Vietnot, Part 1: Preview

Wow. Just wow. I can't even start to talk about the past 5 days. Exhausting, wonderful, fantastic, intense. Instead of diving in, I will provide for you a checklist of this weeks gorgeousness. Then, "man man yi dian" (as they say here-- it means "slowly but surely") I will fill y'all in with recountings of my adventures.

Eating sweet rice stuffed in a pineapple and fresh coconut juice from the source: check check
Watching Diana eat wild river eel and greens with Dai villagers in a watermelon field in the countryside: check
Eating the freshest watermelon of my life with said villagers: Check
Travelling 2 hours to a country market with 4 kinds of minorities: Check
Discovering a countryside Buddhist temple 15 kilometers from anywhere: check
Climbing a small mountain to find a Gold Burmese Pagoda on top: check
Sunrise over both the Mekong River and the Chinese jungle: check check
Sunset over the Mekong River: check
Seeing wild monkeys: check
Holding a baby monkey: check
Sleeping in a treehouse in the middle of the Chinese jungle: check
Going on a wild goose chase through the most remote countryside to find a famous pagoda: check

Coming soon: Part 2, Ganlanba (and an explanation of the term 'Vietnot')