As far as I’m concerned, the rainy season has officially started when I get drenched riding my motorbike to or from work. That happened yesterday as I was riding to The Farm in the afternoon. I saw a black cloud not too far ahead of me releasing some rain on the Mekong, but I hoped I would avoid it as the road made a 90 degree turn out of Vientiane heading toward my neck of the woods. Unfortunately, the rain looked even worse in that direction, and eventually I ran smack dab into it, a real downpour, soaking me to the bone and limiting my vision because of my wet glasses and the wet visor on my helmet.
To top it off, the first few heavy rains of the season flood large portions of the road, because the drainage ditches haven’t been cleared in months. As I squinted my way through the slow traffic, I came upon one of these inches-deep-with-water areas. Suddenly, a tuk-tuk came speeding by on my left and sent a wave of muddy water washing over me. I was blinded for a few seconds and afraid that I would hit another vehicle in front of me. I swore at the driver under my breath and hoped there would be no more rude drivers coming by. There weren’t, thankfully, and soon the rain ended and the hot sun returned. By the time I got to the house, my shirt was almost dry, but my jeans stayed soaked.
I had planned to get some rain gear before too long, but I wasn’t quick enough. Hopefully, the rains will hold off while I’m riding the bike until I can get at least a plastic poncho, if nothing else. The only good thing about the ride yesterday was that it was during daylight; night time riding in the rain is a total nightmare for me, something I dread doing in the upcoming rainy season. With some rain gear at least I’ll stay half-way dry, even if the conditions are driving me bonkers.