The plan for today was to reach Plain of Jars. However, when I reached the turn to the road that I planned to take and rode a few kilometers on that road it changed to a dirt road and what I had in front of me wasn’t looking too good at all. What I was looking at was mountains (which was great as I’ve been really looking forward to ride in hilly/mountainious country) and above them clouds as black as they can get. The road was bit slippery already so I decided to turn back and ride around on Highway 13 to Vientiene rather than risking 200 kilometers of muddy hell. Not only this but also the fact that my new friends were supposed to arrive into Vientiene today morning were among the reasons I opted for the paved detour.

In Vientiene I first visited tourist information where I jotted down a few of the cheapest guesthouses in the city. I need one for myself and the guys would surely be in a cheap guesthouse as well so I might find them. I was roaming the streets for over 2 hours and only found two of the about 12 guesthouses on my list (Mixay -, N17.96388 E102.60512 [I stayed there], Laosakon - N17.96487 E102.60474) and I didn’t find the guys. Eventually I gave up and took a room for 20000 Kip.

At 7PM I was meeting Richard – a bikie who stopped me on the street earlier today – and his wife for dinner. We checked a few restaurants and as we were waling back to the first and cheapest one I hear “Jello Jello!!!” which somehow become our greeting phrase within the group I spent the few last days with. However, I didn't recognize it  and thought it was somebody wanting to sell us something so I automatically ignored it. In a second my lost friends came running out of the garden restaurant’s gate. I was hoping for some luck to bump into them in the afternoon but I already gave up by now. The more I was happy to see them again.

We had a very nice dinner and I learned a few useful tips & tricks about motorbike parts’ maintenance from Richard. Later that evening I checked out Richard's and Lisa's bike. Richard certainly has it all sorted out I have to say. What I liked most were the additional fuel cans on the sides just behind the front wheel. I was thinking about doing the same thing while I was preparing for the trip, as it would make the bike’s weight distribution much more balanced, but the shortage of time at the end led me to the less useful and less balanced setup I have now.