2011, DEC 22: YANGON TO LAOS

We had wonderful breakfast at our Traders Hotel. There was a wide variety of breakfast items to choose from, including made-to-order waffles, South Indian dosas, and omelets. The staff was polite and attentive. We made it a point to write a note of compliments to the dosa-cook, and our server, and as well as to thank the manager.

Today we had planned to depart for Vientiane, Laos. Since our flight was not scheduled until 4:50 p.m., we decided to spent rest of the morning exploring a nearby market.

After lunch Dorathy came to escort us to the Airport. Our driver this morning was a feisty young man who preferred spirited and impulsive action to deliberation and following directions.

As he was coming to pick us up, he missed the hotel entrance. Ignoring signals by the hotel staff to direct him to a short-cut, and he spent 20 minutes to go around the block.

Then on the way, he ran into to another vehicle. After lengthy negotiation with the other driver, Dorathy helped him to settle the dispute. She had to borrow some money from us for this purpose.

At the Airport we discovered that our Bangkok Air flight had been delayed. We used the extra time to get acquainted with some of the fellow passengers.

We met a young from Brussels (Belgium), who regularly visits Ahmadabad (Gujarat state of India) for the music festival, which is held there every year.

We met a couple who had once bicycled in the Himalayas and to Agra, and an elderly couple who visit India every year.

Our most interesting meeting was with an American man. He teaches English at a school in the Mandalay area. But to renew his Myanmar visa, every year he is required to leave the country, at least for 24 hours. Hhe complained, this condition imposed an unnecessary financial burden on him.

The 4:50 p.m. flight did not depart until 6:10 p.m. When we reached Bangkok, our 7:55 p.m. Thai Air flight for Vientiane had already left.

Since the next flight was not scheduled to leave until 11:45 a.m., next day, the Bangkok Air staff had to put us up the Airport Hotel.