Merry Christmas from Vientiane, Laos

Hey everyone! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'm in Vientiane, Laos on a Visa renewal right now. I got here Christmas morning, but remember I'm 14 hours ahead. Hope you're doing well. I'm going to try keep this post short. It will be out of order. I'm putting the Laos stuff (today) first and everything else that happened in the past couple weeks after.

Found an Xmas tree, a rare siting haha

With a tourist Visa, you need to leave Thailand every 2 months (or 3 if you pay for an optional extension). Kind of a hassle, but at least I get to see a new place and say I went to Laos haha.

I took a bus from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani. Then a shuttle from Udon Thani to Nong Khai. From there you exit Thailand, and take a bus 1km across the Mekong River over a bridge into Laos. Then you get a Visa on Arrival for Laos and take a shared taxi to the city of Vientiane. On Tuesday I'll get another Thai tourist Visa from the embassy here in Vientiane, Laos. Then I'll basically need to do all those steps in reverse to get back to Chiang Mai. That tourist Visa will last me 2 months before I fly back to California at the end of February.

Exiting Thailand at border

Vientiane, Laos Pictures:

 Cultural hall building

Just been working on my computer a bunch. Watching some movies before going to sleep. Trying a few new restaurants every week. Lifting weights at the park (they have makeshift dumbells made from cement, and free gym type equipment like shoulder presses, pull-up bars, ellipticals, etc.). Riding my bike through traffic. Kind of have a routine going now. Fragmented sentences are fine okay?

The main thing that is new since the last post is I found a meetup of people who play street hockey. I showed up and it was a bunch of Canadians and a few Eastern Europeans (Czech I think). When I asked one of them where he was from he said "Saskatchewa." I said, "What's that?" and he thought that was funny. It was so much fun, but it is such a workout. Even though I've been cycling a decent amount, the high impact of quick sprints and just using new muscles wrecked me. We play on the local futsal court. They have a bunch of sticks, and 2 hockey goals, and even some hockey "boards" made of small metal fencing to keep the ball in play. I've played a couple times since then and its gets more fun each time.

Got my first flat tire on my bike (found a little metal spike in it). Noticed it when I was back at the apartment. I was prepared and had a spare tube that I bought. So, I took the wheel apart, and started putting the tire back on. It was very hard to get the outer tire back on the rim, and I put a small hole in the new tube in the process. So, had to walk to a bike shop to get some patch kits and repair the small holes in the two tubes. Let them dry, and after a few youtube tutorials was able to muscle the tire and fixed tubes over the rim and get the tire back on.

Got a haircut from a Thai barber shop. I asked him if he had any pictures. He pulled up a facebook page, I pointed to one, and told him to go for it. Worked out fine :).

I know how to say hello - Sawasdee Krab, thank you - Kob Khun Krab, and I eat vegan - Pom Gin Jay. It isn't pronounced exactly how it is spelled, but it's something like that.

Random Pics:

Spider almost as big as my hand

 I thought this house was cool. Interesting Architecture. On top of Doi Suthep mountain

New PR on Rubic's Cube

I guess they have a soccer team?

scooter plus side carriage thing for cargo

locals fishing in the river

sunday night market artwork for sale

Food:

made my own rice and 7-eleven has some spicy tofu package stuff that i added to it

 smoothie bowl

vegan khao soi

 this smoothie place has lots of smoothies to choose from

 these watermelons were so heavy on my bike

 this potato curry on rice is so good

 noodle soup with some vegetable shoots and tofu stuff

 Pad thai

 Salad with passion fruit dressing

I didn't use the chopsticks, forks are better (I don't know how to use them)


Throwback video of Cayden on a road trip break on the side of the road (below)