see where we live!

Well the day is here... I'm finally posting some pictures, other than the kids, that I hope will give a better picture of our lives in Tha Kaek. Today as I was going through my crazy day, I just decided to grab the camera and start taking pictures, which means that most of these shots are our lives just as they are... mostly. :)

And so, welcome to Tha Kaek! Population here is somewhere around 35,000, which at one time didn't sound all that small, but then I realized that the town consisted of around 35 little villages, all located in the same general land space, collectively calling itself by the name Tha Kaek. In our village, and in each of the villages here, we have our own village Headman, temple, local outdoor market, and school, among other things.

I've read once somewhere that Tha Kaek is a "somnolent riverside town" which is exactly how I felt when we first moved here. I remember thinking I'd have to make and enforce a strict schedule for myself so I didn't fall into somnolence myself. Thankfully, this has never been a problem... might have something to do with Eva age 2, Elijah age 1, and the constant flow of people in and out of our house (which I love).

Tha Kaek is a border town, which means that it lies on the border along the Mekong River (one of the world's major rivers), so I can actually see Thailand when I go down to the river and look across. This can be deceptive, because even though Tha Kaek is one of the few border crossings for Laos, there is no bridge across the river, so crossing is done by ferry, which can take hours. (pictures to come)

So here are two pictures of our town... these were taken standing in Thailand, looking across the Mekong River into Tha Kaek.

See all the mountains? Aren't they beautiful? Tha Kaek is in front of the mountains, scattered in among the trees.

This one was taken another day and gives a shot of the "downtown" area right along the river. The white building is a hotel and the largest building in town. There's not a whole lot to see, but I guess that's the point. It's quite small. :)

More on Tha Kaek later. We moved across town about three months ago, so the pictures posted are of our new place. We love our house! I can't say this enough... it is just so perfect for who we are, what we value, and who we want to hang out with. Some days I can hardly believe this little house lies right in Tha Kaek.

See the long long driveway? The best feature hands down. This is because we live (and lived) on dirt roads, and the distance from the road has exponentially cut down on the dust that blows inside, coats the floors, and is mopped up by Elijah as he scoots around the floor.

My 2nd favorite feature is that it is one story. Call me wimpy, but I'm happy that I'm no longer climbing up and down stairs in the tropical heat, without a/c, carrying little ones around all day. And I just love the banana trees!