Dear Dorothy

 Decision made - Laos 2022 !!

Where to go ? After nearly 2 years in the same city, except for the very infrequent trip to the Emerald City the time has come.

Time to get on a big aluminum tube, light a fire and soar to a different time zone. But .... where to? I'd love to go back to Italy there are still places to see and new memories to create. Wait a minute! I just got an email from a cruise line offering me a free flight to their 10 days in the Java sea. Yes! Until I read the reviews. The ports are 20 miles from the advertised city. The advertised two days in a particular city actually means, arrive at 10pm and depart at 5pm. I guess technically it IS two days, but less than 24 hours. Hmm ... Southeast Asia? I like that part of the world. The food is good, the cost of lodging is reasonable, the culture totally different than I normally experience. True, sometimes the food or the water will lock you in the loo for a day, but I can experience that from a pint of Cherry Garcia and not leave my house.

Okay. Southeast Asia. Thailand? Possible, but the parts I have visited had so many tourists they were like a high humidity mosquito-ridden Disneyland. Well at least they aren't singing the tune to "It's a small world". (Crap! now it's stuck in my head, and I can't make it stop!!) Cambodia, I like. I know there are places I haven't experienced there, though 3 weeks would be too long. Myanmar? I love it! Current political situation puts me off.

Someplace new to me? Vietnam? Great reviews from Trip Advisor and friends who have recently visited there. Unfortunately I watched the nightly travel review of Vietnam in the 1960's and 70's and they kind of put me off from going there. Maybe someday, just not today.

Then there is that other country in the same area, Laos. Not as touristed as Thailand. Some of the Cambodian influences. Wasn't as acknowledged as much as Vietnam by Walter Cronkite. Hmmm ... possible. I took a cruise down the Mekong river the first time I visited Cambodia. The same company is offering a 10 day cruise up the Mekong in Laos. Clean sheets every night, transportation, food, a good introduction to the country. A little bit of Nanny care before being set free on my own. I think that's it! Besides, I get to be the first of my friends to visit Laos!

So three weeks. Ten days in the Mekong, a couple days in transit and we shall see where this leads.