I had to attend a workshop at the school this past Friday, and as I was riding the motorbike back to The Farm, I noticed that one of my island “markers” for the water level in the Mekong had shown that the river level had dropped substantially. We’d had several days of little or no rainfall, so I inwardly sighed that it appeared there would be no flooding in our area.
Riding into Vientiane today for classes, I noticed that the same marker now indicates that the water level has risen substantially, perhaps up to a foot more, so my relief has flown. It appears that flooding is possible, perhaps probable, because the forecast is calling for a high chance of rain throughout the upcoming week. We had fairly heavy rains for a short while last night, and it briefly rained heavily in Vientiane this afternoon. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the river stays within its banks until the rainy season ends in a few weeks. There are still a couple of feet to go before the muddy, caramel-colored mess visits our doorstep, so I’m hoping to stay high and dry until then. More later.