Vientiane

I write to report a few lovely days. Judith and I did the tourist sights circuit in about 5 hours on our bicycles on the first day. Colourful Wats were explored, sunset was watched, stories were exchanged over beer Laos and we bumped into Andy, a Canadian traveller who I had met previously in Nong Khai. I will be heading to Vang Vien tomorrow and then on to Luang Prabang. I have been taking it very easy, chilling out by the river while having my first Laos coffee which has the consistency of cocoa and packs a pretty big caffeine punch. Judith headed back to Thailand and I wandered around the town on my bike. I had a quick look in the museum at some dinosaur bones that were found nearby. I also read about Laos history in my new Lonely Planet Guide Book (thank you Judith) – it sounds as though they have been pillaged by French, Siamese and Chinese, Americans and English and I don’t think they trust their own politicians much either which is why there was unrest here as recently as 2003. I plan some early nights and a longish bus journey tomorrow assuming the laundry comes back in time. x