Lack luster Vientiane

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My Dad: "So Kryst, is Laos a country, or a city?"
Me: "Are you serious? ....yeah, it's a country..."

It's a country alright, but without much of a capital. With 200,000 people, you'd hardly know it was a city at all. In fact, the only pictures I managed to take were mostly of signs. And not that I find that incredibly boring, but there weren't many sites to try out my 'self portraits' on!

The bus from Bangkok wasn't that bad...only 13 hours. However I was shocked at the Friendship Bridge (Northern Thai/Lao border) when I learned that Canadians had to pay $42 for a VISA, while most other people only had to pay $30-$35. And we all know how 'thrifty' I've become, so I was upset, to say the least. I thought Canadians were the friendly and always welcomed people? Why did I have to pay more then everyone else on the freakin' bus?! **turns out thats how much Laosians have to pay to get into Canada...stupid equality!**

I did however enjoy the company of my three travel mates, (Edward from France, Joe from Vietnam, and Tim from the US). Quite a strange group we were, but nonetheless, it was good to have English as our common language. Not that we actually saw much of Edward once we got into the city: he was strangely 'adopted' by a group of Laos teenagers and never heard from again. (Well, that's not true...we saw him return two days later very hung-over)

Lazy lunches and quiet dinners along the Mekong with lots of time to sleep-in on my lumpy mattress and read my many books. That's all I can say for Vientiane actually. Strange isn't it? ...usually I can write mundane comments about anything, but Vientiane left me a little lost for words. Uninspired, if you will.

(note: If this is the first of my blogs you've ever read, this is by far my cruddiest example of writing...go to the previous journals)

However, I'd recommend Syri's Guesthouse to anyone passing through. $6/night for a double bed and my own bathroom!!! That's luxury folks!

I only gave Vientiane 3 days of my time, and now I'm on my way to Luang Prabang in the North, which has been recommended to me by everyone I've met! Then onto Myanmar, where the REAL traveling will begin!

Oh, and Vientiane has GREAT Indian food! mmmm...veggie samosa!

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