As I once again begin to familiarize myself with the WordPress software functions of copy, paste, edit, etc., these entries in early June 2025 are my Alaska pre trip practice sessions. Bear with me. I am practicing getting photos edited, copied and pasted, finding historical information about locations on the web, copying text, maps and all the other effort it takes to prepare a blog. It isn’t easy learning.

A memorable day from January 2014 follows.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Pneumonia, the Dr. said…

Posted 1/11/14

Guess that diagnosis explains a few things.  

Like the incessant cough, the sweats, the ineffective OTC meds, my weakness and mental confusion.

Weakness and mental confusion are not good attributes for a traveler. Even worse when you are in a foreign country.

Still in Chiang Rai on 1/11, arrived here on 1/2 from Mae Sai after the week in Myanmar.  After two earlier visits to the Hospital and being given a handful of over the counter meds that seemed to do little to help my symptoms, I finally made the third trip to the hospital yesterday, 1/10.

I was SICK. Really sick.

Told the nice, young, fluent in English female MD that “I do not have a cold. This is my third visit to the ER.”  After getting a chest x-ray, the Dr. told me I had pneumonia and recommended admission.  What ever it takes, I said. So I self admitted with the help of Jiab and Waew.   

Still have month left to travel before returning to the wet, cold and dark of PDX, so need to get healthy again.

Went through the admission process, then I was provided the “pick a room type book.”

Room choices were: Shared room with 4 beds, shared w/3, shared w/2 – all basic or deluxe, then to the private rooms – private basic, private standard, private superior, private exceptional.   I chose the Private Superior w/ 27″ flat screen, cable, sofa, chair, all Nursing services, 3 meals.  $47.00/ day, inclusive.  

Cheaper than a night at a Best Western Hotel or a Motel 6 in the U.S.  When was last time you stayed in a $47.00 hotel in the US ??

Settled in, got out the iPod and the speaker, put some tunes on, watched tennis on the TV.  Had a few antibiotic IV drips, a nebulizer treatment every 4 hours, slept soundly all night.

This AM the Doc visited and recommended another night. “What ever it takes and whatever you recommend” was my reply.

In the afternoon Waew stopped by with some fresh fruit – which has been about 80% of my diet the last 10 days.  Thank goodness she stopped by with the fruit, as the hospital food is, well, hospital food and I cannot eat it.

Out of the bed most of the day, sitting on the sofa.  Pacing the room, prisoner style, to get some exercise.

Around 6 PM my acquaintances/new friends/travelers – also from PDX- Rondi & Andy – stopped by and we talked for an hour.  They are leaving 1/13 to head to the the Lao border for a night then to take a 2 day slow boat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang on 1/14.  

The Doc approved my release from the hospital tomorrow and an OK to resume traveling, so I am attempting a reservation on the slow boat Rondi and Andy are taking. Hopefully there will be an open slot for me to travel with them for several days to Luang Prabang.

Have an IV drip needle in the hand, taking a few pills.  It is not that bad.  Not all all that different than the room at Jiab’s and Waew’ Janispur Guest House, except the bed is worse and much harder and I have cute Nurses taking care of me.

Some of the Nurses are as mesmerizing as the Asian flight attendants were on the flight over.  

No worries, this is just a schedule modification.  Get cleaned out, dosed up, get packed, get moving to Laos, Luang Prabang and the Plain Of Jars in a few days, hopefully.  Then get down to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.  

Travel is all about new experiences.  Take them as you can, where you can, when you can, if you can.

 Always seek the positives in all situations.

All good here.  Nice place, Chiang Rai.