The Lost People Of The World.

Just another day in Chang Mai. Our visas should be through tomorrow, so we get move on, I'm getting itchy feet. Finally managed to get some U.S. dollars, which we can use in Laos. Trying to get the local currency the Kip is virtually impossible. So armed with dollars, we can exchange them for Kip when we get into Laos.

Still looking for project work in Laos, been digging around on the internet again. There are loads of projects going on, just got to sift through and find the right one.

We headed over the the Night Market last night, ate at a place that was really slow in serving people. After that we had a wander round the market, and then made our way back to Tiny Corner, to have a farewell drink with Ulff. We chatted with Eat, the bar owner, who we've got to know quite well in the time we've been here. Brett was there too. He's becoming less surf dude as we get to know him, more a refugee from conservative America.

I've been here in Thailand long enough now to notice something. And I feel this is not exclusive to Thailand, and probably exists all over the world. Yet here in Thailand and probably in most of South East Asia along the travelers trail, there are a lot of lost people. People who have lost there way in life, alone, sat in bars, making fleeting friendships. I see them everywhere. People who have come here to find something. Be that adventure, love, or themsleves, many have become stuck wandering aimlessly around the place. They vary in type, from the wide-eyed rabbit-in-the-headlights type, through to world-weary-long-haired-beardy-weirdy. Many if not all are alone in the world. They may have settled somewhere for a while, building a small life for themselves and a circle of friends who are just like them. But that world, that life is all too fragile. Home and family are distant memories from years ago. The Lost People are just drifting, waiting for the tide to turn and take them off some place new.