I am off to Cambodia today, and after talking to a lot of people, I have decided to skip the lower half of Laos. I was going there to see the 4,000 islands area, but this is the dry season, and the water is reportedly very low, thus making the sights significantly more dust than beauty. Oh, and the 24 hour plus bus ride deterred me a little as well.
So I jump on a bus back to Bangkok tonight, not because I have any earthly desire to go back there, but because it is the fastest, most comfortable way to get to Cambodia (I am thinking about flying from Bangkok to Phnom Phen to save time and my backside) I also have to arrange my China visa, and possibly my India one as well. Three days max in Bangkok, then I am out of there again.
In Cambodia, I am looking forward to Ankor Wat, and as demented as it may sound, I am also interested in seeing the Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge.
Oh, I am also going to be buying a new camera lens in Bangkok, because it is a very cheap place to do so, and I really need a decent lens for Everest. I want to be able to start getting some good people shots without having to be literally up their nose.
I was recently told about cheap flights from India to Egypt, and am thinking about that possibility.