...and once over the border we felt better immediately. You could just feel the change of vibe. Instead of people holding out their hands or signalling us to hand them cigarettes, as they had in VietNam, people were shyly offering us free baguettes (Laos had been part of the French colony of Indochina too). Such nice people, timid and sweet. When I told a girl I liked her tshirt, she doubled over to cover her shirt, giggling. Another time, a young man shyly joined me for stargazing.