SE Asia - Vientiane, Laos - 1

Laos, Day 4, Luang Prabang to Vientiane, January 22, 2014

Vientiane, Laos

My day started about 4:00 when I woke up coughing. My cold is progressing normally. After breakfast we packed to leave the hotel. This time we put all our stuff on the bus, and then took the Tuk Tuks to the Palace Museum. Since I couldn't take my camera in and would have to leave it in a locker, I decided not to go in. The sun was out so Erika and I just sat on the steps to get warm. It felt so good. Paul and others reported that the rooms were spartanly furnished.

There were a number of monks in the area and they seemed to be tourists like us, carrying around cameras and taking pictures.

Before heading to the airport we stopped at a different JoMa Bakery for lunch. This time I ordered a BLT and it was very good. At the airport we found things a bit laid back and the check in process went very slowly. We finally learned that the computer system had crashed and the clerks were confirming and write out every ticket. We had switched to what had originally looked like a faster moving line, then we ended being about the last through. No one seemed concerned that the flight was now going to be an hour late leaving. There was still more waiting at the gate before boarding for the 30 minute flight. They said no electronics, not even my headphones because we never got above 10,000 ft. My ears did not clear going up or coming down and I was just thankful I wasn't in pain.

Our Laosian guide, Ken, went with us doing both cities. We checked in at the Sabaidee Hotel. The word means Hello and is used all the time. We only had a short time before going on an orientation walk. This took us over to the Mekong River, which at this point is the border between Laos and Thailand. We walked a long ways along the sea wall and through the night market, with nothing of interest to me, and then back to the hotel. By then I was totally pooped out and decided to skip dinner and go to bed. I had been asleep for an hour when I heard a knock at the door. I thought it was Paul wanting in, but instead it was a waiter bringing me a big bowl of soup. That was compliments of our guide, and it really hit the spot. I even liked the tofu in it.

Tomorrow we tour the city and have some free time.

That's it for now. Grace and Paul