Across the Bamboo Bridge

Early in the morning, I set off from Luang Prabang, to the edge of the river Nam Ou, where a steep path leads down to a bamboo bridge across the river. At the river's edge a ticket seller sits in a little bamboo booth, selling tickets to cross the river. On the other side, up a steep, narrow path through vegetable gardens and bamboo forests to a village. A dirt track leads to another village, where many of the households have big weaving looms. Women weave complex patterns with amazing agility. I stood watching, fascinated for a long time, but could not begin to describe the techniques they were using.

Early in the morning I was the only westener in this weaving wonderland. Beatiful woven designs were displayed in most of the houses, shops and even warehouses. A woman showed me how she made paper out of mulberry bark, saoking it in water, then pounding it before spreading it out on racks to dry in the sun.