An extra day

I got up at 8 and went to the Vietnamese embassy to get my visa. I hoped there wouldn't be any problems and there wasn't. I'm not sure if dressing smartly had anything to do with getting my visa though. When I got to the office there were 5 young backpackers there with shorts, flipflops,unshaven, messy hair with their backpacks strewn all over the floor of the small office. I guess they didn't care or read about appearances being important. I have seen much disrespect for Lao values on my trip. The guidebook clearly states, as does some signs I saw around the tubing office in Vangvieng, that it's not cool to walk around town shirtless or in a bikini. Locals don't do this and expect the same in return. Many people choose to ignore this and walked around wearing whatever they pleased. I can understand this a little better in a party town like Vangvieng that gets a lot of tourists but was more surprised when I saw it in Vientiane. My second day there I was walking around and saw some tourist walking around shirtless. Sure, the weather is warm but it's not stifling and a shirt isn't that much of a hindrance. It made me mad to see this and I was this close to saying ' Have some f#%@ing respect and put on a shirt!' This is the capital city and not some beach town! I regretfully kept my mouth shut. Locals disapprove quietly and would never say anything to a tourist.

I got my visa with no problems. Visa in hand I was done my errands in Vientiane. I walked to Thip's hotel. We hung out for the rest of the day.