Cracks, Crocks, Canoes and Cocktails

I haven't blogged for a while. Been busy. Lots of work, then Mum visiting... now I'm nursing a broken collarbone, checking the bruising daily to determine the optimal moment for taking a photo to elicit sympathy. Apart from feeling sorry for myself and learning to do stuff one handed, here's some of what I've been doing...

Mum arrived. Great to have her here. She's pretty familiar with this part of the world but it was still fun to show her around my home town.

We decided to join some fun-seekers on the Plain of Jars.

  (keep an eye out for the blog post about this region - coming soon)

A couple of days later a dog interrupted our plans by playing chicken with my motorbike while Mum and I were en route to dinner. We found ourselves sitting in the middle of a dirt road in pain, stunned and shocked. We realised several things:

• that wasn't The End even though it looked like it a few seconds ago
• hitting the ground hurts
• wearing a helmet stops the 'smashing pumpkins' effect and saves heads from leaking
• my shoulder hurt like hell
• the freakin' dog did it on purpose
• the neighbour meant well with his offer of toilet paper to help us clean up but we needed a bit more than that.

The cavalry arrived quickly. I'm so lucky I have a caring, smart logistics and medical team at my disposal. Why I thought it would be a good idea to text rather than call I will never know. Somehow they still managed to find us on the little dirt side road that was not exactly a short cut.

Outcome: broken collarbone - 1; scraped, grazed forearms - 2 (one each); scrapes, bruises and aches - numerous and still discovering more.

The walking wounded

So what's one to do? Apart from prop up at home, be fed, visited and gifted with biscuits and fruit, that is.  We decided we needed a recuperation tour. To somewhere gentle and relaxing.  Vang Vieng!

Recuperating on the river

Hmong kids

And while we were so close... Luang Prabang!

 

A pineapple, banana, something, something else and grenadine cocktail beside the big brown river.

Home again already. Now it's time to rest and really recuperate.