Went for a short walk in a beautiful park with a monastery in it, and a pond with evil catfish. Every time we threw fish kibble (bought from a nearby stand) into the pond, dozens of fish would swarm the spot. Masses of writhing catfish bodies with gaping whiskered mouths, some of the fish 3 or 4 feet long. Creepy.

Jodi and Allyn showed me a rare statue of the Buddha from the period in his life when he believed that denying the body was the path to enlightenment. The igure was emaciated, with every bone and blood vessel showing through the skin. It was a ghastly image, and a reminder that the body houses the soul during this lifetime. Why desecrate the temple in order to honor the spirit?

Couldn't climb the mountain today because Jodi had an appointment at the university this afternoon. So I headed out for the day market, stopping to check email, change money and check in at the travel agent on the way. Those stops took long enough that the market had pretty much wound down by the time I got there, so I cooled my heels until Jodi & Allyn met up with me for dinner at Le Brasserie where we had a lovely dinner by the river.