Some trips along the Mekong

Our first trip to the other side of the river was a couple of days ago, but we've been busy "experiencing" and had no time to blog. The first one was a spontaneous jaunt. We hired a boat and he waited to take us back. We didn't know what to expect, except that there was a cave to explore and a couple of wats.
Well, our self -appointed guide turned out to be a 10 year old boy who could give Trump a run for his money. We followed him to the cave - where he pointed out the Buddha. Missing some limbs and a head - no problem. This was a place he wanted us to discover, even though it was in seriously bad shape. The cave goes on and on, and gets darker and darker. The flashlights he gave us were dim and we gave up after awhile. He led us to understand that although we had paid for the boat, and for "admission" (his family had a stand at the dock), he wanted money. So John bargained a good deal, and everyone was happy.
The next day I headed out by myself on a more organized jaunt to some caves, 1 hour and 45 minutes by boat. The trip was very relaxing, and the countryside just kept getting more dramatically beautiful, with mountains and farms.
I made friends with a DC lawyer, Karen, who just happens to be a member of the Supreme Court - didn't know you could do that. She's full of good stories. We formed a team on this interesting journey, and all four of us wound up eating dinner together last night.
These caves were kept in good shape, with lots of religious artifacts to discover along the way. There was lots of climbing to do, and the views from on top were delightful.
Then we got back in the boat and stopped at a "rice whisky village". I didn't taste any, but I was amazed at the extent of this settlement. Silver, textiles, food - everything was organized in booths in a large marketplace. Yes, I wound up buying stuff - 1 scarf from each person who said "Please Madame, I go to school." There is poor, and then there is "poor". Yet people were smiling, and seemed happy. That seems to be a theme here.