The Mekong is a transport corridor…
…as well as a livelihood for many Laotians. We saw fishing, with lines as well as nets:
Is this a dredging boat or are they harvesting river mud for a purpose?
This boat is a lot longer than it looks when we first came upon it from behind. Note also the man in front of the mud pile, whose white hat is barely visible in the previous picture. Here is the side view:
It turned out the man in front was busy bailing:
And he was not the only one bailing on the river that day! This man is bailing a barge that is used as a floating dock at the Pak Ou caves:
The riverbanks are cultivated in places…
…and also offer up prime shady spots to see life floating by:
