Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone. I haven't written in a few days because, well, I felt like I was in bed for most of it. You didn't miss much. I checked out the Laos health care system. Not too shabby. The doctors were nice, service was 5 times faster than Alta Bates in Berkeley (which doesn't say much), and I got lots of medications with Lao written all over it, all of which I cannot read and identify only by their colored packets.

We were put onto a very bumpy bus ride yesterday for Vang Vieng. A smaller town known for its tubing. Shaun wasn''t feeling very well so I went out with the rest of my hostel to their Christmas Eve dinner. Everyone else was really drunk for their day out on the river, so that was an interesting experience being sober. I made friends with a group of 4 Aussie boys so it was ok.

I woke up this morning to..yup...roosters. For the 20th day in a row. Each morning when I get woken up, I wish that I could go outside and punt the rooster so I can have another couple hours of sleep. That requires me getting out of bed first. Too much work. So I got myself out of my mosquito net and bunk. Oh yeah, my new hostel is a tree house. A full blown, 3 story tree house. the patio area has hammocks and looks out onto Lao mountains and the river. It's beautiful.

So I skyped my family, became horribly jealous of all the wonderful food they were about to sit down to, and am now sitting around on Christmas writing this entry. i think that we're going tubing down the river today.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. Christmas always makes me all mushy so I will say that I love all my family and friends and I have a wonderful new appreciation for all the things i have at home. Merry Christmas.