Had breakfast (yet another restaurant with “Friends”), then a shower (maybe the best shower I’ve had in four months) . After the shower I inquired about buses to Vientiane, and was told I’d have to wait till 1:30pm. Figuring I might have better luck at the bus station, I grabbed my stuff (much easier now that I am travelling light) and walked five minutes to the bus station.
Found a minibus that was headed to Vientiane in 5 minutes, so I opted for that one, and before I could get the change for my ticket, the bus arrived. Met three people on the bus, John, Zarko, and Joanne.
In Vientiane, John said he had some friend’s staying at Joe’s Guesthouse, which was conveniently located across from where we were dropped off. John and I decided to share a room, and cut down on costs. I had a bunch of stuff I hoped to get done before the weekend, so my first stop was the Cambodian Embassy. When I got there, it was closed, so I had to wait about an hour for them to return after lunch. When they reopened they told me they weren’t issuing Visas in the afternoon, so I’d have to wait till Monday. Joy.
Next stop was the Australian Embassy, which caters to Canadian traveller’s too. I wanted them to make sure my Police Report was on the up and up, but there wasn’t much they could do. He told me I’d have to visit the Laos Tourism Police for a Loss Claim, and pointed me on my way.
By the time I got to the Laos Tourism Police, they were closing for the day, and shut down over the weekend. Quite convenient. At least I know I’ll be staying here until Monday.
Met up with John, Zarko, and Joanne, plus John’s friends: Jazz, Emma, Mary and Kate. I was the only non-Brit in attendance, but I think I managed okay. We headed out for dinner, but the place we’d chosen was pretty pricey, so we opted for a drink only. We were joined by Jed, an American from Duluth, who knew Kate and Mary. Eventually we headed to a nice Italian restaurant, as everyone was in the mood for western food. I had some pasta, which was pretty good, plus some garlic bread and a slice of pizza.
We headed to a Mexican bar that had some live band karaoke. Kate had some pretty good chops, and sung a few tunes. Everything closes early in Laos, so we were all back to the guesthouse by 11:30.