Over the Bridge to Laos

---

Nong Khai in Thailand was a typical border town really, okay to stop off and prepare to move on, but that's about it, still the guesthouse had great character, esp the proprietor, very helpfull in a madcap type way.

As I had sorted my Laos visa during my week in Bangkok I got into Laos the easy and cheap way, a direct bus from Nong Khai terminal where you just hop off and get your stamp on one side of the bridge to leave Thailand, then hop back on bus, over the bridge, and you get your stamp to enter Laos, then the bus continues the 20km to Vientiane. You notice very quickly how the road condition deteriates as you drive into Laos.

As the only Westerner on the bus I got some attention on arriving at Vientiane bus terminal, could of walked but it was very hot so took a tuk tuk into centre, if that's what you can call it, this does not look like a capital city, the street I'm staying on is a dirt road, yet has some new and impressive buildings on it, guess they feel buildings are more important than roads here.

Staying just 2 nights here then it's on the road north, just getting a feel for the pace of things here in Laos, slow and easy, but allready I'm getting a sense that the people are spot on here, for one thing they don't appear to have mastered the dreaded 'hey you where you go' phrase that every driver in Thailand gives you.

Just got to carefull after dark, they have streams that serve as sewers, and every so often they are big holes where they are not covered, could be nasty falling into one of those so I'll try not to (make a good blog story though).

Next few weeks I expect to be taken at a pretty chilled pace, it's the way of things here and when in Rome.....

---

Photos

Laos Cultural Hall
The most impressive building in Laos.