The thing that first hits you as you arrive in Laos is the calm. Travelling in from Bangkok, a chlosteraphobic, bustling city of crazed tuk tuk drivers, transexual prostitues and men on each street corner asking you over and over if you'd like to buy a suit, the tranquility of the capital, Vientiane, from the people, to the attitudes, to the traffic soothes you as you lounge in streetside cafes, sipping lattes and gazing out at the bicycles leisurely parading the streets. We arrived to the NongKhai, Thai-Lao border by sleeper train on the morning of January 11th and after a relatively stress-free border crossing (you could probably walk through visa free if you wanted to), we travelled the short journey into the capital, Vientiane and found a great place to stay called 'Orchid guesthouse' with
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