May 23, Vientiane

Shelly and I are traveling our separate ways today, her pedaling around town on a rented bicycle, me gathering information about tomorrow's 9-hour bus ride to Luang Prabang, getting a visa for Cambodia and getting extra pages added to my passport at the U.S. Embassy (What a monstrosity ... in a city of elegant, crumbling French buildings and old temples, the U.S. Embassy is truly ugly, with big white walls surrounding the compound and few visible windows. However, everyone I interacted with was friendly and helpful, so that's something.)

However, the Embassy messed up my plans. From what I've read, at many U.S. embassies, you can get the extra pages added to your passport in 10 minutes or so. Not here. Despite my requests that it be done on the spot, I was told to come back at 2:00 this afternoon. This is only a big deal because I had hoped to head next to the Embassy of Cambodia to get my visa for next week. (I don't need to get a visa in advance, but the border crossing where I'll be entering is the busiest between Thailand and Cambodia, and long lines are the rule. Since I had some free time today, it seemed like a good thing to do. I may still do it this afternoon, depending on the weather.)

I have done my bus research, will pick up my passport from the Embassy this afternoon, and eventually meet Shelly for more Beerlao and dinner. Otherwise, it's a pretty relaxed day.