The of the meek home is the longest river in south east asia, the it boast rich by diversity and branch taking wilderness. The river originates in the 2 beds and plant to induce over 4300 kilometers long. The, the face of the river is ever changing. At points it flows slowly through tropical landscapes, but others, it plunges through steep. Gorgeous. Meet home is the lifeline of south east asia. Its a transport route for millions of people bringing work and food to many countries. It flows from china threw me on my louse thailand, to cambodia and vietnam to the south china sea. Its one of the longest rivers in the well, the were on a journey through northern allows us to explore the landscapes and experience the laid back laotian way of life. The time in a small village on the meek, on river, lives 50 year old 2nd. Twice a day. He takes his whole fishing boat out onto the river of a 1200 different species of fish live in the me call, making it one of the most species rich imminent walters on the us. So ive been fishing here for over 22 years now. I moved to the village as a young man to live with my wife. I learned how to fish from the old man in the village, how long the fishing is, know my main source of income loss. I also work as a teacher at the Elementary School in the village. Its like an item publishing is what i like to do the most to some so i love the river. Assume i can always add a little extra. Yeah. So, but just have to keep up what i really recently, soccer has needed. Lots of patients. A big catch is read these days. But hes still in high spirits the well out of the most efficient and unfortunately this is no time comment because of dams signed mining and climate change. Fish populations have been declining in the me call the for i see, see where i never moved to movies like its been more difficult to catch fish lazy because the river and the weather ive changed a lot how you can come by the fish somehow seem to move different even they used to come up with. Yeah, i dont understand whats happened with that. How that how like the how they didnt put well, but now im gonna keep them in a big sike. It has another fishing net that he put out this morning. He attached the net to plastic bundles so it doesnt sink and he can easily find it again. The efficient what if its such a gray feeling when you catch a big fish feel and my home at the carlisle thing out of the night, it was a night or anything and its it that the money own from selling the fish and the market is important. To me to pay even if its not much. So we bought so many of us. It was the theres nothing begun this nice honda, but hes called a few small fish which will be enough to feed his family tonight. The shy 12345. Theyve all prepared his fish come to me and my family will bring them an ethan with sticky rice and so hancock. And well have some rice whiskey as well. That goes perfectly with the fish. Okay. And then like a like a kind of like this soccer lives with his wife not far from the river. Like the majority of lotions he lives in the countryside and is self sufficient so that the countrys population is under 15 years old. Soccer also has to go into the land, blah, blah, hit 1st, the slice to finish up on top of that and then put them on skews and verify from the the fisheries then left to dry a little in the sun before he fries it in the oil its a traditional, inexpensive loud dash fresh from the me call. The house is located in the heart of southeast asia, a relatively small country about hoff this size of from as compared to its most developed neighbors, thailand and vietnam. Now is more rustic unless touristy. Its a country state in ancient tradition and known for its relaxed, meditative way of life. In the mountains is north of flowers, lines the tranquil city of lou on prevent. Many call it the most beautiful city in asia, the new and preventing use the former seat of the royal family and now units go wild heritage sites. The city has a population of about 70000. That historical town is known for its unique tom and architecture. The as the evening falls from 9 small k to blow wine providing stuff to life. And its not any popular with the local the, theres a huge variety of food on all that. Its a piece but the census the for the equivalent to 0. 50, joyce, and its laotian, soups and nice teen phenomena. Leaves me most the most popular thing we sell is dave, how do you see read from the me call ive been working here for 10 years now in the 2nd generation. My parents also, so the puddle and a storm neva, the light pond has also been working at the night market for many years. A parcel water buffalo meeting pork with gar, laker, copper line. Sometimes its eaten with sesame. We fried a water buffalo with bamboo and serve it with sticky rice, the meat taste, sweet and salty. During the pandemic bin, i pound had to get creative ways that wasnt easy during the corona virus pandemic. I tried selling online instead of luckily i was able to sell a lot on facebook during that time. So it worked out quite well. The little side on co not make soups, to order from a selection of vegetables, mushrooms, sausage, and toughest. Ive only been selling here for 5 weeks. Well, i also sell online from home to the loan, but i wanted to test the market to see if it would work here to 36 year old kona is now the market every night from 5 to 11 pm. Shes happy so far into fresh soups. Ascending well, the, the monkey just bouncing late into the night. If you stay up late enough, theres something completely different to see come Early Morning the, the long pro by religion determines the rhythm, the city at 4 am amongst begin the morning, pray, the concert, more than men, the monks and the temple chunk every day to honor the t to the buddha, like a tron thing, is a form of meditation for the mind and body. And teaches the monks to become a and better people try to get into by the delay and go on there. Why . How many parents wont last summer to try and become monkish . What . Maybe up the many older men or someone so experienced the who, civic, come, how some of the things a off to the pratt, somebody and hundreds of other monks walked silently to the old town to the arms, giving center many gold tack. But an ancient buddhist ritual as a Buddhist Monk working for money is so they didnt. So the monks receive food donations from devout bodies every morning. For them its an honor to night. It increases that chance of a better reincarnation. Traditionally old monks was baffled in the summer when it sometimes reaches over 40 degrees celsius during the day are allowed to wear sandals. America to when we come here every day to give them some food except one more 2nd. Uh huh. What a man the countrys traditional spirituality is becoming increasing. The entwined with tourism and the ritual of the monks has at times become a tourist spectacle. Hello. Everyone wants to sophie with miss gardner. Recently weve had some problems with the tourists because they dont behave respectfully and the 2 are sometimes get to know why they take lots of photos. And thats the last with the flash one month, which really disturbs the home ceremony. What type of deal . Whats going up . The donations they received during the alms giving include rice skews pumpkin soup sausages. Lam, steamed violets and stained fish in phenomenally months, remain silent. Even during breakfast, a particular challenge for the children. The boys can join the mountain street at the age of 10, many families from the region enter that children into the monastery, so they can learn from the months. On this, on a bank couldnt come aboard for a gun 6 uh 4 man you got some children wants in education, but the families come to fault. The School Feeling comes on here. I think got up to 10, which each subjects like english and math. This is a great opportunity for young people to put those older people who have no family will feel lonely. Coming to us to find peace more clear and i see with 15, but the by the time i did a single by while the young monks go off to school. So im that takes care of public relations. Digitize ation even has a place at the buddhist monastery these days. The monk regularly live streams is brands and meditations on his facebook page. If some people dont come here with the saw, the pick you all load is the listing. I want to participate this and i want to be to happy life and, and then they can come this look the picture. So we have to use multiple by 4. Thats why theres no cell phone back in the temple. The flow on prevent the there are more than 7000000 people in laos who belong to lots of different ethnic groups. The government divides the inhabitants into 3 regional groups. The highlands allow sions who live in the mountains to help people, to move on the mountain slopes, known to allow sions to make up the largest share of the population. Almost 2 thirds of all nations live from agriculture. Many from rice conservation to staple food in lotion, cuisine. But thats still the only reason. Fama den tang grows rice. The 23 year old also gives rise sweatshops for taurus to prepare the ground for rice conservation, then must take out the muddy soil. And hes helped by susan the water buffalo rice panos have been doing this for 100. So if you. Ready ready some pharma why stain uh, someplace very 5 a they have no money to buy the machine thing or tract though they, they used to own buffalo because normally one family that if im barely though for the family to eat, so they dont need the machine, the price is one of the worlds most important and food crumbs, and tour is so keen to learn about duty. A den welcomes gases from all over the world today from new zealand, single pole from germany, and the sea deform last, how this last crop. So we want to plan the seat today. Any one you ready . Mm hm. Normally i was born in the assembly of the family. So when i was young, i followed my parents to to feel this. And then they just learned by looking or see how they do scan started working on the som at age 14. He also went to school here, but completed his High School Diploma in the city. Now his back on the farm growing rice and showing taurus surround the aerobic if you germany and they see the root very long roads when the math and it bit it grow very easily. Yeah, you can see for additional rice conservation involves a lot of manual labor in the rice ponds. So one month old that move to the fields where they have more space to grow and help to prevent weeds. The tourist help to retain them. The see only 3 thing. Good. So if you put the whole hand, itd be close. So you have to put only 3 finger, stick it to the amount that is. Yeah. Just make sure you arises standing nicely. To grow, right . The traditional way. You have to put your back into it the this from here they quit lucky this the, and the waterfall. They can go right on the route. But normally for a local farmer, they do only 2 times a year. Each is sick of the race. And as you hold it is it takes 4 to 5 months for the rise. Ponce, the ranking, the harvesting. The stage is also hard work. The tiny rice grains all hayton at the top of the stokes and need to be removed from the panels. Traditional farmers thrash their rice by hand. They look different and conduce upside down. Put it forward, the binds, grab it around. Its not easy as the tourists quickly find out the, you know, week for a family of 4 or 5 people about 20 to 30 kilograms. If you want to cook stick or right, thats one bag of rice per week. The allow sions use it to make that sticky right. Before you called it, you will have to sell your rice into water 1st. So you have to soak, you just have a rice, you put it to the normal water, clean and threatened to water out put new water in and leave the rise to air for one day or one night. So that is maximum, but minimum is 2 hours. The grains of sticky rice glue together and separate again when they come into contact with a song. A tough job for, for a bow live, right . Uh, the the, the me calling with a storms 800 kilometers of the border between thailand and laos. And there are visible differences between the 2 signs. While on the tai side, there are lots of mountain buildings. On the laotian side, there is more traditional villages surrounded by nature. There are also a few tories by sailing on the me call. The one is the captain of a small crew ship. The 72 year old is off and on the river for many weeks. The people dont mind calling this my life. My been working on the me calling since i was 17 years old and you get a name and this is the bridge where i work hung up. Then i have for 10 rice. So i dont have to leave the bridge during the journey close to like on the bad and ive been and this is my buddhist train, the guards me and blesses me with good fortune. When i travel im hold on, hold on for them. And this is where i sleep for of a sleep here equal to captains mechanic data making, tronics engineer. I mean, they just come down to Something Like that. That sounds like the energy is doing a cargo, but with the transported goods are you . My father showed me every rock and every rapid to watch. I mean, thats why im an expert to data like top down. Anybody else kwan still has to take tons with another captain. There are parts of the river. He doesnt know that well. And there was like, oh, what did they hear, what i learned the route you mind providing that to the n t m for my father and i bought the alaska. If you want to seal here, youd have to study the route for 5 to 10 years. So you can try, but it takes time. The id theres this dont time today for the taurus to both the me count some of his go on most carefully more his ship on the on page joel klein also now this difficult maneuver from his father. The chef lee neu. K is responsible for the k touring of the 28 tourists on board. The 33 year old wants to use the trip a show to go shopping at the market. A sudden thinking to me give me the zip quintile. Ive been working on the ship for 17. Yeah. Someone who im now the head shack of a 3 member kitchen team ive had with a lot of i thought on that you have a live video. Okay. The, the noise is also on the boat for several weeks. He really sees these little doors at the end, but its a sacrifice hes known to live with being a chef with these green jobs since he was 10 years old. 155, i always likes to cook and being guy, especially talking fixtures, like i told i dont mind whole today, li, noise menu features a traditional laotian soup. And for this he needs lots of fresh vegetables, plus some salad and fruit. Everything is fresh and local. Even the contains on the grill, which li noise enjoys has a mid day snack. The currency here is allow kemp. 10 euros is the equivalent of over 180000 kemp. You can know if im paying dollars or time bond in dallas as well as i said before, the private and well take some beam. Were going to us, can i get 3 bundles for 10000 . I think im lumina as well, but ill give you 2 for 10000 comes up. Do you still have many dependent, but yes, i have some back here, especially harvested yesterday. Okay, then ill take some more of that school code at 10000 altogether. Okay, fine. Let me, let me go. Good. Good. So im gonna go through the same time sounds. Its kind of, you have to haggle with the sentence in the house. You always have to haggle. Its just part of shopping. Otherwise youll have to pay and you wont get a good price. It goes to close out the little. How about the hold up in the else now hes just missing one final very special ingredient, but his su, the the, the now i should have everything for tonights it shouldnt be in the accounting. Im quite happy with the price is i have well, yeah, and do i need the mushrooms are quite expensive really to yours for a 100 crimes evening. Thats quite a lot. So im 600. Its just a short ride on allows taxi back to the ship. Where he stops preparing the evening, meals the law, the kitchen team basically gets on with the cooking campaign. Juan sits relaxed at the wheel. He knows hes roots inside out. He doesnt need a navigation system. But at some point, he may need to use Satellite Technology because the river is changing rapidly. The water levels punctuate more because of the dams in china and thailand, which has a huge impact. Villages have to be relocated. There are a few a nutrients in the water and fish a dying theyve run into some difficulties today. The water level is quite low and dangerous. Signed banks are forming in the river. One has to concentrate again. Well yeah, no, im not scared. I know my sham well, and i knew it would be too high that he there on the last trip blind mocked particularly shawna, a response with stakes, which now flow to in the river. And like boys the captain asked so team member to check the depths of the going to just in case one hasnt run a ground on assigned to banking over 50 years. And only a few captains on the me come can claim that the eventually that out of danger at the me comb, son has plenty of water on the hook key. Again the while its calm again in the bridge down in the kitchen. Its full steam ahead. The team is busy cooking. This is the by the most important ingredients, official austin, spices against halt in the cramped county for my c. C. Sometimes it gets up to 40 degrees down and when i looked up, my fully put so i have to cook for over 28 people who at home. And now for the last leroy wouldnt betrayed his jump on the ship with any one on land them on the west side for a place to work is on the ship. People. Yeah. And you see sign much great nature, small villages and all the people in the bank see one of the a lot. Yeah. Its very special. I wouldnt want to give it tom. Good. Perfect. Ok, good. Really delicious. About really good laotian food. So id have just have to be careful with the teenage repeated. So the allow sions i put in 10 or 15 with on from the tourists, maybe one in one. Anyway, theyve given once the food is in south jonathan given to the guests, the shaft consume coordinate to day the evening my philosophy because i love cooking very much. Its after a day like today i most have pretty time in the guests enjoyed the soup. Even if it is a bit spicy than usual today. Ringback the someone who also knows about good taste is 67 year old, some chum. She makes our own whiskey from rice, but shes feeling worried about the future of our business. Life is good for us here in the village. We have everything we need here. The food we eat is a gift from nature, but we have big problems because of the dams that are being built here by the investors that keep buying up our field. And our villagers dont have bills to grow rice, which i also need for my wispy in some childrens village. 5 families alone may have from the sound of rice, whiskey, discovery method, whiskey recipe is a family tradition. Thats very old. Having some trouble doesnt like alcohol himself, but there are plenty of people who do lots of locals by and drink the spin rate. Its cheap and doesnt require many ingredients, a name and co signed. So just know dicky rice and use powder and his name is ben. Its mixed well together, so that a kind of a met the left in the barrels for a week. Then some chum taste the liquid and sometimes adds a little water. A week later, the mentor liquid is boiled. So until the boiling phase is always exciting. Thats what determines the alcohol level. Meaning, some chum measures the temperature. 70 degrees below my the thats