New-age Nun spotted cycling into an electric storm

I am in Van Vieng now, after a fairly horrid bus ride up. This was regional bus loaded full of potatoes, parsely, noodles, spring onions and what not on the back seats. Nope, surprisingly, they left the chickens behind. However, yes, it was one of those buses that looks like a steel boz, with the ladder crawling up onto the roof where everyone's bags lie in equilibrium, dodging each bump and attempting not to fall....there were bikes, rubbish bins, all manner of artefacts travelling on the roof. But back to the seating situation, all this food meant I couldn't sit properly. I have restless legs (well, actually, I am restless generally). So I end up putting my bare feet atop some pile of stuff covered in newspaper. Turns out, it was a pile of noodles (I mean why do these people carry the stuff half way up the country anyway?? i there's one thing that proliferates in SE Asia it's fresh food markets!) So I got a very evil look from the woman as she stepped off the bus, although she seemed to have forgotten she was literally toppling over me as she dozed away half way through the journey AND not one or two, but three of the back rows were overflowing with her shopping list. At this stage I couldn't care less, particularly because by now it was 3PM and I had not eaten since 8AM.....and I couldn't eat any of her stuff cause it was all ingredients...although the menu concoctions I was coming up with in my head get 1st prize for inventiveness. I admit, when I realised I was stepping on noodles, I actually tried to steal some of them and eat them, I was sooo hungry. But I feared getting caught by this Lao chick sitting next who didn't sem to ever fall asleep completely so my attempts at food thievery were sabotaged every time! Desperate times call for desperate measures. The one thing I actually really enjoyed was listening to some authentic and traditional Lao music playing off the speakers, and the fact that we arrived safely after 5 hours of sweltering, non A/C bus riding WITHOUT pit stops, unless you consider pulling over on the side of the dirt road for less than 7 minutes. I didn't fancy everyone seeing your bum while I peed so I kept it in. Anyway, I need to motivate to get on the next bus (which will this time be an A/C VIP affair) to Luang Prabang.

The reason for stopping in Vang Vieng, aside from breaking up the journey, was mostly to visit this Singaporian dude who tops up your iPod; 30 albums of your choice (well, from what he has already got) for 20 USD! Considering my Mac got stolen back home and I've grown quite tired of a lot of the crap I have, this is the best money spent on music....I'm getting a bunch of dance stuff too, which I am excted about. Anyway, aluuding t the title of this entry, I arrived here yesterday and at 8 PM was not just drenched, but quite literally swimming in my own clothes, after only walking 10 steps to my bike from this iPOD place. A MEGA electric storm come hurricane landed on our doorstep! I HAVE NEVER experienced anything like it in my life! I felt like some neighbour had decided to throw 10 buckets of water on me ALL AT ONCE and without warning, and then, for laughs, Put me behind a helicopter so I could get "wind". Needless to say, I was forced to seek refuge in the first restaurant I stumbled upon and strip naked for fear of catching pneumonia. I covered myself in 3 table cloths, each one tackier than the next. I swear, it was a sight to behold. I ended up striking conversation with a Frenchman who gladly supplied more tablecloths (in an attempt to catch a glimpse of my bra methinks). Just kidding; he was a real sweetie. After about an hour and a half, and many a lightining later, I ventured out into the subsiding rain, still in my restaurant wear and with my wet clothes hanging of the backseat fo the bike. The Frenchman had managed to also secure me what appeared to be a waterproof piece of cloth. He tied it around my neck so as t cover my head Nun-style. I looked quite dashing, flying away in the darkness of the dirt road, rain falling upon me, sinking into invisible puddle after puddle, lightning rods illuminating my way every few minutes like neon light.....I swear I figured if I collapsed or slid and showed the skies my bare, red brick mud-covered ass, well then maybe they'd get scared enough to stop all this fuss and leave us earthlings alone for a bit.

I returned safely to the comfort of a hot shower and a warm bungalow overlooking the river. Did I mention I am sharing it with an Israeli girl who approached me when I arrived? It was bizarre but she was kind of stranded and is in fact a very nice, sweet, honest girl. She's religious, only eats kosher food, and therefore travels with a butane gas burner and pots! Whatever! I felt kinda bad this morning as I wolfed down bacon and french bread in her presence. But DUDE, this morning yoga gets my tummy growling! More on my yoga retreat next time.