yoga in Nong Khai, Thailand

Have arrived in Nong Khai, overlooking the banks of the Mekong river,
brown with the rainy season waters and filled with fresh Tilapia for
my favourite dish, Laab. My temporary lack of a camera means I've
taken these pics with the Photo Booth option but hey, at least it
gives you an idea of the views from the garden of my guest house, Mut
Mee. The rooms are decent, nothing fancy really, but I happen to have
one with views and a private deck of sorts (slab of concrete more
like). The location is great and the outdoor garden overlooking the
river makes for a book and siesta lover's dream. I've indulged in
reading my copy of Spanish Vanity Fair, my latest magazine addiction
(fabulous articles) and some pages off the latest acquisition, "more
Sex is Safer Sex - The unnconventional Wisdom of Economics" by Steven
Landsburg (following on from my enjoyable read of Levitt's
"Freakonomics").

I decided to go back to my traveller roots and ditch the 5 Star Grand
Luxe lifestyle of late just for an evening. Hence, my opting for the
12-hour direct VIP night-bus ride from Chiang Mai to Nong Khai. In all
honesty, and bar the rather tacky upholstery and duvet cover, this bus
put some airline's business economy class to shame!! Not only were the
seats 160degree reclinable with an extended foot rest tucking out of
the seat itself as a permanent fixture, but there was a rather clean
toilet on board and a busy hostess passing around pretty much anything
you might need as courtesy of the 600 Baht fare (that's about 12 USD),
from oshibori towels, to a full family size pack of oreo cookies per
person, coffee, tea, water and even a nose and mouth mask (for the
potential germ-factor). These are all the craze out here. The upper
deck was equipped with a massive flatscreen LCD TV many households
would only dream of and the seat even had the neck support on the
sides to ensure you didn't fall onto your neighbour. Best of all, we
had a fresh clean duvet each to cover up with. I must admit I was VERY
impressed and thought it beat in price, convenience and comfort the
two flights I would have had to take to get here (including the 5
hours layover that would've been involved in Bangkok) so cheers to that!

So now, after a week in Chiang Mai detoxing and getting colonics and
ayurvedic treatments, I am ready to delve a bit deeper into my renewed
self improvement. I'm glad to be back here, almost 4 years later,
listening to the sweet Laotian music coming through over the river
waters, hearing the odd fruits drop on the nipa roof of the garden
area and feeling life slow down as it should. Thoreau once wrote that
travelling is one of life's saddest pleasures. It may be true of some
days, but not today.