Loas... day 1.5

Well.. this is different. You walk about asia.. and think nothing of it and then you say.. well think I will go to a different part of Asai.. and boom.. you are in a very different part. I think I will have to figure how to get pictures into the blog when I return. it was hard in Tland.. but this looks very hard. Well.. I am travelling only with my backpack..had to bring that since I have all this silver to tote .. I sure don't want to come home without it.. I brought silver and underware.. first mistake. When I got off the plan, which was a prop plane.. it was dark and cold. Second mistake, I thought I would treat myself and have a pick up at the airport.. well the cabs came and went and folks with signs came and went.. and they almost no one was at the airport.. so I said.. cab.. and they said.. $5.. In L.. the kids know.. one dolloar.. for a few banana's, to free the birds, to buy a bag of tomatoes.. or in one case to buy a stone. The service people know .. $5 .. and the folks with the tour know $8.. as in $8 for a paper book, a bottle of rice whiskey,,, etc.. and a fleese sweatshirt. Oh.. I got the cab to the motel.. and when I got there.. he said.. you come at 6.. not so .. 16.. and of course he and I know there is not plan at 6. It was about 5:15 so I set out to find someone who looked like they had a lonely planet.. not a problem.. you are either asia or frang.. (most not am). The second person I asked had one and I looked up the hotel that began with an A.. that now was housing Wendy and Marge.. I found it and the them in. They proceded to tell me that they had met a man that told them my place was too noisy and he had left. I later learned that there is an 11 curfew. so not too noisy.. and after living with a crew that thought 3am was mid day and shoutable.. not a problem. Wendy had made a great purchase of a bedspread.. it was very nice. We went to some place called the 3 elephants and all ordered vegitarian... I a beer and marge 3 wines. the bill came to thousands of Kip.. which worked out to be 33.. but they forgot a wine.. so.. by the time Marge figured this out..and took off the beer and added the wine and added the deserts.. it came to about $9. We shared it all except the wine and beer.. great.. morning glory, eggplant.. and some seaweed that was really good.. They we walked to the night market.. they are all displaying bedspreads and hand done work.. welll.. my read as an old CHAF cridit.. lots more buy and sell and a few original pieces. There was a hill tribe looking deva that was $40.. that could be coming home.. but we will see. The most important things.. at about 55 degrees.. was the sweetshirt.. praise the lord... after being in the tropics of thailand.. I was in the refrigerator of Laos.. so snugged up .. I topped to check out the internet.. good/not good but did get a post to my faithfrul Georgette.. that I was alive.
This am.. I was pleased the breakfast came with the room. I was awaken at 4.. as in sit up in bed and take notice. I am living accross from a Wat.. they have very large drums.,. and at 4am they bang the drum.. as in BOOM BOOM........BOOOM BOOM. Ok... so I turned on tv and then went to sleep. The other think that the man at the desk did.. he could get me tour for $45 to see cave and two villiages.. not happening. I got up this am and walked to the river.. and a man said.. you go to the cave at 8 for $8,... sounded like a deal to me. Ok.. we stopped at a few tourest traps.. a rice wine place and a paper place. I found an opium pipe in good condition.. so you guessed it.. $8... I have tons of pics including me reading the gazette.. but can't get it into the system. I also put my raincoat on .. and while I was not toast.. it wasn't bad. There were two NYC men.. I can't talk about them without a photo.. they were the funniest of all the people I have ever met in all my years of travel.... That will keep you interested. We got to athe caves about an 1 1/2 hrs into the trip... I climbed in and took pics and then climbed and squatted... weh you have to go.. it doen't matter. To say that I feel like I am in a movie set is an understatement.. here is the ancient river.. the jungle.. and the Vietnam war protester.. in the middle of this country with most of the folks .. not remembering the war. I wounder what we would be like if the invader of 20+ years ago... came back to romp in the countryside. I just had lunch.,. beer (which is 5%) tempura veggies, veggie soup, and roasted cashews... mmmmm and then found the net.. so it is back to the hotel for a short stop and then off to see the rest of the city... I don't think I will climb to the top of the hill to see the sun set.. since you can just see accross the street. bye for now.