same same but different

so if you have ever been to SEA you will be very familiar with that phrase...everything is same same but different. even if it is really different. like laos and thailand. laos is what thailand used to be, and it's scary to see what it might become. i'm totally going to be one of those people sayin "laos was so much better 5/10/15 years ago."

i spent a great few days in luang prabang. the trip there was rather intense. the slow boat from thailand is something beyond explanation. it is rough. being squished on this boat with so many people for so long, you can't help but forge friendships with your fellow captives. i almost went crazy, especially when the tripped out old hippy dude started telling me he was taken over by an evil spirit back in 1975, and this was barely an hour into the first of a two days 14 hr boat ride.

luckily i had some canadian and british folk all around to keep my sane. i seem to keep finding dudes to travel with. after leaving the first group of four back in thailand, i immediately found three more. luckily i was saved by four girls, two welsh and two irish, and had a big transition into the land if girlyness. that only lasted for a few days, then they headed south and i headed north with one of the guys i met in thailand (found him again in luang prabang) and spent a week with him, trekking out of muang sing, and now i'm off on my own again over to the east and do some more trekking. maybe not the intense 3 days 45km trek that i've done a couple times now, but who knows. keeps me in good shape.

there are mosquitos the size of butterflies about, so i need to put on some more repellant and not forget to take my doxy! that is the malaria prevention of choice, apparently. i'm taking it, dad!

i will be in more places w/o internet so my next submission might not be for a while and emails will be few and far between. but happy thanksgiving to you all and happy birthday dad!