KOPPELQUESTS - Photo Gallery 3/5/2004

page 1 of 5

At the start of our boat trip on the Mekong River	Another entry in our humorous English translation contest!	Our captain	Passing by a "fast boat" station. These boats scream down the river, and passengers must wear helmets. The sound is deafening, and we've been told that your ears ring for hours after a ride on one of these.	Washing clothes in the river
"Mekong Weed" drying in the sun along the river. It's been seasoned with garlic, tomatoes and salt. This is a major crop for several villages along the river.	On the shore of the Mekong	This woman was collecting Mekong weed to be brought back to her village	This is another woman who collects the weed. She must clean and rinse it extensively by hand before it can be arranged for drying. She told us that she can make 20 pieces of dried weed per day, each selling for 1,000 kip (that's 10 cents).	Three happy children in the lowland village of Ban Mouan Kham, the first village that we visited today.
This woman is arranging weed that her husband collected. This family told us that they can make 100 pieces per day, for a total sale of $10. Unfortunately, the weed season only lasts for 3 months.	This is the woman's daughter, who also helps.	Some of the village's finished product (these have all been seasoned with garlic, tomatoes and salt). After it's dry, the weed is fried and served as a tasty kind of cracker.	The village's temple	Typical lowland village homes