Laos is looking good, if wet. I’m now in Vang Vieng, my third time here and, despite the rainy afternoons, it’s been a very pleasant day–quiet, peaceful, relaxing. We sat along the banks of the Nam Song river this afternoon, watching tubers and kayakers floating through. Though the river is quite high, many people are making the enjoyable from the put-in point to Vang Vieng. I’m here with Nai and his sister Nui, and two of his friends, Suwon and Noh. We’re heading back to Vientiane tomorrow, and afterwards, who knows where I’ll be? The trip to Singapore is still on and various locations in Thailand are still a go, including Bangkok, Phuket and another island, yet to be determined. I’ll probably hang around Vientiane for another 10 days, before leaving for Thailand.

As I stated, the afternoons are rainy, with heavy downpours about the same time every day, around 2 or 3 in the afternoon (though today was an exception). Along with the normally high humidity, it seems that nothing ever really dries out. When the sun is out, in the morning, that is the time to dehumidify, so to speak. Still, it is not overly hot and not as unpleasant as it might sound.

Vang Vieng is really undergoing some busy construction, with new guesthouses, hotels and restaurants going up ’round the clock, so it seems. It’s a far cry from even a few short years ago when it seemed much more sleepy and laid back. It would be a good place, perhaps, to start a new business. (Ding, ding, ding, as bells go off and alarms ring in my head–bowling alley, American restaurant, laid-back bar???? I’ll have to save up some more money before I think too much along those lines.)

No photos this time around, but I hope to post some more as I go along. Keep tuned. More later.