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February 3rd 2006

Published: February 20th 2006

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ablondon

I love this color

These are the robes the Monks wear...

Finally out of Hanoi...I get on the plane excited for new and beautiful Lao. What's this? the stewardess is handing out arrival forms?
what's this? it says visa number. I grab my Laos Lonely planet. Sure thing. You need a visa to get into Laos and you're supposed to apply for it in advance. My heart is pounding, my hands are sweaty. I contemplate trying to explain to the stewardess the situation but decide against it. I rationalize that the worst thing that can happen is A) they send me back to Vietnam B) make me take a flight somewhere else or C)throw me in a Lao Prison...I was praying for the one of the first two
Turns out I'm just a spaz and that you can buy arrival visas at the airport, which the freakin lonely planet says nothing about. Thanks Lonely Planet.
I arrive in Vientiane, Laos. Grabed a tuk tuk find a chill hotel and rent a bike. I read about this cool Buddhist monastery where you can take herbal saunas and get a massage so I decided that's exactly what I needed after my stressful false alarm.
The monastery is set in a

Pretty lamps in LP market

little wooded forest. I'm addicted to the Buddhist orange robes. I think they are stunning. Every time I see them I can't help but stop and stare as they walk by. Anyways I had trouble finding the massage place in the monastery so I take a seat and start reading my ever so unreliable lonely planet. Meanwhile this little monk comes over to me. Says hello. I ask him about the massage and he points in a direction and smiles. I grab my bike park it outside and tentatively walk into the wooded area. I find three little kids playing who have obviously met many confused tourists in the same situation as myself. One of the little girls points in a direction and starts smiling and then running down the path. I walk after her and find myself at a beautiful little house on stilts. I'm greeted by an extremely smiley and happy little Laotian lady who instantly says "Sauna and Massage?" Umm i think so. By this point I was really confused but just sort of followed the everyone else lead and chanded into my purple piece of fabric. The Herbal Sauna was amazing. I could only stand about

My Ausie girls

10 minutes at time but in between the lovely Laotian lady offered cup after cup of green tea as well as continual conversation.
I searched for two restaurants that were in my lonely planet and couldn't find either of them. Thanks lonely planet Decided to just settle for this more upscale restaurant. This was good fortune because upstairs in the bar were four Aussie girls that I had met briefly at the spa. I joined them for a few drinks and we instantly got along. We talked and drank for about two hours untill it was time to leave. They asked me what my plans were and I told them I really didn't have any. W decided that I should go to Lau Prabang with them in the morning and I'm glad I did. I've had so much fun in the last four days getting to know these four awesome Aussie girls.
Emmy, Katya, Michaela, and Sophie (In alphabetical order) turned out to be really really cool girls. They instantly made me feel comfortable and as if I was just one of their old friends. We went out to the waterfalls, checked out the various temples in town,

Cheeky Monkey in LP

went out to some awesome dinners, saw a few amazing sunsets over the Mekong and oh yeah they constantly shopped at the nigth market, which is amazing but due to the lack of space in my bag and the fact that I have 3 more months to go I'm not really buying that much. I did manage to buy 3 beer Lao t-shirts though.
The Laotian (I made up this word) people are the nicest so far of the South East Asians. They all great you with Sabaidee (Saa Baa Deee) which I absolutely love. They constantly smile and are all really interested in where you are from, what you have seen. THis is a complete contrast to what I felt in Vietnam. I've already had three Laotian men ask me to hang out on their day offs. I hope it's with platonic intentions....
So until next time
La Kohn (goodbye)
Adam

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