Lao Mountains

  Our driver/ guide arrived early in his Tuk-Tuk, a vehicle contraption similar to the ones in the Philippines. I was assured he spoke great English. We hoped in and headed to the mountains. I soon realized he spoke NO English. Oh well....

   We stopped at a house along the road an hour later, it was an apparent bathroom break. He jestered for us to go around back for the " bathroom ". We did as told and were a bit baffled as there was nothing there. He pointed to a metal shed inside an animal pen. Well, if you've gotta go, you've gotta go. We stepped over a low fence into a pen full of ducks. Karen's in the shed in photo while I waited and contemplated the scene. The " bathroom" had a concrete floor with a squat toilet  and was clean. 

  The house had no walls, packed dirt floors,  and a large bamboo platform in the middle. A woman was asleep there when we arrived. They soon dumped a big basket of rice on the platform and started the process of wine making. The wine was very strong and sold in clear baggies, a stainless steel bowl was full of them on the counter. They cooked with charcoal and had very few possessions. They did have electricity. We bought a tourist bottle of "wine" for $1, we felt sorry for him. I gave them eye glasses and 2 multi tools, they were pleased to receive gifts.

   We later hiked into a beautiful jungle preserve where I swam in a cold river.  The area was full of birds and butterflies. It was a really a nice spot. 

    We stopped on the way back at the most beautiful veggie farm I've ever seen, all done by hand labor. We watched a woman watering the rows by hand, a watering can in each hand. The broad rows were just wide enough to reach the centers,  they were meticulously thinned and weeded, I was really impressed

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