We had a lazy morning in the Airbnb. Nick went and got his hair cut while Millie and I played. We finally got moving at about Noon and walked north towards the walled old city.

On our way we saw a semi-bad scooter accident where somehow three different scooters collided. Everyone was able to get up but one guy seemed quite injured, I’d guess a broken leg. Millie had lots of questions and it shook me up a little bit. Luckily an unrelated ambulance witnessed it and was able to help, so we walked on.

We didn’t have an agenda beyond “explore the old city”. We crossed into it and decided to stop for a very light lunch. The vibes were fun in this little cafe.

After this we walked around and ducked into every temple we saw, which meant we literally visited about 10 temples. They are on every block like they were in Luang Prabang.

I was of course outraged by this one:

We figured it would be okay to bring Millie in since she doesn’t menstruate yet, and that’s what their dumb rules are all about. But a man quickly chased after her and Nick saying she wasn’t allowed in.

A highlight of the day was when a monk offered her an ice cream. We have been so strict about Ice Cream Friday that she looked at us and said “can I??” before taking it. Of course we said yes.

In one temple she sat and drew the big Buddha. I know I’m biased but I am just so impressed by her art each and every day.

We had promised her a playground earlier in the day and finally tried to fulfill it. But when we got there the whole park was closed for… maintenance? For over two weeks. There were tears.

We kept on going and walked another 20 minutes to the old cultural center to inquire about tickets for the khantoke dinner, which is a traditional Thai dance and dinner. We arrived at 4:30 and bought our three tickets. We had two hours to kill and somehow did it by sitting in the cafe next door, drinking a beer very slowly. Millie drew the whole time.

At 6:30 we were let in and shown to our seat. We sat on pillows on the ground, and every time we eat like this I feel gratitude for chairs. Between the amount of walking we did today and the two hours of sitting cross legged, I predict some soreness tomorrow.

Our dinner was served. It was all sorts of little delicious dishes. Millie ate more than I expected: cucumbers, sticky rice, hard boiled eggs, chicken, fried bananas, and soup. I wouldn’t expect a tourist trap like this to have such good food but we enjoyed every dish.

At 7, the show began.

It held her attention for over an hour. The highlight was the two-person horse creature that came around looking for tips. Millie had confusing relationship with it, like she does with all big creatures. She laughed hysterically at it until it got too close, and then she jumped into Nick’s arms with a scream of true terror.

I called a Grab and accidentally put in the wrong drop off location. This made our already late night even later. It was worth it for such a fun evening.