This past week my digital camera broke. It was $200 in the summer of 2009. I bought a comparable camera today in Ubon for 1990 baht, about $60, memory card included. Good deal.
Yesterday Sarah and I went to a highly recommended Italian restaurant that is very expensive but very worth it. We were told that the owner had a restaurant in Italy, then in London, then in Ubon. And it was damn good. Smoked salmon pizza, fresh baked warm bread, the least intense and most flavorful olive oil, apple pie, ginger ale. We had a grand ole time. Probably the most we've paid for a meal since we got to Thailand. 600 baht (a little less than $20) for the two of us.
Today, I also got to visit the premier Isaan food restaurant of the city. Though it did not have my favorite of the Isaan foods, gai yahng (really good grilled chicken), they did have Isaan sausages and the most flavorful, fiery som tam (papaya salad) I've ever had. Good stuff.
Sarah left today for Taiwan on a trip she has dreamed about taking her whole life. She has family in Taiwan and will get to stay with them for two weeks. I am getting ready to enjoy my paid vacation in the north. I am traveling the way I like, with very little planning. I want to go to Chiang Mai and meet up with some old friends and if there is time visit some places in the north that I always wanted to like Chiang Rai, Pai, and northern Laos. If I have an abundance of time I will probably slowly make my way by bus from the northern-most boarder-crossing of Thailand/Laos then making my way to the Laos capital before starting my trek back down to Ubon. If I have a huge abundance of time, I might go all the way down to Pakse in southern Laos which is only about a two hour bus ride (including border crap) back to Ubon. I have a lot of options. I would not be surprised if I never left Thailand or if I never left Chiang Mai for two weeks, but I am ready and willing for any situation. I will keep you updated. Just waiting for my clothes to dry. Stupid rainy season. At least it is almost over.
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