My Body Returns

Wed 1/8.   12:16:37 AM

Laid down this evening with the hope of finally getting a full night's sleep.  Still felt sick, unengaged.  Have not read, typed much, made blog entries, looked at the web much, thought about anything other than how bad I felt.  Have barely left my room other than to go downstairs, eat some fruit and let Jiab know I am still alive.  He has driven me to the ER twice, bought watermellon for me and always asks me how I am feeling.

About an hour ago, my body "came back to me" after 7 long days.  I was asleep, started coughing, woke up in a heavy sweat, turned on the lights and instantly felt that something was different.  My body had returned.  I felt like flexing my muscles....stretching, reading, writing, thinking, planning, blogging.

So that is the good news.  As I am now about 10-12 days off my intinery and have only 4 weeks left, I started considering bypassing Viet Nam. You can only fit so many things into a schedule and I do not want the balance of this trip to be a race.  

Hopefully will depart here in Chiang Rai tomorrow and head over to Udon Thani, Thailand by VIP bus for a day or two, then up into Laos. 10-12 days there then fly south to Siem Reap for a week touring Angkor Wat.  Think that will be about all the time left will allow.

Thailand has excellent, cheap heathcare.  My 2 ER visits, blood work and 7 Rx's were less than $75.00.

II have been about as sick as I ever want to be again.  Did not have any measurable or meaningful sleep for 5 days, had a fever, ate little more than 2 cups of watermellon a day, coughed incessantly, and had a headache all the time.  After the second visit to the ER and the blood work for swine flu or the bird flu, I was very relieved that results were negative.  I was thinking about Myanmar and where I had been.

Now that I am feeling better, should be able to post some stories of the next month of travel.