Great Smoky Mountains

Short family trip to Tennessee and North Carolina
Quatre jours en famille dans le Tennessee and North Carolina

Abrams Falls Trail:

Asheville Arboretum:

Smokemont Loop Trail:

Alum Cave Trail:

Blue Ridge:

View from Grandfather Mountain / vue du Mont Grandpère :

Pakse (2)

Rice field on the way to the village where the training took place
Rizière sur la route menant au village où se déroule la formation

The Mekong River - on the other side, the Da Kho island.
Le Mékong - sur l'autre rive, l'île de Da Kho

Cooking class in the afternoon: caramelised fish and papaya salad
Leçon de cuisine l'après-midi : poisson caramélisé et salade de papaye

Chinese Association building in Pakse:
Bâtiment de l'Association chinoise de Pakse :

Notice at the airport:

Pakse

I've left Paksong and the Bolaven Plateau and its chilly temperatures for Pakse, on the Mekong River.

J'ai quitté Paksong, le Plateau de Bolaven et ses températures fraîches pour Pakse, sur le Mékong.

Vat Thaluang

View from the Souphanouvong Bridge on the Xe Don River which flows into the Mekong River (the muddy river in the background)

The Mekong River

little shops on the riverside

Shopping centre

Hotel Pakse (where I am staying)

 View from the hotel rooftop:

Paksong

After 5 days training, quick visit of a farmer and his coffee plantation. Coffee seedlings were imported by French in 1920s. This farmer's father planted coffee plants.

training room and restaurant

coffee farmer's house

trap to attract and get rid of the coffee borers, a parasite laying eggs in the coffee beans,

The harvest season starts in a few days

coffee bean infected by borer

hotel and moon crescent

Pakse to Paksong

From Pakse on the Mekong River to Paksong on the Bolaven Plateau in South Laos taking Road 16.

De Pakse, sur le Mékong, à Paksong, sur le Plateau de Bolaven, dans le sud du Laos, via la route 16.

French product promotion in a local supermarket
promotion de produits français dans un supermarché local

Stopover for a coffee from the Bolaven coop - we also tasted local tea.
Arrêt café dans une coopérative de Bolaven et dégustation de thé local.

Tad Gneuang waterfall
Chutes d'eau de Tad Gneuang

coffee plantation

view from my bedroom
vue de ma chambre