They told me to take the pills, they said. They warned me of the hallucinations. But I wasn’t prepared for this trip after taking a week of malarone, otherwise known as the malaria pills.
If you have to purchase these before any trip into “the jungle” check out this great online resource.
So basically floating on a boat for a couple days crossing the Thai border into Laos…which I still can’t figure out if it’s pronounced with or without that s! Locals seem to say more Lao(s) so I’m gonna stick to that.
Someone brought a guitar and bongos so now everybody is jamming! I even had the courage to play a song on the guitar, although it wasn’t nearly as good as Katrine. The boat is actually fun. There have been a few forest fires on the side of the river, which makes the journey feel more dangerous. Something eerie to be said about watching a large forest burn and bring black smoke into the air.
Perhaps it was the drugs, or perhaps it was the company, but everyone seems to be enjoying this long trip. The locals (who make this trek countless times mostly keep to themselves (aside for your crazy old hippie Thai man who likes to engage in the youth). The rest of us tourists don’t seem to mind being held to confinement for such long periods of time, so long as there is beer and cards.
Can honestly say I’m not really in any hurry to get anyone right now.
I think I will bus into Vietnam next, then circle round to Cambodia. Ultimately have to make it to Bangkok for my lasik eye surgery. Still trying to push the terror of going blind aside.