Early breakfast pending our flight, bags packed, secured with cable ties and locks.

10.15am our driver arrives, dapper looking chap, good English and we find out later he’s also an air traffic controller. His new Kia wagon gets us to the airport quietly and smoothly, 200,000 kip ($14) is money well spent.

We’re checked in, stamped out of Laos and Dave’s at the bar in no time, sampling a last BearLao. For a while anyway. We’re alerted to a pa system call for ” Mr Alan David Robson, please come to the information desk” – Dave heads off with his passport and boarding pass, not sure what the issue is? I have visions of my episode in Thailand last year when I got hauled in because I had an empty 9mm shell casing in the pocket of a pair dirty shorts. Dave doesn’t do guns so it can’t be that!!!! In fact, he left his Ipad in his checked in bag, rooky error, so he has to fix his “blue” and re secure his bag. Crisis averted.

Bangkok’s industrial spread and the scale of industry is a contrast to Laos, a country struggling to find a way to give people a better life. At the moment China seems to be seen as part of the answer.

Bangkok becomes “pick on Pauolo” time, my backpack is run through security a few times, I have to explain little metal Buddha, and why I have two cameras. We get  checked again getting into our gate for the flight to Sydney, which took us a little while to find in the  behemoth thats Suvirbahmi airport. I’m guessing yesterdays madness at Bondi Beach has put the world on watch security wise. Extremist behaviour by any religion is intolerable.

We leave on dusk, Sydney next stop.

As usual, an overnight flight means no or little sleep.

Ciao from Lao and Thailand – tomorrow we’re home.

Pauolo