Chiang Khong

The grass looked wetgreen and pleased.

I wish I’d written it, it’s from a book I have started reading, The God of small things by Arundhati Roy. She describes the monsoon in India, ‘Swollen cupboards creaked. Locked windows burst open. Books got soft and wavy between their covers… tea coloured puddles… Sound familiar, Darwinites?

It’s nice to be here in the wet season. I miss any festivals, but everything’s fruiting and flowering, it’s cool but not cold, and the guesthouses and transport are only a quarter full. Locals say it’s particularly slow because this is usally the time of year for the euro travellers, but the with the World Cup less are coming this year.

I have been lucky again. The Ping broke it’s banks and parts of Chiang Mai flooded just after I left, it did rain solidly for 30 hours, but it’s not uncommon for CM to flood.

After two days in Chiang Rai I am now in Chiang Khong. On the banks of the Mekong River, Huay Xai is on the other side. Laos. Does it really shit all over Thailand? I shall find out tomorrow. Never one to be rushed, (phaffer?) I thought I’d just sit here and appreciate it for 48 hours before I actually cross the border.

Chiang Khong is smallest place I’ve stopped so far, just one main street, (pop. 9 000) even the tuktuks are slower. But because it is a border crossing it is still quite bustling and everything I need is here. I like the atmosphere. I feel more relaxed.

And did I say quaint? My guest house (Tammila) is quintessential troppo quaint. A warren of rooms connected by uneven pebbled walkways through jungle gardens. Recycled teak, slippery moss, 2 dogs and 4 cats (at last count), pawpaws, bananas and a river view . My photos of Huay Xai are taken from my balcony, I can see that view when I lie in bed.

It’s 6 am, I couldn’t sleep, I can hear bells of the temples ringing as the monks start their day and the roosters egging each other on (and one of the cats crunching down on a bush rat outside my window). Ah, the buzz of a 2 stroke outboard motor.

The river is actually not that busy, few boats go past. I read there are rapids and the boats from China unload their cargo upriver at Chiang Saen. No matter, I shall see many parts of the Mekong in Laos. It is really moving though, another benefit of being here in the wet. In the morning light, it looks a bit like the river of chocolate in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (either version).