From Nong Khai to Vientiane was only a short journey, crossing the Mekong, over the Friendship Bridge. Vientiane is the Laos capital, but it’s population is just about 250,000. Laos has one of the lowest population densities in the world and, later, whilst traveling through it’s mountainous heartlands, it was easy for me to see why. Nevertheless, the city is lively, bustling with tourists and amusements to engage them. Our primary source of enjoyment here was food and drink. Much to our satisfaction, the French have left behind a rich culinary legacy and so we pigged out on delicious pate, cheeses, bread and fillets of beef, heartily guzzling good imported wine. Even better, we chanced a small festival set on the banks of the river, called the Mekong Festival. To all intents and purposes this was
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