I wake at four. Outside my window is the water tank unit that supplies the hotel and it has a pump that for some reason starts and stops every twenty seconds or so, it is mostly unnoticeable except when I wake in the early hours, then I can’t hear anything else. I turn the air-conditioning on and that usually covers the noise and I can return to sleep.
A great old bug on the way to the cafe.
This morning I am too excited about my meeting with the monks today so after watching some news on the TV for a while I shower and head off to my café for breakfast. I head up to the temple where I met the monks yesterday. They originally suggested we meet at eight, I more cautiously suggested nine but arrive at eight anyway. This gives me time to explore some parts I had not seen yesterday, a cave tucked in one of the shrines and a reclining Buddha a little way up the hill (I have to pay an entrance fee for the hill for the third time this week to go the twenty steps up to see it!) if I had just climbed the hill from this side in the first place I would have seen everything the first time but as Tao would say – everything for a reason.
I wander along a path away from the temple out of respect to have a cigarette and return to find a couple of young monks smoking in the viewing area, D’oh! It is still a half an hour until I am to meet Sai and Darkel so I sit where I met them and start reading my book. I am approached by a couple of other monks, they are all around seventeen or twenty, and are curious about me and sit down to ask questions. They all carry around their books that they practice writing in and one shows me the word “announce” and asks how to say it – the teaching has begun. After a while he has to go to school and I start talking to another one called Sien who has many questions in a shy, reserved way.
Me, Darkel and Sien.
Sai and Darkel haven’t shown so it seems Sien is my student today. We spend an hour talking and teaching each other about our countries, philosophy and life in general. Have you ever wondered why they become monks? I hadn’t but it turns out it’s just like kids being sent to catholic school, they do it for the education (but presumably in a more noble way without the buggery and abuse of the old priests) Darkel turns up after a while, he is a mischievous, cheeky, smart alec, kind of like one of the three stooges.
After a while I suggest I need coffee and offer to buy them one so we head down to the temple (there are three within a stones throw on this part of the hill) we go to the temple “tuck shop” and get the coffees. On the way we walk past some class rooms where I see many students being taught maths, chemistry, history etc. after this Darkel leaves us and Sien gives me a small tour of the temple including a beautiful old prayer hall.
Sien and Buddha.
I ask for a toilet and when I come out he asks if I can teach him how to use a computer, they have a small room with several machines that are not too old. We start with the basic shut down – start up, I forgot how funny it is watching someone trying to coordinate a mouse for the first time. I show him how to open internet explorer, type his home town into Google and click on a link, a huge smile comes to his face. Unfortunately the man over seeing the room says it is time to close the machines down and close the room but I did manage to give Sien a brief lesson on computer use.
After this he has to go to his temple for lunch and prayer so we part ways. I am hungry and go to a café to finally sample Laos
Nothing like a bit of hula hoop at sunset.
I wake at four and head to the massage place, I run into Gregory who has returned from the village, I am thinking of going back with him on Friday. He invites me to dinner with two German girls.
After my massage I have my usual beer by the Mekong for sunset, alone this time, Ingrid has gone home. I stop by my room to freshen up then go to meet Gregory and the girls for dinner, he failed to mention they are in their fifties!
I finally got the star in this picture that has been there every night, it is just at the mouth of the "Dragon cloud"
During dinner I notice a cute girl sitting by herself so after eating I ask if I can join her. Her name is Stella, a twenty nine year old American who is leaving tomorrow. We chat for a while over a couple of drinks then I accompany her through the night markets for her last day present shopping, we part ways at the end and I wander back to my room with an ice cream, tonight it is coffee.
