Thursday was dentist day to fix my broken molar. I am no good at coping with the dentist chair. I would love to be anywehere else.....but some times a girl has to do what a girl has to do.
I climbed the chair and tried to listen to the dentist telling me that this would be okay, there would be no pains as the "break" was a nice one. Just relax........
I closed my eyes and while counting my breathing (I always does that when I need to calm myself), I decided to do an armchair travel. It is a long time since I've been to Laos, so that's where I decided to go.
I spent two weeks in Laos in 2004 together with a group from Norwegian Church Aid. It was my first visit to the country, actually my first visit to Asia, and it turned out to be an eye opener in so many ways.
We travelled to different parts of the country, by car, by plane, by boats. One day up the Mekon River by speed boat, one day down again. One day southwards, 10 hours on the river by what were called a house boat. Hours floating, dreaming, looking at the shores....down to Loang Prabang, a World Heritage site where we came just in time for the night market. It was like a dream.
We met people, in cities and in remote areas where Europeans were hardly seen. We made friends, we ate the local food, we learned about the culture. No staying in posh hotels, but in small, local places. To nights were shared with giant rats!
We talked, we shared impressions, we prayed, we were silent.
I loved the Mekong River. Fortunalely we were safely back from the speedboat ride when I read in Lonely Planet that you should take care - fatal accidents happened every week when speedboats hit stones in the river.
Well, going by cars were not a very good alternative.
"Okay, you are done, your molar is fixed now" The dentist's voice broke into my travel. "Done? But there have been no pains?????" I opened my eyes, struggling to travel all the way back from Laos to a dentist chair in Trondheim.
Now I have learned how to cope with my dentist fear. I'll armchair travel. I am going back to my dentist in a couple of weeks for my annual check. I wonder where I will go then. May be to Mexico?
