Tripping the Life Fantastic

The sad...sick...saga...continues... Luang Prabang, Laos (July 7-11) Once our boat docked in Luang Prabang, Marco, Suzie and I temporarily parted ways as I had booked my own accommodation at the Muonglao Riverside Guesthouse via www.booking.com. It was a bit costly ($25 per night) but I figured that my poor battered body needed a few days of extra comfort. Plus! It had a balcony and I am a total sucker for balconies! We all agreed to meet up the following evening for dinner once I had had a chance to get some medical attention. I discovered that the Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital was actually a considerable ways from the center of town so I was, instead, brought to a clinic that was known to have a doctor who spoke English. This doctor, who proudly informed me that he had received his medical training in China (err...so?), also happened to be the Deputy Director at the aforementioned Provincial Hospital, so I figured I was in the best medical hands within a 500-kilometer radius

Apparently, being continuously on the road for 9 months can take an incredibly physical toll on one's body. I learned this the hard way starting nearly 3 weeks ago while in Chiang Rai , Thailand. Prepare yourselves by popping some aspirin for during the majority of this next lengthy blog entry I will be regaling you with my journey through the good, the bad and the ugly of Southeast Asia's medical care services. It ain't all that pretty, cough cough, in places, I must warn you, but in the end, I landed at the swanky Bangkok Hospital, which is as close as I have come to staying at a 5-star hotel during this entire trip. So it all began with a headache and back pain on June 25 in a northern town in Thailand... Chiang Rai, Thailand (June 23-29) My intentions in Chiang Rai were to do some trekking in the hills and perhaps a foray into the non-opium producing area of the Golden Triangle. Alas, it being low season, I was unable to find any trekking tours being organized at