Hello all! Since my last post we Sailers have spent a week in Khon Khaen, Thailand at the 3rd International Lao Studies Conference. This was such an important event because I finally found a venue where scholars of Laos were not the minority, or the exception. To me this is what a conference is all about! My personal highlights were the panels on Lao history and 16th century religion. The one problem with the conference was… there were too many great panels at one time! But of course, this is a problem that we want.

After this we happily returned to Vientiane – it was good to be back. I returned to my second week of studying the Tham script at the National Library. I also began learning to play the Khene, a Lao instrument which is slightly similar to a European Accordion. I am learning this much slower, but I did happen to see Dr. Gregory Green drop by to show me what good study yields! Seeing him and Aachaan Tong Suey in a Khene jam session convinced me that this is great music and a great instrument.

For the weekend Toby, Phouthasack, Natalie and I went to Luang Prabang. This place is jaw-dropping gorgeous if you can avoid the back-packers. The mountains of Northern Laos cover the landscape except for the little valley in which this royal city is nestled. We only had two days, but we made the most of them, visiting the old Royal Palace (now a “museum”), Mt. Phu Si which offered a view of the entire city, and Wat Xieng Thong which is the most beautiful wat I have seen in Laos. We also found time to take a boat ride to the incredible Ting caves which house a number of Buddhist statues and shrines. All in all it was a great trip!