*** Check out the companion photo album called "Vientiane" Mission accomplished! We found a new guest house with a clean room and bathroom, and we are muuuuch more comfortable. It is amazing what a little cleaner and a sponge can accomplish. :) Our new guest house is in a more energetic section of town, although, we have to use the word "energetic" loosely. For a national capital, this is one quiet town. The town barely is moving by 7AM, and most everything sh...

We don't have pics of Laos yet, so we just slapped this pic of Bev from Seattle in as a place holder. It will be over 80 degrees during the day, so no need for a fleece and hat. We caught the bus that crosses the Friendship Bridge from Nong Khai (Thailand) into Laos (Vientiane). It was a 90-minute ride, but we spent about 15-20 minutes getting out of the bus and dealing with immigration. We arrived in Vientiane at around 7PM and took the first available room (cr...