Reflections

This evening
My time on the road is nearly up. So I thought to myself this evening, with sorrow, as I rolled small balls of sticky rice and popped them in my mouth. I sat at a table of Lao girls in the backyard of a home in a Vientiane suburb belonging to the cousin of a friend of a sister of a friend. In other words, a complete stranger's house. I wasn't part of the conversation, it was mine to stare at the neon light balanced precariously in the banana tree above, to be blasted by traditional Lao music from behind, and to eat sticky rice, reflecting on the fact that in less than a month I'd be back in mundane Australia. I'd been shuffled along to this dinner by my Lao friend as some person's brother had been ordained as a monk - this was a kind of ceremonial party. Oh, the random things you get up to when travelling are such fun. The First World has nothing to offer but monotony and the mundane.

This afternoon
Today cycled around town. The afternoon was perfect, I thought to myself, as I rode up to the high banks of the Mekong. I sat on my bike and stared at the river, under the balmy sunlight, the river was still and silver. Thailand is on the other side of the river. I'll be there soon enough.

Death
In other reflections... some people shorten their lives with cigarettes, others with alcohol - I do so with French pastries. I know, already, that I'll die of a tart-induced heart attack. But, I think, it's worth it - today's lemon tart at the French patisserie Le Banneton was divine. Sigh.

Tomorrow
Tomorrow to Pakse in Lao's south. Then to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, then to Bangkok.

Good night.