The meek home is the longest river in southeast asia, the it bows rich by diversity 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 gorges to me. Calm is the like. 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 well, the were on a journey through northern allows us to explore the landscapes and experience the laid back laotian way of life. The town 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 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. Siobhan fishing is not my main source of income loss. 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 rad 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 for to close to where im going to movies like its been more difficult to catch fish lazy because the river and the weather ive 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 that hope i knew how like how it and put hope and now im gonna keep them as 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 feeling in my home at the end of the day. Like highlight the, the night of the night where youre going and, and get the money and from selling the fish and the market is important to me to pay even if its not much. So its up 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 hancock. And well have some rice whiskey as well. That goes perfectly with the fish. And they live at like a kind of the 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 dont is the land blah blah, hit 1st, the slice to finish my time and they have and then put them on skews and verify from the the fish has been left to dry and 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 honda of southeast asia, a relatively small country, about half the size of from is compared to its more develop neighbors, thailand and vietnam. Now is more rustic unless touristy. Its a country state in ancient tradition, and known for its relaxed met detective way of life. In the mountains of North Atlanta lines, the tranquil city of lou on prevent many call it the most beautiful city in asia, the new one preventing use the former seat of the royal family. And now a unesco welled heritage sites. The city has a population of about 70000 that historical town is known for its unique tom and architecture, the ante stone neva, they lie pon has also been working at the night market for many years. I sell water buffalo meetings like a pork with gar, laker, 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 toes that 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 the 36 year old kona is now the market every night from 5 to 11 pm. Shes happy so far, and fresh soups ascending well the, the monkey is bouncing late into the night. If you stay up late enough, theres something completely different to see. Come early morning, the the long for a bang, religion to times the read them the for the city. At 4 am the monk speaking them morning, proud concert on the moon, the monks and the temple chanc every day to on of 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 the best on this to try and become monkish . What maybe up the many old and then also months for experience divided among the who civic. Come, how some of the way off to the pratt some that and hundreds of other monks walked silently to the old town for the escaping cetera. Many cold time spots an ancient buddhist ritual. As a Buddhist Monk working for money is that 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 to when 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 the ritual of the monks has at times become a tourist spectacle every one born. So sophie, with a month gone recently, weve had some problems with the tourists because they dont behave respectfully in the to are sometimes get to know why die. Play, take lots of photos and thats the last with the flash one month, which really disturbs the home ceremony. What type of deal whats the role of going up . The donations they received during the arms giving include rice skews pumpkin soup sausages. Lamb steamed flowers and stained fish in phenomenally months 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. And you got some children wants an education, but the families come to for the School Feeling comfortable here. I think at the time of what we teach subjects like english and math. This is a great opportunity for young people to learn. But those are 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 little 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, the saw the pick you. Oh, it is interesting. 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 highlands allow sions who live 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. The most 2 sons of all nations lived from agriculture. Many from rice cultivation to staple food and lotion cuisine. 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 water buffalo rice panos have been doing this for hundreds of years. Ready some pharma who stained some place very 5 a. They have no money to buy the machine thing or track 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 food crumbs and tourist. So keen to learn about it here. Den welcomes gases from all over the world. Today from new zealand, single poll from germany, and the sea deform last, how this last crop. So we want to plant this 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 we just learned by looking or see how to 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 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 helped to retain them. The see only 3 thing. Good. 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 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 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 rice 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 cook, stick that 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 us. So a tough job for, for a bo 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 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. 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 and blesses me with good fortune. When i travel im hold on, hold off, im done. And this is where i sleep for of a sleep here, equal to captains, a mechanic that a mega tronics engineer. I mean they go sometimes on the deck. Sounds like the energies doing a cargo, but with the transported goods. My father showed me every rock and every wrap it to watch. I mean, thats why im an expert to data. Like top down, give me put you juan, still has to take tons with another captain. Thereupon, said the rid of a, he doesnt know that well, that go, how would it be here . They would learn the route from line for back to the mtm for my father. And i bought a lot faster. 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 be theres a stop time today for the taurus to both the meek on some for this go on must kathy moore, his ship on the on page Charles 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 shift of a 3 member Kitchen Table ive had with a lot of i thought on that you have a lot video. Okay. The, the noise austin 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. Being 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 often pain dollars all the time, bob, 10. 00 as well. As i said before, theyre hired and will take some beam waving to us. Can i get 3 bundles for 10000 . Pick up 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. 00 go 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 handle. 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, the the, the now i should have everything for tonight so you should be in the accounting. Im quite happy with the price is a 100. Well, yep. And do i need the mushrooms are quite expensive really to yours for a 100 crimes evening. Thats quite a lot of time. Its just a short ride on allows taxi back to the ship where he stops preparing the evening meal. 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 shadow 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 one to just in case one hasnt run a ground on assigned to banking over 50 years and only a few contents 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 and 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. It gets halt in the crime to county c c. Sometimes it gets up to 40 degrees down there, so i looked up my fully put so i have to cook for over 28 people who at home and half of the last leroy wouldnt trade his jump on the ship with anyone on land to my my favorite place to work is on the ship. People gotten who you see sign much, great nature, the 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 would be that if i for the allow sions, i put in 10 or 15 with on, from the tourists, maybe 1. 00 and 1. 00. Anyway, just give them the once the food is in south dawson 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. The new 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 whiskey. In some childrens village buying 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 your dickie rice and use powder. And i just need ment, ben. Its mixed well together so that a kind of summit, the left in the barrels for a week. Then some chum taste the liquid and sometimes and so little want to a week later that the mental 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 bottles to trade is on the market. The bottle cost is 30000. 00 k. But about one euro 60 but the profits on to enough to do everything shed like in the living room. And i would like to repair my house and help the poor people in the village so they can send their children to school along the meek, home river. Many people live in poverty, and many houses are in poor condition. The laos is a full country, and the corona virus crisis has compounded the struggles of allow economy even further. But with the easing of the pond demick in china is new silk road lotions, hope the Economic Situation will improve slowly things of picking up again, at least in the villages, people benefit from the free natural Building Material that surrounds them. Some people like calling me even built that house is completely by themselves from bamboo. Uh well, today we have to repair a wall in our house because the old phone broke and it rained in the nice for our daughter for the happens all the time. Hopefully get it done today, but then in my apartment from when i didnt even have here. This is the old will and all these holes are where the mice eaten to it. The mice are a big problem. Tony let me go off a lot of 28 year old call me in hesitate the house from his parents. He now lives here with his brother, his wife and dad. Daughter, please call me sama engrossed cassava the edible root of a tropical tree. They have to renew the bamboo bowls roughly every 10 years, which call me now knows how to do very well. And what a is all this is. The bamboo from the forest is free. So when it hit and i think you know there and just take as much as we need, allow hang up, i dont have to pay anything for it. And i dont have to go to the city. I remember. So youre going to be saying that it is good, i can work with whats already growing around. I hang out the funny on the satellite. So we still have to process the band concert into stripling slides in, right . Because otherwise it wont bend under the heat of the sun, a crumbled. So have a loss of work to do to help the heck out of the the who is an important resumes for many people across asia. Its a fast growing natural material that can be used for natalie to build houses and furniture. Many also use it as firewood, even as food call me and his wife a building the new wall. Once its finished, it will be water proof and relatively stone proof. Yeah you, my leg was a lot and i prefer village life to city lights that might have given me a city. You need a lot of money to cover all the expense and i in the village. I dont need so much money. I talked to black um like i mean what divide that im willing to give you in the future. Im hoping to save some money to buy a small truck. Thats what i buy. Its not easy. What about but it would help us on the well, because it, i had a truck, i could take microsoft at the city. So they are, is a higher pricing. They will come in and everything will be good. And then the monthly then quarter tone by kind of in a neighbor helps calling me to install the new band. A few nails here and that in the house is fine and the roof had too long love with that. I couldnt sleep before because of all the holes i need, but tonight ill sleep. Secondly, again, the, the 10 family also has their own house with a got in a grow chinese ginger, also called fingerprint upon, is related to ginger, but the taste is inclined to spicy. The root is used as a spice and tie. Kerry added china as an additional tongue to use if can give card. Its good for iraqi arms and legs. Bad headaches. And theres an i o d. Goodman. Goodness, a few of the plans granting just behind the 10 families house and how do we pick them up with all the root . So a lot of the we also use the leaks ok. How many we cut the roots into slices and drive them in the sun. The chinese ginger originally comes from the mountainous regions of china, but today its growing across most of south east asia. Once a year, the time the families sounds almost veteran tile hobbies to china because thats where they on the most money and they can live well from it. This also saves the time, find me the trip to the markets in the capital, which lies if you kilometers about the south along the river. The v n t on is located directly on the bank. So to me calling river. Its a charming city with its many temples bustling markets and historic buildings. Traditions are preserved alongside them old mountain way of life. The Fashion Design of va income lives in the city. First, all sounds top quality wave ensconced, closing, and bags made of silk. Or idea to combine the old with a new has been a great success. No, i used to, we have traditional patterns, but then i realized that everyone does that. So i wanted to design patterns that would be interesting for tourist like what now i make modern design that incorporate traditional allow patterns and motif backs that done for kids. They she designed the items on display here south. The income is one of the most successful business women in the capital. And pat, this is a traditional allow pattern that lies pin at the top. Its traditional, but ive combined it with a new modern style at the bottom. And the patterns on the soak still go together and say, uh my customers like the style be and it sells. Well, look inside my organs. I know how many boom, nice to a need the va income sounds please type. Its gone for the equivalent of about 200. 00 us on affordable to most laotian that have popular susan here with taurus customers and my store come from all over the world. But most of the scarves i explored are to japan and america. And the produced right in the backyard, a 1000 women sit that their lives. It takes one person about 2 weeks to make want to be expensive. So sconce, when i come from the ethnic group, red tide in northern allows. In the past, women were taught to prepare themselves to leave home and become good wives. They had to learn to weave and cook. Since women received no schooling, finding a good husband always depended on how well they could bring them in from home. In plucking the va income takes good care of weavers and make sure they have everything they need. Ive been working on this car for 6 days so far. I love working the va income is a member of the allow handicraft association. Its important to have that pool of female work, as a sub quoted under that work is paid valley fund via income expect good work in real time. She always overseas, the production of the scouts. How south, what happened . You have to do the Quality Control very carefully. Leading is not that easy for me to sell the scarves. Well, every centimeter needs to be correct. The income has been recognized internationally for the quality of a watch. And shes always got new ideas in the pipeline. On the coverage, i would like to open many more stores with young people who are a creative and motivator despite the setbacks of the pond and make loud says make good strides to comp, poverty and hunger over the last 20 years. The. Its also a country of great beauty, rich culture and serenity. The theres an old long problem that says the whys do know terry. And those who hurry us, celtic wise, the he paints castle pen is b. And man, look under the browse the clear internet stones and gifted artists. The new nationalist government is attacking him vehemently. Get under a terrorism using his canvas as a weapon to fight for gay focus on europe. In 30 minutes or d, w, the little guy. This is the 77 percent. The platform for advocacy issues and share ideas. The, you know, or the senate will be a north of bridge attach and then you get the top of the applicants population is really fast. The young people clearly have the solution. The future is 77 percent. Every weekend on dw conflict crises around every single connection mapped out shows the do you see the on the board is what makes things the way they are. All the solutions mapped out, navigating a changing world. Now on youtube, the, this is, these are the news and these are the top stories for us. House of representatives has approved a bill that could lead to a bad on the social media platform. Take talk, the bill could false tech talks, chinese own a to sell the platform will face having it removed from us up stools. Legislation goes to the us senate, which faces an onset to in the future. You know, made because of a proof, the worlds 1st Legal Framework on artificial intelligence, it aims to guarantee the safety and reliability