Vientiane

The 10:30 am bus from Korat to Nongkai was full. So we walked over to find the other bus company that had a bus at 11:30am. (They start in Bangkok and you can't reserve in Korat unless you buy a seat from Bangkok. These are the VIP fast, well airconditioned busses.) Anyway, where we asked, the pushed us on a bus that was leaving right then (9:30am). In Udontani, they pulled us off and got us another ticket (no extra cost) and we waited 45 minutes for the bus to Nongkai. We met an American from LA who lives in Nongkai and has the Black Canyon Coffee franchise in North eastern Thailand. He told us where to get off the bus to get to the bridge where you leave Thailand and enter Laos and suggested the Inter Hotel. Things went pretty smoothly and the hotel room is great - it is a very nicely refurbished old building across the street from the Mekong River. Not sure if I'll be able to get pictures us while I'm in Laos. This computer isn't cooperating at all. I have a great, if short, video of a Great Hornbill, but that will have to wait a bit.