4000 Islands to Laos Capital

In case you were wondering, Vientiene is the capital of Laos.  It is a big city, hot and busy.  Much less English spoken here, including within the tourist industry.   But very much French influenced with good bread, pastries etc.

I put the Lao economy about 10 years ahead of Cambodia due to the 10 years of the Kumar Rouge atrocities in Cambodia during the 80s.

Lots of building going on here, both governmental and private/commercial.

For the last few days our hotels ($15 to $25) a night have had cable TV with CNN, CNBC, BBC World, and usually several Asian news channels such as China, Japan, Australia and Singapore.  The Brussel airport attack is now on most of the time and from this distance it seems a different world.  Somehow this allows for a more skeptical view of the commentary than usual.  (Maybe because I don't have these outlets at home has some influence too.)

I believe I have finished my CFP training course....just waiting for the final grading until registering for it in July.  Wi-Fi is pretty much everywhere but often slow.

I've also been working on adjusting to the fact that the NYSE opens at 8:30PM my time, is closed by the time I wake up and emails tend to come at night, not during the day.

Next is another overnight bus (sleeper) with hopefully a 5'5" flat space as a bed.  Not recommended for anyone taller than me or Denyse.

International buses

Comments

Unknown said…
Congratulations on your CFP!

The attack on Brussels dominates the news cycles here too.

Travel safely, or just retire in that little hippie village... :-)
March 25, 2016 at 7:13 AM
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