We’ve settled into Luang Prabang for the next few days, a beautifully small yet rich city. It’s a mix of temples and colonial French architecture. On one hand, the night market has a wonderful buffet of tasty Lao food and dark, rich, Lao coffee can be had for less than a dollar, while on the other you can have croissants worthy of Paris. The backpacker culture has a big presence here; we spent the evening reclining on a couch chatting with The Blythe Spirit and some new friends in a backpacker bar which has a drink whose description includes Burning Man (it involves a tiny fresh red chili pepper). All bars on the peninsula close down at 11:30 in order to “preserve local values and customs.” Seems like a good arrangement.

We’re heading to some nearby waterfalls today (Saturday) for a day of hiking and swimming. After dashing north, settling into a pleasant city for a few days seems wonderful. When we want to move on, our next step with be Ko Tau, in the south of Thailand, for some diving.

— The Professor