Farming

Farming is simply a way of life in this part of the world. Outside of the main cities, the villagers are primarily subsistence farmers - especially in Laos - where they grow what they eat. No farming = no food. The gardens, however humble, are stunning and lush. If only my garden were so lovely!

Elevated herb gardens are situated outside of nearly every household. They are placed on stilts and covered with netting to keep the village animals and birds from "sharing."

During this time of year - the Dry Season, when the waters of the rivers are low - the villagers plant hearty crops like peanuts and sweet potatoes in the fertile, sandy banks. When the rains come and the waters rise during the Monsoon Season, the gardens are washed away.

Rice, Rice, Baby

The largest staple of the Thai and Lao diets is rice, by far. Steamed rice for the most part in Thailand, and the wonderful glutinous sticky rice in Lao (one of my absolute favorite foods in the world). The rice paddies canvas the landscape, most still plowed with the help of the revered water buffalos (although "Chinese water buffalos" - tractors - are starting to crop up more and more). People busy themselves with rice for hours a day: planting it, harvesting it, selling it, drying, preparing, cooking and eating it. It would be quite a different place without it.