Laos Now

The little MA 60 turboprop got us to Wattay Airport, Vientiane and dropped us on the tarmack about 100 yds. from the airport. A brief brush with Laos officialdom and $35. (it cost the Indian woman $40 and the Swede $31) and I had my visa. The taxi ($6 American) dropped me at the guest house I stayed in five years ago. Gone from next door is the resturant with fish swimming in tanks for customers choosing, and in it's place, stands a bookstore, which I hope is a good sign about the situation of Laos. I was assigned the same room I had last time.
I wandered the two blocks down to the Mekong and discovered that there is still spandex on the Mekong. There under the fluroscent lights the women still do aerobics. The river is very low, a sand bar reachs about a mile and with just a small ribbon of water on the Thai side. My dreams of having a Beer Lao and watching the sun set over the Mekong were squelched by the clouds.
Going from Bkk to Vientienne is liking going from a buzz saw to a feather duster. Bkk is city of some 10 million or more and Vientienne is about one hundred thousand. Natives here are greatly amused by foreigners who spend great sums of money to get here then rush about while the locals practice the fine art of going slowly and savoring the moment.
Now I'm going to wander out and find myself some dinner....probably on the banks of the Mekong.
One random thought; Do European farmers pitch manure with their forks upside down?