Going north through Vang Vieng_____All Photos ©Peter Whittlesey

Driving through the Vang Vieng area we stopped to watch some young women plant rice and were invited to try! One of the many highlights of the tour...

Our van being passed by a bus after we stopped for a "bathroom" break A misty morning shot overlooking the Nam Song river and mountains Bill Huchet took this shot of a fisherman with his net on the river I like watching the mist wind its way through the trees on the mountain tops Sometimes if you're patient a photographer is rewarded with shots like this I cropped this shot tighter on prints I've made but I think it still works here An artistic perspective of the old woman Planting rice can be back-breaking work, but so often is done with a smile This woman planting rice seems so proud to me, as she deserves to be We stopped near Vang Vieng to watch these young women plant rice As we walked out toward where they were planting rice they asked if we wanted to plant rice. How could we refuse and these young ladies were incredibly patient in showing us how to grip the rice seedling and twist it while pushing it into the mud. Easier said than done and you can see how "challenged" we were...