Looking across the Mekhong River to Laos

I left Chiang Mai today and had to say goodbye to mum and dad - until who knows when, so that was a little sad. However we have had a great (unexpected) few months together so that has been good.

On my bus ride up to Chiang Khong we passed a small lake that was completely surrounded by a row of trees. They looked like they had come to gather and drink from the lake and spend time together. (As well as the living trees in Lord of the Rings), they reminded me of a small artificial pond I saw one morning at 7am in Zagreb that was completely surrounded by pigeons. They were in a circle and doing what looked like their morning ablutions, washing and preening and getting ready for the day. Then suddenly to some unheard command they all flew off to the other end of the square and another group flew in for their turn. The trees however looked well rooted in the lake and weren't about to fly off anywhere.

After arriving I came out of my room which overlooks the Mekhong and could look straight across to Laos which was bathed in the soft afternoon sun. Outside the restaurant upstairs there was a boy standing with an ice cube melting on his head. Down the road as we (Tina, Aus) wandered we passed a lady who was eating dried fish on a stick with whiskey. She called out to us, "whiskey?!". An unwise combination perhaps.

Yesterday I got a lovely purple sarong from Sarawak that I was given for Christmas made into a skirt. I went to a centre mum knew in Chiang Mai and found a lady with her sewing machine who could have it done for me by 5pm. She seemed like a real lovely 'lady' and somewhat out of place at the top of some dusty stairs with four others and their sewing machines. I would have liked to get to know her. She spoke good English. When I got back to collect my skirt she was called from upstairs and came down with a basket with a plant growing in it. "Look, a fish" and sure enough there was a little fish floating around in the bowl. I'd like to know her story.