So AD and B think it was a big mistake to post about how we're feeling sick, but I thought we might as well include that info since we've been giving so many details anyway. I'm feeling much better today, but B's experience over the last week has been that the achiness gets better and worse, so I'm not holding my breath that it's over yet.

Yesterday we went to a couple of the important wats that are right around the corner from here. It was a bit hard at the second wat when the ibuprofen suddenly gave out, but after two restorative fruit shakes (watermelon and lime-mint) I felt better. We decided to try dinner at one of the riverside restaurants. It looked more like a bar, so we were worried about how good the food would be, but as usual, no need for concern. We ordered some steamed fish with a spicy lime sauce (excellent), sticky rice, and two salads, cucumber and papaya, very spicy. Well, the salads were spicy alright! Now, I can eat an entire habanero without crying, and even when B and I tone down the spice of food we cook for friends, it pushes the limits of many people's tolerance. But these salads had me in tears--just a little, but it was awesome. Since Russia, we've been on a hunt for truly spicy food that would challenge us a bit, and yesterday, we found it. Even more to my satisfaction was when the waiter came to clear away the table, and, amazed that we had finished both salads, he said (clearly complimenting us), "You eat spicy! Like Lao people!"