Fun in the rice fields

Laughter abounds in the rice fields of Muang Sing

Having fun in the rice fields was our motto during our trip throughout Laos. Everywhere we went, people were out in the fields planting rice stalks in small teams or larger groups such as this thirty-strong all-female team we located on the edge of the town of Muang Sing in northern Laos. Whenever we could, we stopped the van and joined them for some banter and our inept attempts at flirting in Lao, which went down particularly well with this group. Numerous proposals of marriage and more bounced back between Tim and myself and the girls, up to their knees in mud, but never without a smile on their lips as they worked themselves into a sweat under the hot sun. After they completed their day's work, chasing them across the rice paddies accompanied by shrieks loud enough to pierce your eardrum will be a memory that will remain for a long while.

The girls put their backs into planting the rice stalks

Its all about attention to detail and spacing between the stalks

More smiles in the rice fields

The final field is just about to be completed in time for dusk

We gave the girls a chance to negotiate the ponds before we gave chase