Chompet

Went over the river to Chompet, one dusty day before the mango rains fell and brought the mountains out of hiding again. Walked through a hot, stuffy cave, made a dreadful pot under the sympathetic eye of an 11-year-old professional, and found the world's smallest waterfall--a trickle of single drops making a track through the bushy greenery the leftover dry season damp was supporting. The waterfall will be a cold, crashing stream again in a few months, but for now it's just a tiny tapping in the forest--and a good site for teenage parties. When we arrived, six young Lao people had parked a few motorbikes in a circle under the shade of the tall trees around the waterfall's stream. They had one ipod plugged into a giant amplifier and were sitting within inches of it, blasting Thai pop and drinking Lao Lao from a plastic water bottle. We were invited to have a swig as we left. Somebody's family makes some good moonshine--that Lao Lao was smooth. Maybe the kids know something after all. 

Thanks for the photos, Don Wright! (http://www.donwrightimages.com/)