Crowds Flocking Here

Saturday, July 24, 2010--Khong Chiam

The Mongkohn Guest House is where I am staying.  My neighbors were quiet inside their room this morning, but at 6:30 they went outside and started their car.  That's what awakened me for the day.  Since the wi-fi works best outside near the office, I went ahead and cleaned up and dressed.  I went first to an area under two bungalows on stilts.  I got a cup of coffee and a package of cookies that the guest house provides and turned on my computer.  But the mosquitoes were too bad there with no breeze to keep them away.  I moved across the parking lot to an umbrella table near the office, and there was just enough breeze that I could sit there with no problem.

After reading and writing e-mails, I returned to my room and read for a while.  Then I went out at noon and explored the village.  I should have gone earlier, because it was getting hot.  But I spent an hour walking up and down the streets to see what was where.  I found the point where the sun rises with its sign saying that it is the first place the sunrise hits each morning in Thailand.  I could see the two colors of the Mekong (Red) and Mun (Blue) rivers where they come together just past the sign.

On the way back to the room, I stopped where a street vendor was selling fried "balls" of dough.  I didn't know if they were sweet or savory, but I bought a small bag of them.  They were like fried donut holes, except that they were only slightly sweet. That was nice.

After an afternoon of reading and relaxing in the room, I went out again at 17:00.  Cars, vans, chartered buses, pickups loaded with bicycles, etc. were piling into the village.  Some were arriving without reservations and being turned away from my guest house.  To be safe I walked by the Ban Kiang Nam Resort where I will move tomorrow.  It was also a beehive of activity with new guests.  I reminded the owner that I would be there tomorrow morning to check in.   The town reminds me of Port Aransas, although Khong Chiam is smaller.  But it is a small village that really comes to life during a holiday period.

I walked the entire length of the Mekong River Promenade 1 1/2 times over 1 1/2 hours.  Diners were beginning to show up at the barge restaurants and those along the promenade.  Many tourists were looking at the clothes and souvenirs in the stalls.  I met the French lady from yesterday who was looking at the long skirts for sale.  Except for her and one man and his daughter, all the tourists were from Thailand.

Although they don't speak English, I returned to the same restaurant where I ate last night.  I am more comfortable in a place like that than along the river since I am only one person and the restaurants there are expecting crowds at all their tables.  I just put my hands up in the air and scrunched my shoulders to imply I needed a suggestion of what to have.  The man pointed to some vegetables, and I nodded my head.  When it came, I had two dishes--plain rice with a boiled egg on top on a round plate and a shrimp-vegetable (tomatoes, onions, carrots, baby corn, etc.) dish in a sauce on an oval plate.  Again, it was delicious.  And again, it cost only about $1.25 U.S.

There were many food stalls on the main street tonight that had not been there last night.  Since it was a holiday weekend, I figured I should splurge.  I went to a stall where a man was making roti (fried, folded, thin pancake with a filling) and ordered one with banana and topped with condensed sweetened milk and sugar.  It was wonderful.  Then I stopped at the store and bought a large beer to bring back to the room with me.

Note:  I will lose my Internet access when I move tomorrow.  I'll try to post again from a cyber cafe here, but if I don't, it may be 3 days before I am somewhere else.  I am thinking of staying two nights at the other place, then I will have a whole day of traveling to get me to Pakse in Laos for my next stop.