Proper Rainy Season is "Green Season"

3rd August 2024

The Olympics arrived with perfect timing to keep me entertained as the rain hammers down outside. Yes, rainy season is here. This week the showery, thundery but sunny and hot days of July have been replaced by whole days of consistent persistent solid rain. Happily, it usually stops in the evening so we've stayed dry when we venture out with our umbrellas for a meal.

It's also quite cool with daytime temperatures of just 27 degrees. Nevertheless everything inside and out is damp. Doing laundry is tricky and my hat has gone mouldy!

Oh well, this is what they (Laos tourist dept) call the "Green Season" - and for good reason. It's beautiful - as long as you don't need to travel on the roads.

Having enjoyed visits from friends in July, life has settled down into routine again. Thursday shopping, Sunday and Thursday cooking at home, meals at local restaurants - sometimes local, sometimes western - reading, singing, exercising, gardening... And sorting out the flat in Brighton ready for new tenants, jumping through hoops to satisfy HMRC, letting agent etc.

Avocado growing well!

French beans just starting to flower and enjoying all the rain

Our landlord Damian brought us a lawnmower and I managed to get a cut done before it got so wet. Much better than the shears I used before!

My homemade mango picker has had limited success. Most of the decent sized fruit are way too high to reach

I went to pick up a twig and realised at the last minute that it was looking at me!

Still a few dramatic sunsets

Trevann got to play a set at The Belle Rive Hotel by the side of the Mekong.

One of our kind neighbours gave us this mulberry. Looking forward to purply squishy fruit in time

I've been exploring the tracks through the hills around the back of our house. It's right on the edge of Luang Prabang and there's lots of building going on. Sites for new houses are being dug out of the red earth

But there's still plenty of green jungle to explore when the weather allows.