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?