Wednesday Walk: cycling to get ice cream and see the sunset.

We were very glad that the flood had disappeared after two weeks and the dirt road became hardenred after ten days. After several days of working in the garden, I decided to test the dirt road with my bicycle in the afternoon. I would like to check out the river and the local resort after the flood. I had the urge to reward my hard wotk with chocolate ice cream too. So, the afternoon cycling trip would be a treat after the experiences during the flood.

I found that my neighbours’ cars and vans had left deep tracks on the dirt road. This was quite dangerous for cycling a touring bike with very narrow tires. Some areas were still muddy and slippery. I had to be very alert and just follow my inner voice on how to maneuver the tricky parts. If I could afford a mountain bike, I would definitely get one as a backup. My lighter bicycle could go very fast and I became addicted to the flying sensation.

My timing was just right, I was by the river during the sunset. I visited the local resort (Haadkam Resort) to see the water level at the riverbank. Three weeks ago, all the dining tables and chairs were all flooded. The flood almost reached the entrance to the kitchen. I was pleased to see that the dining area had been cleaned, the mud was gone and people could have their meals by the riverside. It would take some time for business to pick up as usual again. The manager told me that the resort had regular patrons and fan clubs of nature lovers.

The promenade had some colourful flags with long bamboo poles. These would probably be used in the local long boat race in two weeks’ time. The muddy riverfront had been nicely cleaned and the water level had reduced by four meters in four days! The magic of closing watergates of the big dam in Laos. All the houses on rafts had sunken lower than the promenade. Things were getting back to the old routine until the next emergency need to release excessive water from the dam. The manager of the dam ought to be replaced by skillful water manager.

The sunset was quite soothing and gentle as if Mother Nature was tryjng calm stressful villagers who were badly affected by the sudden flooding. People had resigned to the fact that they were just small insignificant people without any influence on politics and high level administrators. I was glad to see a few well established experts, on water management and policies, had published papers on the causes of the severe floodings in the northern provinces. They even showed satellite photos of deforestation and the disappearance of forests on several mountains in the north.

It’s common knowledge that local officials and politicians were in cahoots with illegal loggers who tried to fulfill orders from rich Chinese importers. The demand for good quality logs and wood was insatiable. In the end, the adverse karmic affects had wiped out houses of local illegal loggers, politicians and lots of innocent collaterals.

The damages had been done but the culprits were too big to be persecuted according to law. It would open a can of worms and long series of blackmails. It was impossible to transport logs on heavy trailers from the mountains to the port by the sea without people’s noticing this process. So, the corruptions ran quite deep.

The river reminded me to let go of my anger and to enjoy the sunset. I went back to the local resort for my chocolate ice cream. The vendor was very friendly and cheerful; he suggested a big piece of ice cream cake. But I wouldn’t be able to finish it by myself so I got the double choc instead. I sat at my favourite wooden table by the river. The ice cream was very rich and good for my brain. It took time to melt so I could walk around taking some photos of the sunset.

The atmosphere was very calm and quiet. I could feel that time had stopped and Mother Nature was spreading healing vibes all over the area. I could feel a strong presence of the land spirit standing not far away. I asked a young staff whether she ever saw or felt the land spirit. Most villagers were quite superstitious and believed in spirits living in all natural things. She told me she never saw anything special but others had that kind of mysterious experience. I asked her where most staff ‘saw’ the land spirit. I pointed to a spot between those big tables; she was surprised that I could pinpoint the right spot. The vibes were very strong and friendly. But they didn’t let me see them. Perhaps I had to come at the right time for that.

After the ice cream and thanking the sunset, it’s time to get back home to feed orange cats. They have become used to seeing me with my bicycle, they stopped running away from my bicycle. The bicycle bell didn’t frighten them anymore. The garden would take time to recover from the flood. We still couldn’t walk around the banana groves as the earth was too soft and soggy. But I could go cycling along the riverfront once again and enjoy the blessings of Mother Nature.

Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.

Stay strong and cheerful.

#wednesdaywalk created by @tattoodjay