Bus Breakdown Part One: Musical Mountain

So the bus has broken down as I travel from Luang Probang to Vang Vieng. South East Asian transport is less than reliable. Disgruntled, me and fellow passengers sit on the tarmac in the sun smoking cigs and drinking whiskey some German Guy has pulled from his bag. It tastes like dog piss. I go for a stroll on my own. Seeing a comfortable looking mud mound at the side of the road I perch and get my music and speakers out. I select shuffle mode on the i-pod,'Talisman' by 'Air' comes on and I feel like writing.

It's going to be three hours before the mechanic will be out to help us. We're only one hour and some into the six hour journey, frustrating. However the French, electronic two piece are calming my being, their tranquil sound lending itself favourably to the scenery. It's pretty peaceful up here. We're not deep in the jungle but the bush is dense and a serene quiet percolates the music. The mountains are perfect in form as though hand crafted by The Lord himself. 'The Upsetters' come on. Nothing like a bit of Reggae to raise the spirit. The sun is harsh on the back of my neck but an occasional cool breeze strikes a decent balance. A butterfly floats above a flower, hovering perfectly over the pollenous plant. I see what Mohammed Ali was talking about.

'New Slang' by 'The Shins', probably more apt a song for the circumstance. I'm feeling pretty helpless right now. Nobody is around so I have a good sing although the effect of copious cigarettes and booze on my throat in the last few weeks does nothing for the rendition. The activity of the clouds make interesting shadows across the monumental landscape. The Laos wilderness continues to amaze. Aha, 'Nirvana', 'In Bloom', I guess I should feel pretty angry right now. This is meant to be a 'VIP' bus, it's fucking terrible, no air conditioning and barely able to roll up a hill...then breaks. I'll let them off though, it's a Third World Country after all.

I start throwing stones. Don't underestimate the fun a guy can have throwing stones. There aren't any real targets amongst the forest in front of me so I just launch them as far as I can. My arm hurts though so I turn my attention to a stick near the road. It's got the remnants of a plastic bag on top of it, recently caught in the wind perhaps, eye level, so I practice my baseball pitch. Not that I have any particular plans to develop this talent. There's a wooden hut buried amidst the greenery on the hill face. What the Hell is that used for? There's so much I don't understand about this country. 'Hey Joni' by 'Sonic Youth', funny coincidence. 'Queens Of The Stone Age' next, I'm kind of enjoying myself now, just me, up a hill, throwing stones. Since arriving in Bangkok it seems I've had people around me constantly, in contrast to the perception of being a lone traveller. Sometimes a man needs space, a sanctuary of sorts to revert to for peace and reflection. This mount is becoming just that.

'Sam Cooke', 'Chain Gang'. I wouldn't be surprised to see a line of convicts up here cutting grass. It's hot and removed from society, a perfect location for inmates to use up some energy. 'Embrace The Chaos' by 'Ozomatli' introduces itself. I guess that's exactly what I've been doing since I got here in Asia, certainly in Luang Probang, that was an insane stop. Stayed an extra four days embracing chaos, and now Neil Young. Oh, Neil Young.

Time to walk back to the bus I suppose, see if there's been any developments. No point getting too wound up about the situation, especially after listening to all this marvellous music, difficult to be pissed off after that showing. I guess we'll get there eventually.