At the house blessing, Boonmee's cousin, the head monk at a local Wat, asked us what we planned to see while in Isaan. I was a little stumped, so mentioned the one claim to fame I knew of the area: a fossil museum of local specimens. We found out later he insisted that he be our docent for the day, and so the nieces and K piled in the back of the pickup, while Meo's husband drove the monk, Boonmee and Rozie in the cab. The monk told us in halting English about how, 45 years previously, he had walked for two days to get to the Wat where the bones were much later discovered.





Note how the women can't stand too close to the monk for this picture. The nieces didn't ever say a word to him at all!


Jeo, Meo, Boonmee, (unnamed relative), and Theu: