MIA in VNTN

Of all the places I've been, you'd think the cosmopolitan center of Vientienne would be the last place I'd get sick. Of course, that's just what happened. Maybe it was the sketchy meat-product sandwich from the stall across from the bus station, or maybe it was that odd tasting fruit shake, but whatever happened there's been a relatively low-key battle raging in my stomach for the past couple days. In the grand scheme of things it hasn't been that bad, and my lack of appetite has been the worst part by far.

Prior to my gastro-intestinal declaration of war I was able to walk around and explore the city a bit. The main downtown area is spread along the banks of Mekong and at night you can see the lights of Thailand blinking at you. This is where all the glossy coffee shops, upscale boutiques, and fancy restaurants are located, something of a shock after all the austere concrete of the east. In the middle of it all, though, you'll see an old Lao woman in a traditional bamboo hat balancing a load of food to peddle, and just as many local women are dressed in stylish sinh, the traditional tube skirt, as are sporting jeans. There are open-backed trucks carting around loads of monks, pale tourist kids in Beer Lao shirts wandering the streets, and business men with briefcases hurrying on their way.

The sun has come out after nearly a week straight of rain although who knows what's going on upstream. During the past couple days there have been small armies of people building walls of sandbags all along the waterfront as the swollen Mekong creeps closer. The muddy water has pushed all sorts of logs, trash, and pieces of bamboo huts up against the banks, and the news is filled with images of flooded villages, monks filling sandbags, and huge landslides covering the roads. Hooray for the monsoons!

I'm halfway through my trip and it seems as good a time as any to take a break, even if it is stomach-induced. Three more months of adventures to come - thanks for those of you who continue to read this!