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 (cracked toilet, holes in sheets, mosquitoes everywhere, no air-con…but cheap, cheap, cheap).

We grabbed dinner at a local restaurant known for its thinly sliced raw beef that one cooks in coconut milk on hotplates right at the table. Sort of like Lao fondue, replete with a variety of sauces. The food was pretty good, but Bev's feet were getting devoured by mosquitoes, so I gave her my shoes, and I ate dinner in my socks.

The mosquitoes weren't the only visitors for dinner, however. About halfway through the meal, roaches started peeking out from cracks in the table. And then they peeked out of crevices in the hotplate.

And then a Godzilla-like beast walked right by my foot, stood up on its hind legs, and shouted, "Whatchoo gonna do?" What was our response? We kept eating. Killed one or two along the way, but mostly, we had a "you leave us alone, we'll leave you alone" policy. Needless to say, on this trip we have significantly adjusted our expectations regarding restaurant and food hygiene.

We decided to get back to the guest house, try to get a good night's sleep, and get up early the next morning to find a better place to stay. Wish us luck!

Love,

Bev and Sean