First published August 17,2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal

Chiang Khong, Thailand — The second day of our Intrepid tour’s about waiting. Waiting for our bus, waiting for Ping to arrive. He’s always late. It’s Thai time, one of the Kiwis said. And that’s when we started talking about Asia, and that things in these region are never on time (Singapore and Japan are the exemption, not the rule). My group mates were bored and I really can’t blame them. We’re all dying to get to Laos.

But for me, I think, who just crashed and burned and trying to have my life back (after years of rushing from one news coverage to another, and later, after years of being confined in the desk) , waiting is about taking things slowly, learning to let go.

Chill Prime!, I told myself. In Singapore, everything’s has to be scheduled. In this time and place, everything just happens..

***
It took us over 8 hours (via cramped, rickety public buses, burning tires in mostly unpaved roads) just to travel from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong -Thailand’s northernmost province and a crossing point into Laos. From here, we’ll be taking a boat to cross the Mekong river, and enter Laos via the border town of Houi Xai.

We stayed at a guesthouse (with beds full of ants, I had to put Off insect repellent lotion in the bedsheet and pillowcases) situated just in front of the Thai immigration checkpoint.

***
Jesus, Graeme and I went for a walk around 8 pm. It was dark. There are some steeet lamps, barking stray dogs, and neon lights from some bars.

We had a massage (cheap and good). But thats really it. There was nothing much to do in this town.