Just when you thought it was safe to open your emails...

...the LetterfromLaos is back ! As am I, after several weeks in Thailand and UK.

As ever, thanks to all those who offered me their hospitality on my travels. I am not sure who to blame for the UK weather, where we 'enjoyed' the wettest June in history. It is, of course, raining in Luang Prabang, but then it is supposed to.

During my time away Google seems to have changed the blogspot pages, with the result that I cannot get  spell check to work...this may make for more interesting reading than usual. Interestingly, when I looked at the Preview page, all the W's came out slightly broken as in an old typewriter where the ink had solidified. So maybe we now have period charm ? Like when I asked in an  IT shop if they sold Overhead Projectors....the salesman got quite dewy eyed about such a quaint request; it was clearly like asking in a car saleroom if  they had  a new Morris Minor.

Despite the weather, visits to The Dolphin  Inn in Hastings Old Town, Sidmouth seafront, Lord's, Eltham Palace, Royal Festival Hall and a rather wacky building called A La Ronde were all possible.

My journey back to LPB was relatively uneventful if tiring. A  5 hour bus trip followed by an 11 hour flight, and 13 hour train journey left me opting for a 40 minute flight from Vientiane to LPB rather than the alternative of a 12 or 14 hour bus journey. Yes, decrepitude is creeping up on me. But age seems to have some advantages and I was upgraded to "Elite Class" on my Eva Air flight to Bangkok.
Apart from a charming Thai girl sat next to me the Elite class seemed to be reserved for the Geriatrics, the Obese and those suffering from various mental heath problems who had  given their minders the slip for the day. It may be that the charming lady mentioned was herself an undercover minder, checking that none of us attempted to hang ourselves with our shoelaces from the luggage rack. I was in any event prevented from considering that by having my shoes (which I had slipped off) removed and placed in the luggage rack....was this for reasons of hygiene or to prevent self injury?  Clearly the extra leg room accorded to us Elite band also meant it  was easier for burly minders to come in and strap us down, or drag us out depending on the circumstances.
We were mostly a male group and I assume that the majority of us were heading for the sex resorts of Thailand where rumour has it that 22 year old  Thai beauties from good homes  and with large bank accounts sit on the beach hoping to attract the attentions of crude, tattooed, overweight Alzheimer's cases from the UK with bad tables manners,with a view to  lure them into wedlock. Certainly they would have had several to chose from just from my flight alone. In particular, I was struck by one man sat the other side of the young lady, who when a quite decent meal was served  ate his pudding first before working his way through to his starter. (Who else has read Martin Amis' "Times Arrow" ?).

The train journey by sleeper was slightly marred by a steward insisting that I had not paid for my coffee; times are hard but not to the point of trying to cheat Thai Railways out of 30 baht. Though one could argue that  charging 60pence for a cup of black Nescafe in a small cardboard cup was inviting one not to pay. But the guy was insistent to the point of following me back to my seat; only waving him away in a lordly fashion and telling him he was upsetting the other travellers disposed of him....without his 30 baht.
 Far more welcoming was Lao immigration where  was I  greeted like an old friend..which of course, I am....and given a whole bunch of forms so I did not have to queue for them next time. I persist in my naive view that 'next time' I shall not need all the forms but have a proper visa...one has to remain optimistic. Also  welcoming was my hotel, who dispensed with any nonsense of filling in forms, registers or whatever, and removed my bags to my room while I was still outside talking on the phone. A waiter in a local cafe also seemed happy to see me...if hugging me and kissing me, in a Heathcliffe moment is any guide.
It was only on my second (and final) day in Vientiane that I realised my diet on Day One had been...Breakfast: 2 black coffees (both paid for, please note); Lunch: 2 Beer Lao; Dinner: 2 Beer Lao. I resolved that although this reflected a nicely balanced diet maybe I needed to consider broadening the range a little.  As it happens I did not travel with a pork pie in my luggage this time, but a lot of cheese and pickle made it across the globe as did many packets of Chocolate Digestives and Cadbury Cream eggs...yes  I am a dietician's delight. But it is the pineapple season, so all will be well.

The river is still quite low with large sandbanks visible south of the city despite 8 or 10 hours rain each day. I guess this is simply anecdotal confirmation of the fact that the river level has more to do with Chinese dams in the north than with local weather. The weather had apparently been unbearably hot before I arrived but it has not been too bad at all, barely getting over 30 degrees and often much less, thanks to the cooling effect of the rains which we can expect daily now until September. Well, I think September, but life is a little confusing this year as I am told that we have 2 Augusts this year! In a country where the phases of the moon are still very important, having 2 full moons..or is it new moons? in August has impacted on various dates. including putting the Boat Racing Festival back well into September.

Since I got back life has been a round of meetings, site inspections and negotiations, mostly unsuccessful, with suppliers all related to the new school project (see www.lelclaos.org), see above.
I have brought some tennis racquets  (is that how you spell it ?)  with me and I hope that unlike the cricket bat and ball brought out some years back they may soon get some use, but so far they have not had an outing.

Since this is the first letter since February, I think I should let you off lightly and sign off now. But be warned, The Letter is back!