Pakse, Southern Laos.

After I returned from Champasak, I still had half a day on the bike, so I ventured over to the Dao Huang Markets, or morning markets, which are about two kilometers away from the city center, near the bridge across the Mekong.

Selling Meat

This is normal selling meat out in the open without any refrigeration. It happens all over South East Asia, Indian sub-continent, South America. Just about everywhere except for the developed world.

Wild vegetables

I am not sure what these are but they look like wild vegetables or bush tucker as we call it in Australia. Lao collect weeds along the roads and creeks to eat quite often.

Dried blood

This is dried blood from slaughtered animals. I have eaten some of this in noodle soup in Thailand, not knowing what it was. I wish I did not know. I guess it is a bit like what is in Yorkshire pudding or black pudding but I am not all that sure.

frogs for dinner

Ribbit!

Slithery catfish

A bucket full of slimy catfish for sale. For the carp, they aerate the water, so you are getting a really fresh fish when you buy one. It is still kicking.

Buying veggies

This is how you buy the veggies for the family.

Chillies

Very hot ones. They usually bake them and put them in a sauce called a jeow. It is very strong. You only need a little bit and it is hot enough.

Sleeping on the job

This is very common to see people having a sleep in the middle of the day. They get up really early before sunrise and go to bed early as well.

Vegetables for sale

Here are your standard salad vegetables. You get a nice fresh salad when you order a noodle soup. I always eat up my greens. They are yummy.

Poultry

I have a feeling this might be turkey because of the fatty bit around the neck. Not sure.

Bark

I thought this might have been cinammon at first but it was not. I think it might be used as some sort of medicine.

All that glitters

There are heaps of these shops selling all this rubbish. I think it is suss. The colour seems wrong to me. I saw this guy electroplating some jewellery earlier, so I reckon that is what it is. Just don’t tell the missus.

The aftermath

The big mess after everyone goes home. Some crew come and clean it all up and the process is repeated tomorrow, and the next day, ad infinitum.