Well I am still here....8 nights later on this Christmas morning. Woke up to catch the beautiful sunrise over the Mekong River listening to John Lennon's "So this is Christmas..." song (on my neighbours ipod). Again I watched fisherman returning with their fill and women filling buckets of water from the Mekong to take back to their homes. After showering I put on some shorts and a T shirt and went for a walk around the peaceful Island where blissfully there are no cars. Most of the morning I chilled out in a cafe drinking shakes and coffee and eating fresh spring rolls with my new belgian friend listening to Jonny Cash. All the while however thinking of home and wondering what myfriends and family are doing. This will be my second Christmas away from home, away from the usual annual mother of all arguments I inevitably have with one of my brothers as they lumber back in from the pub to eat my (by the time they rock up) over cooked Christmas dinner - not that I would have them any other way.
I will probably go for a massage later or to a nearby waterfall to catch the sun set. This aint a bad way to spend Christmas I guess
Am leaving the Island tomorrow (boxing day) and heading to Champasak for a night or two then heading to the Bolavean Plateau for about 2/3 nights before heading up north to Vientienne.
