Tried the old legs out on a bike instead of the ground as usual. It went great! Got out of the downtown area. Riding on the left is weird!! I walked my bike across the street a lot lol. The traffic patterns don’t make sense to me here yet. I’m sure I’d get used to it eventually.

Went to a private museum,  a park, some temples, and monuments. Had a nice lunch and a spectacular nap later. The town isn’t that big tbh. So I saw a lot of it. 

I think this little area is growing on me. The people are just so normal. The business of separating you from your money is just getting going. So you can still pay what the locals pay if you’re careful.

You could live here pretty cheaply long term. You’d basically get a dorm bed in a hostel and just live there. For 250 a month, you’d get a bed, electricity,  hot showers, free wifi, and a small kitchen to share.

Not that I’ve thought about it or anything.

More nothing to do tomorrow. There’s a beach of some kind nearby that I may check out.

Goodnight!

And it was just what the doctor ordered. 

I got some laundry done, took a couple of walks, ate noodle soup three times, saw 2 temples.

I didn’t really mean to eat soup three times today, it’s just that soup is what’s easy, fast, and cheap. I’m trying to resist pad thai. The locals don’t eat it, so I’m not going to. Darn stuff is delicious, though!

I don’t think I saw one cop in Laos, ever. Here in Thailand, so many. I’m guessing law and order are important here. A traffic sting was going on today. They got a lot of scooter riders. No helmets, it looked like.

The main temple I saw today was wonderful. No tour buses, and I was the only foreigner there. Heaven! I’m glad it was a Sunday. The town was quiet today.

That’s all I can report. Tomorrow should be just as exciting.

Hope the superb owl goes well for all you football fans!

Uneventful day, mostly.

Only excitement was a visit to a local textile studio and shop.

Lao Textiles is an outfit run by an artist named Carol Cassidy. She came to Laos years ago to run her own textile shop. She’s since become world famous. The shop pays living wages to its employees, and every single thing is hand woven here in Laos. Kind of a fair-trade type of thing.  Everything was so beautiful. Her husband gave me a tour of the weaving area, and I got to meet Carol herself. She’s interesting and passionate about weaving! Very neat experience.

The rest of the day involved me sitting, waiting in airports.

For dinner, I found the night market and had some kind of chicken leg and noodles dish. It was ok.

I’m thrilled to be in Thailand. I’ve been dreaming of this country for years. So far, the people seem courteous and the weather is delightful. 

Have a great Saturday!

Had a lovely start to the day with some coffee, eggs, and bread. Then off to the countryside to see Xieng Khan, aka Buddha Park.

It’s a concrete sculpture garden 10 miles from town. Really just a tourist attraction,  it’s one of the few things to do in Vientiane…so we went.  It’s a pleasant way to spend an hour. Shady and still cool, we enjoyed wandering and taking pictures.

After a quick visit to the only Catholic Church in Vientiane, a falafel sandwich was lunch. 

My new friend Tamara also likes just chatting and walking, so we did that. Stopping at temples,  getting a cool drink here and there. 

After a short sit-down,  our last stop was the COPE visitor center.

http://copelaos.org/
It’s an organization devoted to helping victims of UXO (unexploded bombs). As part of the Vietnam War,  the US bombed the crap out of Laos. Still to this day, millions of bombs lie active and dangerous. They continue to kill and maim Laotians every year. COPE helps them by de-mining land, making limbs, and providing medical care for all who need it. 

The visitor center had some heartbreaking displays. I had tears in my eyes several times. The shit these folks go through is remarkable. To a man, the statements the patients make is “all I want is to farm again” or “my son can play soccer again”.

Kinda gives you some perspective on what your life has been like compared to others.

A lot to think about. 

A lovely dinner of bun, and I was back to the hostel for an early evening in.

Tomorrow at 2 I fly to Thailand to await the arrival of February 10th and Crystal D.  I’ll have the honor of accompanying her on her vacation, and she’ll help me bring a close to this amazing trip. 

Come on, Thailand!!
Goodnight my friends