Chilling in a Mekong oasis - February 5-7, 2007

After travelling for several days through some of the northeast's most congested, noisy, dirty urbanized areas, I landed in Nong Kai. Stretched along the banks of the Mekong River, this sleepy town is the gateway for many travellers to Laos and as such, is set up well with many budget guesthouses and excellent food.

The pulse of Nong Kai is the Mekong River, one of the world's major waterways meandering through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It has witnessed the rise and fall of some of history's mightiest civilizations and continues to sustain the lives of millions of people. And as I biked along the bank and gazed toward Laos on the other side I had to pinch myself a few times, marvelling that I am seeing this with my own eyes -- this is why I love to travel! Below is a sunset on the Mekong, taken from a slow boat cruise... the bridge in the background connects Thailand and Laos.

I stayed at the wonderfully serene Mut Mee Guesthouse. After staying at some rather sketchy hotels in urban Thailand, my bungalow was a lovely treat -- a four poster bed, a tiny veranda perfect for reading and drinking a Singha beer, hot water shower...

One of the strangest attractions in this town is the Salakeawkoo sculpture garden, built by a Laotion mystic who died in 1996. His mummified corpse lies in state in the centre, and is surrounded by gigantic stone statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities. Below are photos of a 25 metre high Buddha surrounded by a coiled naga cobra with several scary looking heads and a lovely skeletal couple, signifying that passion is not eternal!