It's like being in the middle of a 360 degree postcard. There are huge limestone karst formations climbing straight up into the clouds with lush verdant valleys below. There are large areas of rice paddies everywhere. Water buffalo and cattle roam freely amongst the lowland vegetation. Villages are small.
Bicycles seem to be the main mode of transportation.
Tacraw is popular in Lao. Tacraw is a game like volleyball except the players use their feet and head to volley a wicker ball back and forth across a chest-level net. It isn't easy to say the least. We will return to do this second river next month. Sometime in the future, we hope to paddle the Mekong below the falls.