Laos at last

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Geo: 16.55, 104.75

Up with the alarm at 05:30 and are on the school bus into Phon Thong by 07:00. Catch the 08:00 Mukdahan bus after seeing Jai's nephew Tia and his wife off en-route to Lop Buri and sugar cane cutting work for a few months. We get the 10:30 International Bus from Mukdahan to Savannakhet with no problems at immigration and take a skylab to our usual guest house in the old town. Somtam (dammawho(sp) as the call it in Laos) with BBQ chicken and sticky rice before going to an exchange office to buy a bag full of Laos Kip to get us through the next few days. Exchange rate is up slightly and we leave with our pockets bulging. alk down to the river and discover that the ferry boats are still running to Mukdahan and that this is still a legitimate bordr crossing point as well as the bridge. Will have to try it out some time just for a change. We walk around town a bit and visit the Tourist Office for some information about Xepon where we lan to go tomorrow. The girl was bright and cheerful and triedto be helpful but at the end of the day knew nothing and could tell us diddly squit.
We left and went to the Savannakhet Museum. A few bits and pieces of wartime kit and a lot of photos and memorablia of Kaysone Phonsivan who was born in Savannakhet, was a leading figure in the Prathet Laos and was the first PM of the communist Laos state.
Back to the room for a rest having picked up 80 phone cards en-route. They are few and far between now in Thailand but fortunately still popular in Laos. I go out again on my own returning with coffees and cakes. Nip out for a couple of enormous filled baguettes for dinner washed down with a glorious BeerLao. It is still windy and chilly and even after getting extra blankets from reception it is shivering cold night in the room.

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