Unfortunately, plastic guns are popular toys in Southeast Asia, too. We saw similar scenes of kids playing with plastic guns in all the countries we visited (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia). Read more about Ban Xieng Maen.
A delightful afternoon snack with dips made from roasted eggplant, sweet tomatoes, and cilantro. The dark mixture in the spoon is jaew bawng, a sweet-spicy sauce made from roasted chilis (Audrey calls it the Luang Prabang barbecue sauce). The dark strips are khai paen, pressed river weed (think of it as downscale version of nori) fried with sesame seeds. Roll it with sticky rice and you're set. Sticky (or glutinous) rice is the staple of Laos. With a few tasty varieties on offer and a rich, nutty flavor found nowhere else in the rices of Southeast Asia, we were hooked. We welcomed late afternoons as an excuse for a snack of khai paen, jaew bawng, and sticky rice washed down with a cold Beer Lao. Learn more about Lao cuisine and markets.
Hmong village families can be large; everyone pitches in. This girl doesn't seem that much older than her little brother, but still old enough to take care of him. The Hmong, descended from Mongolian nomads, have higher cheekbones and wider faces than the Lao, or other minority communities such as the Khmu. Read more about the three levels of hill tribes we encountered on this trek.
