His time in Hokkaido coming to an end, and laden with treasures – both physical and
metaphysical – William navigated home. Amongst the collection was a monk who taught him more about the Bhuddha, and a place of learning far to the south of his home.
His interest piqued, the Prince saddled his pony and made his way instantly and unerringly to the
village of Luang Prabang along the immense Mekhong River. He was smitten and moved in immediately.
On an otherwise unnotable day of study, he spotted an oddity. A rare foreigner, obviously on sabbatical from his home in Riems, lingered beneath the eave of a temple. This military man was unusually marked by a set of three bananas laced to the brim of his navy bicorn. William watched as the captain used one of the three fruits to blend a drink, feeding a baby (interestingly dubbed Jirachai) recently abandoned at the shrine. Curious about this new drink, dubbed a smoothie, the Prince struck up a conversation and came to acquire a mentor. Captain Banana regaled him with the lore of Luang Prabang, bringing the temple stones and votive carvings alive. This drove William to redouble his learnings about this magical place.