Day 20 - Sun Bed Etiquette

After a fitful night with several dashes to the toilet, I came to the conclusion that stomach wasn’t quite ready for an ‘introduction to Laos’ meal, particularly because some of it was very spicy probably too spicy.

We went to breakfast (after Jackie had put bags on our sun beds) and I ordered a double helping of scrambled eggs with 3 slices of toast. Jackie then created for me a large fruit bowl containing various fruits, yoghurt, muesli, raisins and a cinnamon syrup. I have definitely regained my appetite and I’ve already ordered the fruit bowl for tomorrow. Jackie amongst other things ordered a bowl of green Thai curry.

We spent the morning beside the pool, where the other sun beds filled up pretty quickly. By late morning a gay couple arrived at the pool to find no free sun beds. They set up a couple of chairs under a tree facing the pool, in my opinion clearly waiting for sun beds to become free.

Only bed did become available, but they declined to take it. Two more beds became free, but were taken before they could react. The gays then shared the one remaining bed.

Jackie wanted to go up to restaurant for a beer, but Jackie was adamant that we should leave our towels on our beds. This caused a minor argument, but I finally conceded and joined her for a beer. I didn’t feel comfortable about the situation, so I insisted we take our 2nd beer down to the beds.

Jackie thinks I have developed an over sensitive conscience in my old age, but I consider it to be regulation sun bed etiquette. In some circumstances I would agree with Jackie, but everyone else who left the pool ditched their towels to free up a sun bed.

About 3.30pm, the sky darkened, thunder and lightning struck above, before it poured with rain and we sought refuge on our room balcony with a can of beer and a packet of Lays, which Jackie had just bought from the shop next door for a poolside picnic.

At 7pm, the hotel shuttle bus took us back into town. We were joined on the bus by a group of 8 middle aged French men who were on a motorcycle tour of Laos on identical Royal Enfields, I couldn’t get the events pertaining to Gisele Pelicot out of my mind!

In town, we got another couple of million Kip out of the ATM and went on a mini fast paced spending spree in Luang Prabang Night Market. At the end of the market we treated ourselves to a posh cocktail in Sala Restaurant with all the red lights under the bougainvillea. He had a front row seat and drank a Caprini and a Honeymoon, whilst lots of people stopped to take photos of us…….or maybe the cafe.

We were both feeling hungry so we returned to the Italian restaurant, Popolo where we ordered a French Kiss pizza, which was topped with Camembert, bacon, cream, watercress, pumpkin, caramelised onion, pickled apple and mozzarella. It was bloody lovely and washed down with a beer. Even feeling better and hungry, we still only managed to eat that one pizza.

We walked off our dinner along the river, then caught the little ferry again across the Nam Khan. Jackie does love a boat. We arrived back at the hotel at 9.30pm and had a couple of nightcaps on the balcony.

Song of the Day - Conscience Killer by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.Read more