And breathtaking wilderness. The river originates in the 2 beds and plan to induce over falls 1300 kilometers long. The, the face of the river is ever changing at points, it flows slowly through tropical landscapes. At others, it plunges through steep. Gorgeous to meet home is the long sign of southeast asia. Its a transport route for millions of people bringing work and food to many countries. It flows from china through me on my louse, thailand, to cambodia and vietnam, to the south china sea. Its one of the longest rivers in the wells. The were on a journey through northern allows us to explore the landscapes and experience the light back laotian way of life. The town in a small village on the meek, on river lives 50 year old, suck up 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 20 years now. I moved to the village as a young man to live with my wife. I learned how to fish from the old, a man in the village. How long fishing is not my main source of income for love. I also work as a teacher at the Elementary School in the village. If i could either put flashing, its what i like to do the most to some, well i lost the rif awesome. I can always add a little extra. Yeah. So, but doesnt have to keep till quite a recently, soccer has needed. Lots of patients. A big catch is read these days. But hes still in high spirits. 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 there are 2 coolants who are not willing to movies lie. Its been more difficult to catch fish lazy because the river and the weather have changed the law. How you can come by the fish somehow seem to move differently than they used to come up with. Yeah, i dont understand whats happened with a whole new day. How like how they didnt put well, but now im gonna keep them as a bit of a big cycle. It has another fishing net that he put out this morning. He attached the net to plastic bottles, so it doesnt sink and he can easily find it again. The fishing was that its such a gray feeling when you catch a big fish in the field and my home at the de la carlyle thing on the night of the night or anything. And if it doesnt mean the money own from selling the fish and the market is important to me in to pay even if its not much to pop to me it was, it was the is nothing begun this nat honda, but hes called a few small fish which will be enough to feed his family tonight. The shop 12345. Theyve all prepared his fish tonight for me and my family will grow with them and even with sticky rice and so on. Hancock. And well have some rice whiskey as well. That goes perfectly with the fish and they like that and like i kind of keep this soccer lives with his wife not far from the river like the majority of lotions he lives in the country side. It is self sufficient that the countrys population is under 15 years old. Soccer also has to go into the land by that by his 1st slice to finish my time for that and then put them on the skews and verify from the the fish has been left to dry a little in the sun before he fries it in oil its a traditional, inexpensive loud dish, fresh from the me call. The house is located in the heart of southeast asia, a relatively small country, about half the size of from is 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 vegetative way of life. In the mountains is North Atlanta 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 a unesco 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, the 9th monkey to blank providing stuff to life. And its not any popular with the local the, theres a huge variety of food dont offer. Its a beast, but the census the for the equivalent to 0. 50, joyce, and its laotian, soups and meet people. Phenomena leaves me most. The most popular thing we sell is its seaweed from the me call. Ive been working here for 10 years now in the 2nd generation. My parents also so the puddle. And the storm neva v like palm has also been working at the night market for many years. A parcel water buffalo means like a pork with garlic or copper line. Sometimes its eaten with sesame. We fried the water buffalo with bamboo and serve it with sticky rice, the meat taste. Sweet consulting. Here during the pandemic, ben, i pon, had to get creative. That was an 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. A little further on co not make soups, to order from a selection of vegetables, mushrooms, sausage, and ive only been selling here for 5 weeks. I will, 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 in the market every night from 5 to 11 pm. Shes happy so phone and fresh soups, selling well, the, the monkey is bouncing late into the night. If you stay up late enough, thats something completely different to see. Come early morning. The, the long provide religion determines the rhythm, the for the city. For am amongst begin that morning, pray the concert more than men, the monks and the temple chanc every day to honor that the, to the buddha. That sean thing is a form of meditation for the mind and body and teachers. The monks to become better people to talk to you and so by the i didnt go on there. Why, how many parents wont that sons to try and become monkish . What maybe up the many old. And then also once we experienced in life, among the who, uh, civic, come, how soon would it be based off to the pratt some that and hundreds of other monks walked silently to the old town to the arms, giving cetera many gold tack. Bought an ancient buddhist ritual as a Buddhist Monk working for money, but they didnt. So the monks receive food donations from devout bodies every morning. For them, its an honor to night. It increases the chance of a bank to 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 we come here every day to give them some food except one were so good now. Um, what a man the countrys traditional spirituality is becoming increasingly entwined with tourism and to the ritual of the monks has at times become a tourist spectacle. Hello. Everyone wants to sophie with them on the, on the recently weve had some problems with the tourists because they dont behave respectfully in the to its sometimes get to know why die. 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 one of the donations they received during the arms giving include rice skews pumpkin soup sausages. Lam seemed flowers and stained fish in phenomenally amongst remain silent even during breakfast, a particular challenge for the children, the boys can join the monastery at the age of 10. Many families from the region enter that children into the monastery, so they can run from the months on the phone and couldnt come aboard for a gun success. For me, you got some children wants an education, but the families come to for the school for the home. So here i think at the time when we teach subjects like english and math, this is a great opportunity for young people to love. Those older people who have no family will feel lonely. Come to us to find peace more clear and i see with 15, but do by the time i did as a by while for young monks go off to school. Some 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, they saw the picture. All so it is the listing. I want to participate this and i want to be to happy life and, and then he can come this look the picture. So we have to use multiple by 4. Thats why theres no cell phone band in the temple of the one prevents 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 the highlands allow sions who lives in the mountains to help people, to move on the mountain slopes. And the lowlands allow sions to make up the knowledge is sham of the population. Almost 2 thirds of all nations live from agriculture. Many from rice conservation to staple food in lotion quickly. But thats still the only reason. Fama den tang grows rice. The 23 year old also gives rice when shops for taurus. To prepare the ground for rice conservation 10 must take off the muddy soil and hes helped by susan the wants of buffalo rice panos. Theyve been doing this for hundreds of years. Ready ready some pharma who stained some place very 5 a. They have no money to buy the machine thing or attack the day. 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 taurus. So keen to learn about to, to yeah. Den welcomes gases from all over the world. Today from new zealand, single poll from germany, and the see the form last how this last crop. So we want to plant the seat today. Anyone you ready . 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 we just learned by looking or see how to do scan started working on the assignment. Age 14, you also went to school here, but completed his High School Diploma in the city. Now hes back on the farm, growing rice and showing taurus surround the aerobic. If you germany, lets see the root very long roads. When de we denied and it bit it grow very easily. Yeah, you can see for additional rice conservation involves a lot of manual labor when 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 redone them the see only 3 finger. So if you put the whole hand through because so you have to put only 3 finger, stick it to the amount that is. Yeah. Just to 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 they, i know the waterfall. They can go rice all year around. But normally for a local farmer, they do only 2 times a year, each a sickle race. And as you hold it is it takes 4 to 5 months for the rise pounds. The rankin 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 Fresh their rice by hand. They look different and produce up. They dont 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 cope sticker, 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. Ready the, the me calling with a storms 800 kilometers of the border between thailand and louse. And theyre all visible differences between the 2 signs. While on the ty side, there are lots of mountain buildings. On the laotian side, there is small 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. But all the people dont like calling this my life. Ive been working on the me calling since i was 17 years old. Really . I mean, and i was just a bridge where i work hung up, then i have for jan rice, so i dont have to leave the bridge during the journey close to work on the bed and ive been and this is my buddhist train, the guards me, im blessed as me with good fortune when i travel. I mean, hold on, hold on, hold on. And this is where i sleep for of a sleep here equal to captains mechanic. Data may control, next engineer. I mean, they go sometimes on board. No, no, the tech sounds like the energies doing a cargo, but with the transported goods. My father showed me every rock and every rapids to watch. I mean, thats why im an expert to data like top down anybody else . Juan still has to take tons with another captain that pops up the river. He doesnt know that well, there they go. How would it be here . They would learn the route from line for back to the mtm 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, but i dont have it. I like the theres this dont time today for the tourist to bolt the meek on some for this go on must cancelling more his ship on the on page joel klein also now this difficult maneuver from his father, the chef. The noise is responsible for the catering of the 28. 00 tourists on board for 33 year old wants to use the trip a show to go shopping at the market for the thinking to me, give me a sip quintile. Ive been working on the ship for 17. Yes, im wonderful. Im now the head shifts of a 3 member kitchen tea ive had with a lot of i that on that you have a lot video. Okay. The, the noise off and on the boat for several weeks. He really sees these little doors at the end. But its a sacrifice hes learned to live with. Being a shaft with these green jobs since he was 10 years old. The b 5, i always likes to cook being guy, especially talking fixtures, like i told i dont mind whole a daily 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 lower camp. 10 euros is the equivalent of over 180000 kemp. You can know if im paying dollars all the time, bob, 10. 00 as well. As i said before, theyre hired and well take some beam. Were going to ask, can i get 3 bundles for 10000 lumina, but no, but ill give you 2 for 10000. Comes on the do you still have, i mean, depending, but yeah, i have some back here, especially harvested yesterday. Okay. Then ill take some more thoughtful coolant, 10000 dont together. Okay, fine. Im glad im able that good. So im gonna go through the sounds of kind of you have to handle with this templates in the house. You always have to haggle. Its just part of shopping. Otherwise you will have to pay and you wont get a good price. It goes to close to the little. How about the hold up in the else now hes just missing one final, very special ingredient, but his su, it comes to now i should have everything for tonight so you should be in the accounting. Im quite happy with the price is i have well get the mushrooms are quite expensive really to yours for a 100 crimes evening. Thats quite a long time. 600. Its just a short ride on allows taxi back to the ship where he stands preparing the evening meals the law. The kitchen team basically gets on with the cooking, kept in one so its relaxed at the wheel. He knows these routes 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 fluctuate 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 and the water and fish a dying theyve run into some difficulties today. The water level is quite low in danger. Assigned 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 and there on the last trip blind mock, particularly shadow response with stakes, which now floats in the river like boys. The captain asked, so team member to check the depth of the one to just in case one hasnt run a ground on assigned to banking over 50 years, but only a few contents on the me come can claim that the eventually that out of danger and to me comb, son has plenty of water on the hook key again the and while its calm again in the bridge down in the kitchen, its full steam ahead. The team is busy cooking the suit, the by the most important ingredients. Officials and spices it gets halt in the cramped county. And sometimes it gets up to 40 degrees down and while its up, so can we move fully put so ill have to cook for over 28 people who are at home. And now for the last, the noise wouldnt trade his jump on the ship with anyone on land to mount the west. Leave her a place to work is on a ship. People. Yeah. And you see son much great nature, the small villages and all the people in the bank, c, y t o y. Yep. Its very special. I wouldnt want to give it tom. Good, perfect, good, really delicious, about really good laotian food. So id have just have to be careful with the teenage for the allow sions i put in 10 or 15 with on from the tourists, maybe 1. 00 and 1. 00. Anyway, theyve given once the food is, instead of jonathan given to the guests, which has consumed coordinator day the evening, my philosophy because i love cooking very much. Its all through a day, like today im most of pretty tight in the gas. Its enjoyed the soup. Even if it is a bit spicy than usual and today 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. The news slave 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 whiskey. In some childrens village, 5 families alone may have from this child of rice, whiskey governing method, the whisky recipe is a family tradition. Thats very old having some trouble. 1000 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 sign, just your dickie rice and use powder. And i need ment, 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 warm to a week later, the mentor liquid is boiled. So until the boiling phase is always exciting. Thats what determines the alcohol level. We need some trouble measures the temperature 70 degrees below the out the boat, right . Lets do some shopping produces of, of 500 liters a month. She then sells the bot