Home visits .... Laos style

Home visits ..... Laos style.    How different this is.

Some of the scenery when walking to work.

I walk into town to the ebus stop. (5 mins)  Catch the ebus for about 5 km and then walk for 1/2 an hour.

Home visits - Instead of just getting into a car and going, you have a driver, a 4wd and someone who speaks Laos.

It may be less than 40 kms to the village, but it can take an hour on very potholed dirt roads.

The scenery is stunning.  And GREEN  ( I almost feel apologetic to my friends in Central Victoria every time I speak of the green.  I don't think I will ever take it for granted.)

And …… yes that is 2 elephants in the river down there.  (not wild elephants, but I’m still excited.)

To do financial assessments the questions might include things such as

·      How many chooks/pigs/buffaloes do the family own?

·      How far away is the nearest stream? i.e. the nearest       water supply

·      Is there a toilet? – circle the answer  No  Dry  Modern
       (The person I went out with had never seen a "modern"        toilet in a village)
.      Is anyone in the house literate?

·      Is the houses roof make of bamboo/grass?

·      Are the walls bamboo?
.      Is there road access?

.      What kind of cooking?  wood, charcoal, gas.

Our lunch stop

Instant picnic

 Lunch.  Clockwise from top left:

River weed steamed in banana leaf, smoked eggplant dip, chilli.

Steamed pork, meat patties, Orlam and sticky rice in the yellow plastic bag.

This is how it goes: you get a handful of sticky rice and form it into small balls.  You use these small balls to pick up bits of the food.  

I'm not into the meat, but the rest of it is very nice.

A temple in every village