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Hey everyone! We are in Eastern Thailand, right across the river from Laos. Mrs. RB40’s mom is from this area and we have a lot of catching up to do with her relatives. Mrs. RB40 moved to the U.S. when she was a baby and she can’t speak Thai at all. I speak Thai fluently so I’m her interpreter while we’re here. It’s a bit exhausting, especially since the Isaan dialect is different from Central Thai. Anyway, I’ve been offline for 4 days. Sorry about that. There are just so many things to do with the family. It is also very hot here. The heat and humidity just sap all the strength right out of me. I’m sweating like a river whenever I step out of the air-conditioned hotel.

So this post will be a bit short. We’ve been traveling since the school year finished in June. It has been almost 6 weeks of constant moving around and we are getting worn out. RB40Jr is tired of traveling and is a little homesick. He got bit by a bunch of mosquitos, got a cut on his finger when he was swimming in a lake, and his tablet stopped charging. This trip has been a trial for him. I keep telling him that these issues build character, but he is tired of hearing that too. That’s all right. We’ve got less than 3 weeks left and then we’ll be home. He’ll appreciate Portland a lot more now that he has seen many different parts of Thailand. On this trip, we’ve been to all 4 parts of Thailand – Central, Southern, Northern, and Eastern. They are all quite different.

Travel and work don’t mix well

I’m doing okay, but I’m getting tired out too. Being an interpreter is a lot of work! And I haven’t been able to work on the blog much. My mind just isn’t in the right place to write about personal finance. Even writing about travel has been tough. We are constantly moving around and seeing the sights. I don’t see how anyone can get any work done while they are traveling. It’s just too hard to switch your mindset. Well, maybe it’s too hard for me. I’m getting older and losing my edge. Young people probably can travel and crank out some work at night. But I’m ready to hit the hay by the time we get back to our hotel in the evening. Zzzz….

For me, the only way to get any work done is to have some kind of schedule. When I was in Chiang Mai by myself, I could dedicate a couple of hours per day to blogging. I was able to keep up and publish some posts. This time, it has been difficult to keep going with the blog. I guess it’s good to take a sabbatical from personal finance. I’ve been blogging nonstop for 12 years and maybe this sabbatical will give me some new perspectives.

All right, here are some pictures from That Phanom in Eastern Thailand. It is way off the beaten path for foreigners. We have only seen Thai tourists here so far. That Phanom is an essential Buddhist site in Eastern Thailand. Many people come here to worship and pray.

Wat Phra That Phanom was quite busy over the weekend. It was a Buddhist holiday and the king’s birthday so many people got 4 days off. It was cooler at 8 pm and it was the perfect time to visit.

This was the site where the old stupa collapsed. The community rebuilt the new Phra That Phanom across the street in 1979. The big naga here is quite impressive. Many of the sculptures in Thailand are made from concrete. That’s the most obtainable material to work with.

Here is another naga sculpture about an hour south of That Phanom. Many believers come to pray for lotto winning tickets or to pass a test. The communities near the Kong river believe this is an effective way to get what you wish for. The local tourism is good for the area, IMO.