Hurts so good

I was told that the road from Pakxan to Vientiane was boring. It was long, but not boring.
I stayed one extra day in Pakxan, because when I woke up, I felt every single kilometer of the 300 I did to get there.
The road was gorgeous. Mostly hugging the river, and when it cut into the jungle you could see the tops of temples and once a giant golden Buddha set into a cliff carved from the mountain. Bridges cross rivers that snake through the jungle. It is a different green than Vietnam, darker, richer.
I stayed in Thabok, about 50km from Paxan, and it was a charming little village. My guesthouse landlady spoke English well, and her daughter went to the market for me and got meat balls and veggies. Laos is often so quiet you remember just how noisy nature can be. Geckos laughing for a sweetheart, crickets singing, a symphony of various insects and lizards, and other unidentified thingies. I still slept good. It was cloudy when I woke up, a good sign (although I prefer sunny in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon-- the heat here weighs )
I set off in good time - Vientiane is only90 km. Despite the day of rest, and a "short" day, it seemed as if the kilometers were stretched out. Then it rained. Hard. The water felt bruising, and there was nowhere for me to stop. I could barely see the road. Oh when I finally find a little drinks stand, you want to know what happens. Of course the rain stops. After I got soaked.
Well, I finally made it to Vientiane, tired & hungry. I found a nice enough hotel, and took a shower, got dinner, had a banana shake, and found the Internet. Tomorrow I will get laundry done, look for a bookstore, and hang out a bit.
The next day, I go to Thailand.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.