Im in Lao PDR (Please Dont Rush) at the moment and am falling asleep standing up……..

I thought Cha-am was quiet but this place is another world – hard to believe Vientiane is a capital city.

Of course I have been coming here for years but mostly to work.  So I never got the chance to wander around the streets and markets and get the real vibe of the city.  Man, its a great place for people who just want to get away from it all.

Anyway, I went to the Thai embassy yesterday and I am going to collect my Tourist Visa later this afternoon.  There shouldnt be any problem at all…… but gain, you just never know the way things are going  now in Thailand.  I met a few people at the Embassy who are having serious problems – and most of these have been living in Thailand for yeard and are even married to Thai nationals!

If all goes well I should be back in Cha-am on the Wednesday evening – dont think I will make it in time for the 2nd leg of the pool competition.  But we are so far ahead from the first let that I dont think it really matters at all.

Also, I had my first experience of the new Airport in Bangkok.  Firstly, what a stupid name.  Its almost impossible to pronounce and the final vowel is silent in Thai but most English speakers wont know this.  So there will be even more confusion with Taxi drivers.  

I decided to drive there myself this time and to follow the signposts.  Well, they had plenty of signs for “straight” but when it came to turning left and right they must have run out of money.  Disaster.

Then I arrived at the Long Term Parking and it wasnt prooperly opened yet.  Still no tickets…. no shading and no signposts in English – at all!

 Then I got the bus to the terminal and again this was pure pot luck that I got there.  There was no announcements in english or any signs in English.  I just hopped out when I saw a big building.  Otehrwise I could have been going around in circles for ages!

Then there was the food.  Cause my flight was delayed for 2 hours and I cam 3 hours ahead – cause I didnt know what to expect!  The food was crap and expensive.  I real rip-off.

Then there were not enough seats.  And the lack of toilets – we all heard about this – but the fact that they build a toilet and put only one urinal in there is beyond me!  One urinal.  Is there any public toilet anywwhere else in teh world that has only 1 urinal.

ANyway, I made it through and am surviving so far in Laos.

This week there are some big games for United – Celtic and Chelsea.  If they win both then it sets up the season nicely!

fingers crossed.

More from me on my return to the Land of Smiles

www.geroreilly.com