(for pain), said to take out the stitches in thee days and charged me $10. for it all. So after I post this I'm headed back to the Hotel to sit on the porch and watch the Mekong. Survival is imminent! What'd you do today?

Tha Khek, Laos

There was no chicken on the bus this time but the 25 inch TV boosted to the roof was followed by a refrigerator. Once all of the bus seats filled up the plastic stools came out and lined the aisle. This time the victim of motion sickness was across the aisle and not in front of me. I also managed to avoid the Betel Nut chewing grandma. The 200+ kilometer bus ticket cost $7.
Was I impressed, when the 11:00 bus left the station at 10:59. We drove a block, stopped and were swamped by food sellers. Fifteen minutes later we were underway again. It's been said that one does not live by bread alone but I'll tell you those two, 12 inch Baguettes (fifty cents) saved my life on the five hour trip. Thanks, France, for bequeathing Baguettes to Laos. About 2 miles down the road we stopped again...this time for fuel...and then we were off.
About two hours into the trip the bus pulled to the side of the road for a pee and smoke stop. Who needs a rest area? The road was good. At 4pm we rolled into the bus stop near Tha Khek.
Hot and tired I was ready to freshen up a bit when I got to my room and the power went off. Thinking I'd make use of the time, I found the local inter net cafe where, of course there was no power either. After a nice 10 min chat with a chap from Poland the power returned. This e-mail cafe makes my tractor garage look like something out of Martha Stewart!
There are many signs of development along the road, inc. the beginnings of a golf course near Vientiane, new houses , etc. There is also much reforestation being done. The road parallels the east bank of the Mekong, sometimes near and others far from the river. Bougainvillea is in bloom. I saw many more goats today than I remember from before.
I'm staying in the same guest house I did last time. It fronts on the river and is the former French Police Station. It's either gone down hill in five years or my standards have gone up. Probably a bit of both. Nakon Phnom, Thailand, is the city across the rive where I went last time to do e-mail and Laos would not readmit me.
Dinner time!

Eye Contact

While walking about I like to make eye contact with the people I meet. Most of the Asians will meet my gaze and when I smile their faces light up like a great morning sunrise. Very often they will then greet me. Perhaps 1 in 100 Caucasians will look me in the eye and if I smile they look away. What do you suppose this means? The Asians are amused by the lettuce in my teeth?
I sent my week's laundry out via the guest house where I'm staying. It was returned clean, pressed and folded. A few moments later there was a knock on my door. A young man stood there with a pen and a five dollar bill that had been found in my pockets. Perhaps that's part of the reason I love SE Asia.

Yes, Lisa........

Yes, Lisa, the knock off of the Arc d'Triomphe, still stands prominently in Vientiane. Called Patuxay, it was built in 1962, allegedly with funds the US gave Laos to build an airport. The grounds around it have been developed into a lovely park since I was here five years ago. Bucharest has one , too.
Long dresses still prevail in Laos. Women wear the beautiful woven skirts. Here in the center of town western styles are seen more.
Asian traffic maneuvers: A driver wanting to make a left turn onto a street with steady oncoming traffic executes a creeping wedge. By gradually pulling onto the street far enough that the traffic detours around behind them they are able to complete the turn. Tricky to remember right and left. Thailand drives on the left and Laos drives on the right. Which reminds me of the time the Swede's switched their country from driving on the left to driving on the right. The Swede's are a cautious people so they decided to ease into the change by having all trucks make the switch a week before cars did. Did you know that there is an Scandinavian bakery in Vientiane. The founder perhaps got out of Sweden before the traffic switch!

Good Evening from Laos

I treated myself to a lunch of Laab, the Laotian national dish like hamburger and french fries to Americans. The first time I ate Laab I mistook the long green veggie for a green bean. It turned out to be a pepper. Laab's hot to begin with........ It's served with sticky rice which is eaten with the fingers.
Found out that the chicken bus south leaves every hour on the hour. Gives me lots of choices and no concern about missing it.
Central Vientiane, where I'm staying, has become very touristy. I see as many Caucasians on the street as Asian. There many shops and services that cater to tourists. Still don't see many Americans and I hear a wide variety of languages...many of which are European. It'll be good to spend some days in the non-tourist country side.

Good Morning from Laos

Many of the buildings of Vientiane were built by the French when Laos was a colony. Some of them are well kept but many show much mildew and mouldering, effects of the tropical climate. I find it an attractive place with the more traditional Lao architecture mixed with the French. I see some signs of development in the neighborhood since I was here five years ago. I'm sitting in the same inter net cafe today and I can't tell that the inter net service is any faster than it was then.
It's time I do a quiz. In fact I'll ask a couple of questions. What is the name of the reclusive leader of the Pathet Lao during the revolution that overthrew the Royal Lao government? How many bombing runs a day did the US average over Laos during the Vietnam war? A cup of coffee to anyone who can either question. (Kathy B., the answer is in the book I loaned you before your trip last fall.)
The sun's coming out....cloudy this a.m., perhaps lower 70's so the natives have their coats on.

Laos Now

The little MA 60 turboprop got us to Wattay Airport, Vientiane and dropped us on the tarmack about 100 yds. from the airport. A brief brush with Laos officialdom and $35. (it cost the Indian woman $40 and the Swede $31) and I had my visa. The taxi ($6 American) dropped me at the guest house I stayed in five years ago. Gone from next door is the resturant with fish swimming in tanks for customers choosing, and in it's place, stands a bookstore, which I hope is a good sign about the situation of Laos. I was assigned the same room I had last time.
I wandered the two blocks down to the Mekong and discovered that there is still spandex on the Mekong. There under the fluroscent lights the women still do aerobics. The river is very low, a sand bar reachs about a mile and with just a small ribbon of water on the Thai side. My dreams of having a Beer Lao and watching the sun set over the Mekong were squelched by the clouds.
Going from Bkk to Vientienne is liking going from a buzz saw to a feather duster. Bkk is city of some 10 million or more and Vientienne is about one hundred thousand. Natives here are greatly amused by foreigners who spend great sums of money to get here then rush about while the locals practice the fine art of going slowly and savoring the moment.
Now I'm going to wander out and find myself some dinner....probably on the banks of the Mekong.
One random thought; Do European farmers pitch manure with their forks upside down?

Departing Bkk

Bkk traffic spends hours everyday in gridlock. There is an elevated sky train and a new subway (which is rather limited) but most traffic travels on the streets. It's tempting, and hair raising, to take motor cycle taxis because they are not restrained by the rules of cars, etc. The motor cycles weave though traffic, both moving and standing, zip through parking lots and alleys, taking fifteen minutes to do what a car would take an hour. Besides that, they are half the price and provide a great adrenalin rush. Who needs a roller coaster?
Breakfast at the hotel is included is the room price. It's buffet style. This morning it included; fried eggs, fried potatoes, toast, buns, cereal, soy milk, fresh fruit, rice, soft boiled rice(like a gruel), fried rice, fried noodles, curry chicken(very good), sweet and sour chicken, fresh fruit juices(Mango is the best), coffee, tea and other items I've forgotten.
I've only run into one American, yet,and that was in the taxi line when I first arrived. He's from Mississippi and has retired in Thailand. He has to renew his visa annually.
If all goes as planned my next post should be from Laos.

Here's the deal

Readers of my blog know by now that I'm in Bkk. What some of you know and others may not are my plans. Tomorrow I fly via Lao Air to Vientiane the capital of Laos. From there I plan to take a bus south and east on the Laos side of the Mekong river. This is a trip that I began in 2003 and was prematurely interrupted when, after crossing into Thailand to use the inter-net, I was denied re-admittance to Laos. My intention is to get off the tourist trail and see some other things. I'll eventually work my way back to Bkk by bus.
On Feb. 4, I begin three weeks of volunteer time with the International Foundation for Research Expeditions (IRFE). The first week will be given to cultural and language studies and then I'm to spend two weeks in a co-ed, temple, elementary school (K-6) teaching? English. You'll hear more about this all as it unfolds.
There was a power outage last night from 1:30-3:30 am. I don't know if was more than the hotel. There were several flickers during the 2hrs but the hotel is large and every room has it's own a/c. Tough to start all those compressors at once.
Weather report: mid 90s every day, 80 every night.

Sights

A woman watering stray dogs on the sidewalk. A fresh orchid on a plate of fried egg rolls. Motorcycle taxi drivers playing checkers with bottle caps on cardboard. An old woman reading a young woman's fortune with cards as they sit on the sidewalk. A four year old girl playing computer games.

Exotic or????????

Life teems on the streets of Bkk, much in contrast with Golden Valley when the temperature is below zero. I find it fascinating, amusing and exotic. The streets choked with traffic; cars, buses, bikes, motorcycles, Tuk Tuks, all sorts of motorcycle contrivances carrying cargo, push carts of sellers of fruit, vegetables, clothes and all sorts of commodities. Side walks are crowded with sellers' stalls making foot traffic difficult and banging tall person's heads with the umbrellas. Everything imaginable is sold; food many Thai eat on the street...more like snacks than regular meals, clothing, nick knacks, kitchen wear, shoes, hardwear...it's better than a circus. Yesterday I was reveling in the difference from my everyday life, for that is why I travel, to experience the difference. While I was enthralled with the scene I became aware of a tinny pounding. Then I saw an elderly women flattening cans to support herself and then it struck me; vibrant? exotic? Yes. But these were real humans living their lives and for many if is a life of pain and struggle.

A large high rise building is going up next to my hotel. Work began at daylight, 7am, and they were still working at dark, 7pm.

Politics In the land of smiles

Riding in the taxi from the airport last night I asked the driver his opinion of Taksin, the prime minister who was deposed by a military junta a year ago. True to form he reflected the prevailing opinion of city folk that Taksin was corrupt. After he had expounded on that for awhile he shifted the topic to American politics. He was very fascinated with the possibility of a female American president. That has been repeated from every Thai who has engaged me in conversation. Not so much interest in Obama but I've never encountered anything like the interest in Hillary. Of course Bill was very popular here. In the past seldom did any Thai engage me about politics.

In my quest for an airline ticket to Vientiane on Friday I engaged a Tuk Tuk, the three wheel taxi. Cheaper you know....though I forgot about the heat and smog. Bkk is really trying....all car taxis run on natural gas, but the have a ways to go on the buses. My ticket on Lao Arline cost $200. one way. When asked how I'd like to pay for it I said "credit card". "That will be 3% more". Conveniently they had an ATM on the premises. I'm planing to take the chicken bus back to Bkk through Laos....that should cost me about $12.

More from the Traveling Curmudgeon later.

Bangkok at Last!

Hi,

I'm adjusting to the 95 degree temp. Tough duty but someone must. Between planes in Tokyo (13hrs there) I was watching Japanese TV, sumo wrestling. Fascinating to watch those behemoths go at it. After one match the winner took his bows and marched triumphantly out of the ring. As he departed he spotted a tiny girl offering a 'high five'. He changed his course and accepted her 'high five' before disappearing into the dressing room.

After landing in Bkk I collected my baggage and headed out to the taxi stand. A woman approached me, "Where you going?" I told her and she said: "Taxi 900 baht ($30.)" I said "No Thanks." The metered taxi cost $450. Ya then....pays to be careful.

More to come from the Traveling Curmudgeon!