The  Bolaven Plateau

5th July 2004.

The Bolaven Plateau is rich with coffee, rubber and banana plants, planted by the French in the early 20th century.... and a few bomb craters and unexploded ordinance from the American pounding that never happened

This is Tat Lo, a 120m waterfall that is bursting with monsoon rain water gagging for some Mekong action.

Local tea and coffee production is also big here.  This boy is crisping tea leaves over a hot stove.  We think he has been eating a few biscuits with his cups of tea.

Just a few kilometres down the road from Tat Lo was this other waterfall where locals picnic and swim in the stream.

Outside a market, this truck pulls over for locals to shop.  They are so keen to get on camera they wont get off the truck until we have taken a picture.

Claire asked these stall owners if she could take photos of their gourds in the market. They turned around and begged Claire to take a picture of them.  

What you can't see here is their red beetle nut stained teeth.  They They are not used to seeing their faces on camera so we got lots of squealing. In this picture Claire is dying of embarrassment as these woman are getting so carried away and affectionate, that they are kissing her and stroking her hair.

Local moonshine poured into old grog bottles through plastic funnels.

When Jason got his camera out these boys, who look about 8, took their hands off the steering wheel to pretend that were not driving the tractor.

Next Page Region Map Previous Page