How to quit your job and travel around the world

Out of Muang Sing and on to Nohn Khiaw, with a brief stopover in Udonmxai tonight at the bus station guest house to break up the grueling bus rides. Met a French woman, Juliette, on my way to Muang Sing and we're traveling together this week to Nong Khiaw and then back to Luang Prabang.

Muang Sing gets a lot of ink in the guide book for having many different hill tribes in the area, which they do. And it's charming - if tiny - enough. The most notable thing is that as you walk around the Akha women will inevitably show you bracelets to buy and then lift them up to show a round, black disc of pure opium. It is the Golden Triangle after all. Can't say that I would try it there, but I suppose if you're a connesieur taht would be the place to go for it. It was disconcerting to see one guy (Lao), a little shaky, make the bold transaction in the middle of the street in broad daylight. Anyway, our guest house was run by a super sweet old couple who had an amazing restaurant attached - we ate a lot of "jeow" - basically a Lao tapinade served with sticky rice, which you dip into the jeow. Also, they had some amazing chopped beef salads served with lots of fresh mint. To drink: Beerlao followed by a strong iced Lao coffee (pure arabica - mmmmmmm.) Rented bikes to tour around, but the heat and dust forced us back to the restaurant for sipping.

I am stuck in Luang Namtha for a few days while my visa extension is processed. So I am reading a lot (and letting my idealism fully blossom - at least according to a German shrink whom I spent 10 minutes talking to yesterday) and here are some good things from Gandhi's autobiography...

On Truth
Truth is like a vast tree, which yields more and more fruit the more you nurture it. The deeper the search in the mine of truth, the richer the discovery of the gems buried, here, in the shape of openings for an even greater variety of service.

On Service
Service can have no meaning unless one takes pleasure in it. When it is done for show and for fear of public opinion, it stunts the man and crushes his spirit. Service which is rendered without joy helps neither ther servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and posessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in the spirit of joy.