Kip to my lou

We arrived at the border crossing at 4:30 am, only to wait for a couple hours before the crossing opens at 6.  I took this opportunity to bask in fresh clean air. This was seriously one of the most wonderful things I have experienced in a while. A cool crisp feeling on my body and lungs, brought back memories of being back at home again. The countless trees provided me with clean pollution free air, and the travel of 650 km north of Bangkok presented a change in climate. It was relatively cool at 5 in the morning, sitting around 20 degrees, but the air was not nearly as heavy. For the first time outside in almost 6 months, I felt cold outside. Cold is all relative, I wasn’t so much as cold as not hot and sweaty. 

Entry in to Laos was the easiest experience I have ever had. The company responsible for helping with our visa run (www.thaiviasrun.com) took care of nearly everything for us. We literally just walked into the country and took a van to our hotel. After a quick breakfast of eggs, rice and some miscellaneous foods I chose not to try, we headed to the Thai consulate to take care of the visas. This was quite possibly the simplest experience ever. We literally walked into the building and walked out.

For the rest of the day Charles ( my new French friend) and I toured around Vientiane. We found a place that served 3L of beer for 65000 kip which is approximately $8.00. During these adventures, I participate in my first tuk tuk ride and also got to see the night market of Laos. 

All and all the trip was short and sweet. I had the opportunity to see part of another country, although certainly not enough to gain a full appreciation of its beauty. Also bonus is I have another stamp/visa in my passport. Enjoy a few of the pictures. I have a super fun update coming from Songkran.