We made a mad dash to the Thai/Lao border last night aboard the #69 Express Train. We had the night sleeper car which took us from Bangkok to Nong Khai (eventually over to Vientiane, Laos). It was a nice night of sleep, followed by a 4 hour bus ride to Vang Viang. One of us really enjoyed the ride, while another one thought it was a little rough. We checked into a nice guesthouse with a western toilet and hot shower. Polish is doing well, but most definitely has some room to get better.