The next morning I was up early about 8am and being wide awake decided to go get some breakfast with my new friend Pon. Didn't really do too much after that until around noon when she told me there was a local hotel where you could pay $2 to use the inground swimming pool for the day and I though it sounded like a great idea. So waited for her to change and grab her moto and off to the pool it was. If it wasn't for the awesome lao father on the other side of the pool teaching his two disabled kids to swim in a screaming lao voice I would have forgotten I was in Lao here. Laid some towels on some chairs for bit and relaxed before grabbing ice cream and then hitting the water. Really great day being able to just jump in and out and not worry about the time. That was a good thing to because it turned into an all day affair not leaving until around 5pm. 

      Rested up in the room a bit and then went out for dinner this time at Le cote'd azur, one a the fancier places in vientiane. Plates are still only $5 though and splurged a little for the night. Put myself in a bit of an awkward spot though because its far from Lao food and I had to order for Pon. Was pretty positive I'd end up eating alone but I ordered 2 spagetti cabanara's and it went over beautifully. Restaurant has a great atmosphere and its a rare thing to be able to get treated by staff like your paying $50 back home when its just $5. 

     After an amazing dinner we headed to the same rooftop bar we were at the night before for a couple drinks and dancing ( well she danced I watched since I can't ) for a couple hours before having too much and heading home to crash. This is what you get when two drunk people try to take a picture :)

      Sleep in past noon and then get food followed by a little relaxing before heading out for the day. Was really starting to like that routine of laziness but still having a full day. Left on the motorbike after eating towards the outskirts of Vientiane proper to stay at Pons place for a bit. Its always crazy driving down the small dirt roads into the communities where people here live. Heads turn in every direction as I pass by on the back of the bike as everyone wonders what the hell this farang is doing well beyond any place tourists go into there backyard. Curious faces soon become smiles though and disarm you immediately. I know I shouldn't have had any preconceived notions of her residence but I was quite shocked at how nice it was. New concrete place with all the amenities. Sat down for a bit and popped in a random DVD which happened to be full of Michael Jackson music videos which was interesting. Young kids from the neighborhood started pouring in and getting into the music. Went walking through the tiny local market nearby soon after to get some water and snacks with all the little guys tagging along. Was quite a spectacle actually. I would say that I wish I had my camera but I know I wouldn't have taken any pictures anyway. Pictures for me are far away where people are part of the scenery not the focus unless asked. Treating kids like zoo animals for great close up pictures I just can't do. Now yesterday on the other hand Im kicking myself in ass for leaving my camera behind and not having it at the pool! 

     Started to head back toward the city around sunset back down the dirt roads and rested up a bit before heading out to eat at a place called Moon The Night. Figured it would be a small riverside place but what I arrived at was the largest gathering of people at on restaurant I'd ever seen. It just didn't compute at all. Like 400 lao people in a 4 storey restaurant with nearly all the tables full. Quite intimidating to walk into but once you sit down you somehow feel at home. Was probably the table of about 25 next to us drinking like fish celebrating something. Never seen lao people get so drunk in my life. The menu here was only in Lao so in a reverse of last night I had to hope whatever she ordered was paleteable for my stomache. Ended up being some great fried rice with seafood and somehow it came within like 10 minutes even with like 400 orders been taking. Stayed for quite a bit just hanging out before heading looking for a watering hole for a few before calling it a night. Found a small pub style place with a local band that capped of the evening nicely.