Last Call for Lao

Tonight is my last night in Vientiane. While it is a very nice city, there isn’t a whole lot here and I really need to get moving. Tomorrow I’ll be taking a bus to Udon Thani, Thailand which is a 2 hour bus ride over the border. (Knowing my luck, it will turn into a 10 hour ride)

My only concern is that they are only giving out 15 day visas when you enter Thailand by land, as opposed to 30 day visas when you fly in. I don’t think I’ll need more than 15 days, but I’d like to be safe. I’d like to have a bit more breathing room than 2 weeks to do all I want to do in Northern Thailand.

The internet here is much worse than Luang Prabangv which is surprising. It is one of the worst connections I’ve experienced on my trip. I am unable to upload any photos. If nothing else, I should (hope to) be able to do so in Thailand.

If I wasn’t trying to pick up the pace, I would like to have spent more time in Laos. There is a lot here to explore. While tourism is picking up, it is still vastly under appreciated compared to its neighbors.

I’ve eaten well since I’ve arrived in Vientiane. There are “restaurants” set up along ther Mekong. They aren’t much more than tarps and a BBQ, but the food they serve is cheap and good. I’ve had several fish cooked with lemongrass in their mouth and salt rubbed on the skin, frogs, excellent pork ribs, and very cheap Lao beer.

Today I took my camera and visited all the big Vientiane attractions, which isn’t a very long list.

I am reaching a point where I need to start thinking of where I am going to spend Christmas. The only reason is because it is a busy time for hotels and flights. Thailand tourism has been hurt because of the protests, so staying a bit longer in Bangkok might not be a bad idea at this point. I can catch up on all the movies I’ve missed over the last several months too.