Intouch Guesthouse, Vientiane, Day 1

Today's job is to leave Thailand and enter Laos. In the final day of our visa, we have certainly made it exciting. We are up early, planning to change Thai baht into dollars so we can pay for our visa at the border. We make the long walk we made into town last night (it's not as spooky in the light of day) and walk around the banks. We stop on the way at a photo shop to get some passport photos, and she ends up buying loads by accident. The picture that comes out is something that has to be seen to believed, but I am sad to say I feel I will be the only person to get to see them. Amy looks like a scary dinner lady from the 1950s, with her bobble hidden behind her head, giving her a kind of perm.
After we have gotten over the photos, we find a bank and get our dollars. Our only problem now is how to get to the border. The initial thought when coming here was that it was so close to the border it would be easy, but the 20 or 30km between us and Nong Khai (the border) seems a long way right now. Our bags are still in our hotel room, so we head back to get them and then plan on maybe heading back to the airport where we know a minibus goes every so often to the border. We are starting to get nervous, but then a tuk tuk driver offers a lift for free to our hotel. This is odd and we immediately think it's some sort of scam, but he insists he is going home and we are on his way.
He drops us off and doesn't expect money, and we decide he may be the key to our problems. After a brief questioning, he tells us he will take us to the bus station and point us to the right bus. We excitedly run to our hotel room and grab our bags. The non existent hotel owner is still AWOL, so we leave the key in the door and jump in the tuk tuk.
Quarter of an hour later and we are at the bus station. Several people try to help, one woman keeps pushing us towards a counter that we know isn't the right one. When she turns away we make a days for the correct direction, and are pointed towards a packed mini van. We jump in and set off for the border. It's not a long journey, but it is very cramped, with more people then seats inside the small van.
The border is a relief, and we feel the weight of the expiring visas in our pockets lift as we check out of Thailand. A very excited man talks to us about England as we fill in our departure cards, before departing with a double handshake to me and Amy. It is easy to expect everything to be a scam out here, but most people are really genuinely lovely. As we get our final stamp to say we have left, we wander up to the usually stern looking guards on the desk. Instead of stern though, this guard is watching comedy on his computer, and laughing away to himself while gleefully stamping passports without a second look! We walk away from the Thai border laughing at the jolly guard and board another bus to make our way over the friendship bridge and into Laos.
It is very sad to be leaving Thailand, where we have spent two months in some amazing places, but sadness fades away and is replaced by excitement as we cross the bridge and the Thai flags change to Laos.
The Laos border is a pretty easy one, and after filling in the standard form found at most borders, we have a lovely new stamp in our passport and are in this new country. We find a minibus that seems expensive, but we're not too bothered as we just want to reach our hotel. It ends up being a good choice as the driver gives us lots of information about Laos, and especially Vientiane, the capital.
We arrive at our hotel and immediately get some food, before taking a short nap. Our hotel is right on the Mekong, and we head there when we wake to watch the Sun set. A huge exercise session is going on behind us as the music pounds out energetic songs. Laos looks fun. We stumble upon a huge market that is selling good stuff for mere pounds. Amy is in her element, and spends around an hour wandering the stalls wide eyed and eager to come back tomorrow when we have taken some money out.
We decide to get some food and end up at an Indian near our hotel. We both get a mix of currys and they are all amazing. Beer is back to cheap prices here as well, which is all welcome. When we finally end up back in the room, we are delighted to have ended our long 3 days of travelling, and reached our destination. We can't wait to explore Vientiane more tomorrow, and learn more about the culture and people of Laos. It's going to be a good month!Read more