Day started too early and too painful. Not sure if it was the Laos whisky, the soft pillows, the hard bed, the dehydration of flying, the change of routine, but I was awake before 5am with a headache that has buzzed me all day. Hotel breakfast was surprisingly pretty good: fruit, chicken noodle soup, good bread, and strong coffee from an italian stove press. From there we took a wander over to the big Wat (Wat Xiengthong) which was pretty, full of shiny things and spiky trees. Then it was a stroll along the Mekong, which is certainly a big arse powerful river that puts any Australian creeks to shame.…