Coming to Phetchabun meant coming to Ann's hometown, for although she spent over 20 years working in Bangkok, this is where she had her roots. So we are staying at her sister Pinoys house, an empty white terrace close to the fresh produce markets.

Today and yesterday we took a side trip to Phisanolouk, stopping to visit some gorgeous Wat. Buddhism is part of the fabric of Thai society, so despite the trappings of modernity and consumer culture that are apparent here as elsewhere, one cannot begin to fathom the nature of Thailand without explicit and constant reference to it.

Another aspect of this trip (and one that sits uneasily next to the last paragraph) was to allow Ann to spend time and money on her daughter JJ, who is in junior high school. Hanging out, as we did, in shopping malls is not my idea of a cultural experience, the product being almost universally the same in any town, anywhere. But it passed the time and beat the heat.

Thrre is such a thing as temple fatigue, I am told, though I am yet to experience it. What I can attest to is the sheer beauty and wonder of entering spaces that are designated sacred, and spending time in silence and reflection.