So there we where, back on the VIP bus heading down south towards Vientiane, the capital. This time round however the bus ride didn't induce involuntary body movements and ridiculous motion sickness. After a fairly pleasant four hours we were dropped off somewhere in the centre of the city, not too far from some hotels and the very pleasant river front were most of the bars, cafes, bakeries and restaurants are found. Vientiane has a fairly soft pace about it and you can literally eat your way around the world here. French bakeries, Belgian chocolate and Italian cuisine are easy to come by.

After a short walk and popping our heads into a few hotels, our rooms division manager made her decision and booked a room. What a brilliant decision it was. The room was kitted out with a shower that actually released enough water to wet the entire body in under 10 minutes plus it had a curtain!! The toilet flushed and the towels had never been used before. Sheer luxury. We were both suffering from severe hunger so we headed out and found a cafe to have lunch at. We must confess that two weeks of noodles, soy sauce and stir fried chicken came to a head and we both felt like something solid. There's something really special about homemade mayonnaise, hand cut chips, burgers and cold Laos beer. For those ten minutes we were silent and completely transfixed by the food. Unreal!

After lunch we took a stroll along the "promenade" then decided to walk down towards the Mekong which meant crossing the 500 or so metres of sandy floodplain. The river had left large areas of mud which caked the bottom of our shoes. Kate didn't want her shoes to get dirty so she ended up looking like a penguin walking over hot coals. It felt so strange marching across the Barron floodplain and looking back at the high rise buildings of Vientiane. I must say that it felt a bit like walking along the beach in Maputo (capital of Mozambique for our Aussie mates). On our return from the river we walked back onto the promenade and where stopped by some young school girls who very politely asked if they could interview Kate. They where practicing their English and wanted to test it out on us. At first the interviewer was a bit nervous but she soon got into the swing of things and fired questions at Kate about were she was from and how we where enjoying Laos. I was of course on the sideline taking pictures and enjoying Kate's occasional blushing.

That night we walked to the night market and bumped into our German friends. After a short chat we decided to have dinner together the following evening and they went on their way. About ten minutes after we had said goodbye to them we where looking at some clothes when all hell broke loose! People started screaming and running everywhere. I got such a fright because by their reactions there was a bloody fresh water tsunami coming or maybe the military had just rolled into town? I grabbed hold of Kate's arm, completely frozen in the moment. Then the penny dropped! Soft rain started to fall and about five seconds later the heavens opened up and the entire Mekong was poured down onto this little market. Confirm the locals hate rain! The relief made us both laugh. We took cover under one of the stalls and helped the shop owner bring her goods in under cover. Note to self- next time Locals frantically run wild, just chill out. On our way home we stopped at a little cafe and had some braised pork and prawn soup then got a good nights sleep at "The Ritz".

The next morning we had a bacon, cheese, egg and mayonnaise bagel with a very foamy capuchino then headed towards the 'champs élysées' of Vientiane. A full on replica stretching for a good few kilometres and even boasts a arch at the end which is build with a Laos flavour. The arch is nicknamed "the vertical runway" as the concrete was donated by the Americans to build a new runway. Cheeky but attractive. After paying for the tickets we climbed the many stairs and had a great view over the rapidly growing city. Apparently there are big plans in motion to expand Vientiane. One could definitely see this from all the cranes obscuring the skyline. After the arch we took some photographs of the presidential buildings and headed back to our part of town for lunch which consisted of fried cuttlefish and spring rolls. Our friends then came around to our hotel at about seven and we all headed out to look for a place to have dinner. Salt baked fish, Laos soup, steamed vegetables and green papaya salad went down a treat and marked the end of a super chilled day. We said farewell to our friends as they were traveling back into Thailand the following day. We really wished we could of spent more time with them, but unfortunately we parted ways and wished them on their way. Hopefully we'll see them in Cape Town!

The next morning we were on a tuk tuk and off to the airport. Our flight to Hanoi departs in the early afternoon so with passports in hand we crossed security and boarded. We'd been told by travellers coming the other way that Vietnam is way more " in your face", than Laos, so we'll see what happens.

All in all we treated our time in Vientiane as a bit of a chill out and didn't go too crazy trying to see and experience Everything. However this is a city which has embraced the outside world and is on the fast track to becoming the next Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. If you want to experience Laos travel here soon as the main railway connecting Laos to China will be finished within the next few years. Then the rough diamond will be polished. Same same my friends..........