------------------------
Ang mga larawan sa website na ito ay hindi ibinebenta
Изображения на этом сайте не продаются
Bilder auf dieser Website stehen nicht zum Verkauf
Les images sur ce site ne sont pas à vendre
Las imágenes de este sitio web no están a la
ventaLe immagini su questo sito non sono in vendita
このウェブサイトの画像は販売されていません
本网站上的图片不出售
이 웹사이트의 이미지는 판매용이 아닙니다.
រូបភាពនៅលើគេហទំព័រនេះមិនមែនសម្រាប់លក់ទេ។
Coffee, central Laos (the "S" in Laos is not pronounced in much of SE Asia, hence: Lao). I visited this family's plantation, countless miles up a dirt trail on a motorbike that had ALL lights hanging by their wires. Their home had three sides, open on the front (no wall), and in the center of the one room was a small, press board book case with maybe 40 items arranged on the shelves to look as though there were more. This was the community store. I'm criminally negligent for not getting a picture but I thought that might be rude and I was in tenuous territory anyway. As I drank their coffee and ate some amazing soup, I noticed that the family kept looking past me, to the outside dirt road. I finally turned and looked to see a crowd of perhaps 30 very rural Laotians who had come and gathered to see "The Westerner" (none had seen one before). There is a quite pronounced anti-American sentiment in this region and mostly justified. I asked if there might be a problem. They said no, I was a revered guest and no one would kill me while under their protection. In this group I noticed a deathly thin girl, maybe 15 or 16, holding a newborn. I asked if she was sick. I was told no, just hungry. The community was taking care of her as best it could, but no one else had any money either. I donated, as I recall, $15us to the girl (11,000 LAK (Kip). I was told that would keep her eating well for several months. The crowd lingered to watch me eat, then finally dispersed as I didn't seem to be doing anything strange or amazing (I thought about it -- wished I could dance). I was invited to "tour" the coffee plantation. Honestly, seen one coffee tree, you've seen them all, but you gotta be polite -- after all they were protecting me from being raped and dismembered by people who had lost loved ones to American forces in what they call The American War (no reference to Vietnam). So I toured the coffee plantation and was invited to eat one coffee thing (bud?) off the tree. I was hesitant, but dang! It was pretty darn good! As was the next one. And the next and the next. I'm not sure how many beans are in each "bud/pod" thing. Just like coffee flavored candy. And pretty soon I realized that I wanted to see more and more and more of this plantation and I realized that my feet hadn't touched the ground for quite some time and my body was vibrating strongly enough to mix a big can of house-paint. Raw coffee. Really quite amazing. Who needs crack cocaine.
Where they roast the coffee beans on buried embers from hardwood trees. They tend them 24 hours for days until ready
Where they roast the coffee beans on buried embers from hardwood trees. They tend them 24 hours for days until ready
Hardwood turned into embers which are used to roast the coffee beans
This family had found an abandon jeep in the jungle. They didn't drive it, ever, for fear the Americans, or some other army, would see them and come back to claim it. This region is lousy with abandon war machinery, tanks, cannons, vehicles, munitions, and many millions of unexploded mines
A Laotian "Hill Person" we found in the mountains of central Laos. The "real ones" are quite rare and my guide was beside herself at the luck
A "strip mall" in central Laos. Yes, that's really what it is
School bus in central Laos. This school was beyond lucky to have one
You take the elevator to the restaurant and eat, then you are lowered down these cables to go back to your car. You think I'm kidding. I am not.
.jpg)
Hardwood commercial fishing boat, probably 100% teak. It's a wonder they even float because the teak planks by themselves do not
Hazard to traffic? You can't even imagine how hazardous
Boat trip. And an obnoxious, drunken fool of a man (Russian) (what a surprise, though the Brits come in second)
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong. The Chinese love purple. Is it because that's the color of Xi's underwear?
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong. I must have snapped these bulls five thousand times. Never got the shot I wanted
Hong Kong. I must have snapped these bulls five thousand times. Never got the shot I wanted
Bamboo scaffolding. They might go up 600 feet. The quality of the bamboo must be very high. You can see how each joint is secured
.jpg)
Cafe on the right. Food poisoning twice. Homey say no mo'
Who knows what this is. I hate it but was encouraged to include it. Did I say I hate it? I do.
SE Asian "football"
SE Asian "football"
SE Asian "football"
SE Asian "football"
SE Asian "football"
SE Asian "football"
SQUID GAMES!
With MyMateNate!
in Jomtien, Chonburi, Thailand!
December, 2021