COUNTRIES

Drinking lao lao (locally-made alcohol about 20-25%) with the Chief

Chief's wife

Before going to sleep 2 girls came to give us massages. Very nice surprise!

Morning duties - feeding animals

One of Chief's daughters in the kitchen

Another one working outside

Next day people got used to our presence

Everybody was going somewhere

"If I can't see you, you can't see me"

The only girl who posed for a photo

There are gates at each entrance, where the guardian spirits are said to dwell

Low clouds every morning, but cleared up later

Old village used for rice storage. Akha move to a new place every 10-15 years

One of the bigger river crossings of this trek

Rice terraces. It would be green during the wet season

Bamboo forest. It is capable of growing up to 60 centimeters per day

Vongsay cut banana leaves to make a nice place for lunch

Akha Swing. It's used during the Swing ceremony between mid-August and September

I stopped for a moment and had no idea that leeches got inside my shoes

Vongsay bought a chicken for dinner

I was shooting them with camera, they were shooting me with sticks

Chief was happy to try my rucksack

Chief's family. He was chosen by his village because he could read and write the Lao language

There is fire going in the kitchen all day