Making and Changing Plans

Well, all my plans that I laid out in my last post - Scratch that. Just go ahead and wipe that last post from your memory. Done? Good... Because my plans had totally changed. After thinking for another 2 min. about how to plan my travels for the next few weeks I decided that it was silly to enter Laos from the north. Originally I was thinking to travel down from N. Laos to Vientiane and then fly from their to Kunming (a city in southern China). Like a good Dutchman - after researching the prices I thought that it was unwise to spend so much mullah on a flight when I could just cross into China overland from N. Laos. At least that WAS the plan.

OK - last day in Chiang Mai: Had a fantastic 3 hour conversation with a Buddhist Monk. Now given that Monks can't sit next to women on the bus or touch women, I was quite honored and impressed to chat with the fellow for a while. Well... it turns out this monk is quite the renegade - he will swat a mosquito if it is bothering him (of course it is always an accident!). I learned a bit about the religion from him. But mostly he was interested in discussing America and Sports. He knows about sports because he mischievously gets glimpses of games when he peers through the windows of houses that he walks past.

I also took a cooking class! I learned how to make some cool Thai dishes. Now only if I could figure out how to turn on an oven.... humm... something to figure out for the future.

Then I took an overnight bus to Udon Thani - a Thai town close to the Laos boarder with Vientiane. There were about 7 other backpackers and we all stuck together as we had to jump through the various hoops to cross the border and get into the capital city. It was like an obstacle course - one wrong turn and you have been scammed! Luckily we made it through with only overpaying a dollar or two then what a local would pay. Mom and Dad - you trained me well!

Once over the boarder I met up with my cousin Sara and their the Vientiane Party Time adventure began...