Mukdahan Province

Ancient town of Mukdahan: Pearl of the Mekong. on the Mekong River; small and sleepy and dry; perched on a high plateau. Today is very hot; feels like a pressure cooker and in the evening it burst in torrential rain, thunder and lightening. On the outskirts of downtown; about 3 kms. a six-story building loomed with billboards at its feet screaming '400 baht'. That will do me for the night; the Mocta Hotel. The lobby is huge but empty save for huge pieces of furniture and two men sitting behind the counter; not the average hotel; I mused. A man showed me the room; it is clean and well-furnished and the bed very comfortable and a panaromic view of the town and the forest park. I took the room to escape the heat and for the view and the soft bed. But the hotel was ghost-like. Of the some 400 rooms I guessed only about 10 guests. Perhaps the owners are lying in wait for the coming surge of trade from China and Vietnam since the Friendship Bridge to Laos is now open.
But there's another possible reason for quiet; no ladies at reception and some couples; foreign men and young Thai men. Mmmmh! Whatever! The room is nice and I am left alone to enjoy the air conditioning and the view.

Monday 12 th June 2011

very hot in Sakon Nakhon. It is good to be teaching; there is a sense of purpose which is a fine thing to have.