Laos

Sorry these posts are so few and far between. Surprisingly, things got quite busy for a while. There were mid-term papers, followed by our amazing trip to Laos, then final exams, a whirl-wind trip to the States, the return to Thailand, and the start of the new semester. (This semester started like the first semester, with about 6 hours of class a day. Fortunately, that schedule only lasted 3 weeks, but it was an all-consuming three weeks)

Anyway, Luang Prabang, Laos . . . 

We went to meet Genla's dear, dear student David, his wife Jan, and their wonderful friend Maggi as they journeyed through South East Asia. We stayed in charming bungalows which overlooked a tributary of the Mekong, ate great food, saw beautiful temples and even found time for us all to get some work done. Genla and David worked several hours a day on a translation project, Kyle made headway in his own translation project, and I prepared for exams. When it was all said and done, we were very sad indeed to leave our idyllic life and the utterly charming Luang Phrabang. And I won't lie, I spent some time researching living in Luang Prabang once we got back to Thailand. Really though, we just want to live at the hotel where we stayed!

As a U.N. World Heritage City,  Luang Prabang's French colonial architecture  is well maintained. It has everything a Westerner would want: baguettes, hamburgers, yogurt, pancakes and CNN. Not to mention silk scarves, sticky rice, rich curries, and barbeque buffalo (which is amazingly tender and succulent) - and of course, the most elegant and beautiful temples we've seen thus far.

Here's some pictures:

The fantastic Jan and David

Our bungalows
 (this is what we wish our house in Thailand looked like, well manicured gardens and all!)

Tributary of the Mekong 

Genla on the (completely frightening) foot bridge leading from the main part of town to our hotel

Trip up the Mekong River to ancient Buddha Caves, accessible only by boat

Inside the one of the Buddha Caves

View from the steep hike up to one of the caves

"Asaras" 
half goddess, half bird dieties that Kyle is particularly fond of - here painted on temples walls.
As far as we know, they are unique to Thailand. 

Genla listening to monks chant Pāli Scriptures