I just returned from my visa trip to Laos on Thursday and I have many things to talk about from my trip, it was quite a tiring return journey and I was exhausted yesterday, so I just feel refreshed enough to write on here today. I did a lot of walking in Vientiane and the skin on my amputated leg started to chafe against the prosthesis again, so I had to limit my walks and rest a lot of the time.

Going to a country that you have never been to before is an experience in itself, but also being legless in that new country it was quite a learning curve for me. I learned about the border crossing and visa requirements going into Laos from Thailand, applying for a new Thai visa and the location of the Thai Embassy in Vientiane. I also had to quickly learn about the currency, which at 280 Laos Kip to one Thai Baht, that is about 17,000 kip to one pound sterling and takes a lot of getting used to, but I learned a quick way to approximately convert it in my head out of basic necessity. The language was not too difficult because it is basically Thai and the people in general are very warm, friendly, helpful and understanding.

I have decided to create a new webpage on my website about my trip to Laos, because there are far too many things to say and explain about Laos just on this blog, so when the new webpage is completed I shall link to it from this blog so that anyone interested can take a look at it. I shall probably entitle it in my usual amputee/legless style now, like: Legless in Laos, Legless in the Orient, Legless in the Far East, Legless venture to Vientiane, or something similar.

Overall though, it was a very interesting trip and the country and people made a very good impression upon me, I am just sorry that I don't own a camera, digital or otherwise, so that I could share some of the sights with you on here. Laos to me is like the old-fashioned Far East / Orient that I was first attracted to and that made a very pleasant and lasting impression upon me more than thirty years ago. The country is steeped in culture and the people are very pleasant, friendly and interesting in their own natural way, these are some of the attractive qualities that many other Far Eastern countries lost a very long time ago, in their futile attempt to appear developed to the rest of the world.

Well that is all for now, I shall have to keep working on my new Laos webpage now and I shall let you know as soon as it is finished.

Cheers for now, Legless back from Vientiane