Day in Chiang Kong

Had a very relaxed and quiet day here, did not make any portraits with the 4x5 but did shoot the XPAN a bit.

Met two interesting fellows out by the river when I went for an afternoon walk.

Khune Tong, a man of 64 who spoke very good English. Tong had lived for several years in Australia and New Zealand and had at one point in his life earned a good living. I guess he had several girlfriends in his life and feeling sorry for them had given them much of his money. Now Tong works as a fisherman and lives in a small shack within sight of my guest house. I have an appointment with him tomorrow to take a tour of the river in his small boat as well as make his portrait (Strong face and hat!).

The second man I met was Khune Som Pet. Som Pet is 35 years old skinny and tall and very shy. I talked to him in my poor Thai and he talked to me in his Lao/Thai. You see Som Pet is an illegal worker in Thailand, he came across the river to work illegally in Thailand because the pay is much higher here (similar to Mexican workers in the USA, Canada). Som Pet works driving a truck and comes down to the river now and again to see if he can make a bit of extra money. When I met him he was staring sadly across the river at Laos, he told me he missed his family.

To end the evening I had a 2 hour massage ($12 CAD) and some Pud Thai for 25 baht (80-85 cents). I finally feel like I am on a vacation!

Will stay here tonight and tomorrow before returning to Weaw's home to help her back to Chiang Mai (2 bus trips, one air con and one non air con). I will probably spend 1 maybe 2 days in days in Chiang Mai before returning to Bangkok on the overnight bus.