Rice paddy interlude

Our rice paddy dozen, with Tim (wearing hat) and myself at the back

We found these giggling girls in a rice paddy between Paksan and Pak Kading in fields sandwiched between the Nam Kap and Mekong Rivers. They were great sports, enjoying the banter we exchanged with our very limited Lao and the help of our driver (who speaks very little English). I pushed a few rice seeds into the flooded field but wasn't keen to get my feet wet despite a splashing by one of the group. Another of the girls, Chan, was clearly the leader or mouthpiece of the group and her laughter and infectious smile was indicative of the interaction we've had whenever we've stopped on the roadside to mingle with the locals. It's planting season here right now, so there are lots of opportunities. After the girls finished planting their field, they lined up for a team photo (above).

Keeping my feet dry whilst planting rice seedlings with Noye

More rice stalks arrive for planting

This is the ever-smiling Chan, leader of the group

Chan exchanges her Vietnamese-style hat for a white cap

Chan and her team work hard in the hot sun of 10.30am

Chan looks less confident when she's on dry land and accosted by me