I awoke  to screaming!

It was the middle of the night and Andrew blithely continued to snore alongside – like a decrepit tugboat.

Another shriek and then,

‘Help, Help.’

I sat up and started to consider being a hero.

It  was then I heard more voices below, a man and a woman.
‘Are you OK?’ The female voice asked.
‘Yeah, yeah – just, he got my bag,’ another woman blustered – obviously the screamer.

I then realised we were mid-robbery – well post-robbery actually –  as I later discovered the perpetrators were well on their bikes by that point – literally.
Then, more screaming, this time from the family, the Laotian owners who had their quarters just behind our room.
Everyone awoke.

The granny;the mother; the miserable chubby sister; Parn, the friendly manager; two pet dogs and a rooster: the only occupants of ‘The Pankam Guesthouse’ who didn’t rouse were Andrew and the stone-deaf, half-dead grandfather who lives in a shed out the back!

I’d pay serious money to sleep like that!

So this morning, feeling slightly jaded after all the nocturnal disturbance, I descended the wooden staircase to the tea urn, with just a little inquisitiveness.

I’ve sinced used my ‘gentle touch’ to learn of the night’s events.

It transpires that a young American traveller, Maggie, has had everything important stolen. Passport, credit cards, cash etc.

An American Horror Story!

The Lao family have had a couple of ‘pots’ taken (from what I could work out).

It was either that or ‘some pot’! It was difficult to discern – but then I’m hardly Miss Marple!

AND,  our lovely manager Parn, is now missing his ‘Iphone’. A genuine luxury in this part of the world.

This morning, after tea, I genuinely had to help the police with their enquiries.

Well I say the police but it was really ‘The State.’

The copper looked like a young ‘Charlie Chan’ in a second hand, Red Army uniform!

I sneaked a photo for evidence.

He was actually very charming and just wanted me to spell out the victim’s name in English so he could complete his ‘PC Plod’ notebook with the details.

It was all very jovial considering.
We tried to search for Parn’s phone using an APP on our IPAD – but with the ‘Intermitentnet’ here, plus the fact Andrew and I hardly have a degree in IT, I have a feeling he’ll never  lay eyes on his device again!

How sad!

Who knows? Perhaps our  ‘Charlie’ is the local ‘Sherlock’, and will have the case open and closed by the time the sun sets over The Mekong.

Should he require any assistance, I know I would make a perfect ‘Dr Watson.’ 

Keeping this in mind, I’ve explained to ‘Moriaty’, AKA Andrew Kennedy, that it is ‘elementary’we stay on for a few days longer.

He has agreed.

So, we’re residing at the scene of the crime for an extra two nights – they do say the criminal always returns ……..

We shall see!