The tap needed a shifting spanner to open. The hotel staff had a tap handle.

Water tanks full. Loo cassettes empty. Ready for more challenges.

Breakfast first, and a bit of planning.

This is to be our last sighting of the Mekong.

Not so much river traffic this far up. It also changed its name to Lancang.

In the center distance here is a brick kiln. A very conventional looking one (at least to our unpractised eyes).

The dance was conducted at a fast walking pace which would have tired us out.

Dai minority dance.

Dancing reminiscent of R, a Thai friend in Brisbane.

The dancing involved various moves with the hair.

Not sure if its the quite the same but at least has very long arms and a beard.

The elephant museum was interesting.

Now we know that there were once elephants in New Zealand (but not Australia).

We couldn't find anyone to ask "are you sure?".

Just after we'd eaten we were invited in for a meal. Bother.

We sat outside for a chat later.

The family had tea, coffee and rubber trees. Husband, wife, two children plus grandmother.

The children knew what sweets are.

Hillsides of them.

And coffee.

The extent of the tea gardens allows us to call it "industrial scale". Far from cottage industry.

The bananas are in the bags on the trees. Just like in Aus.

So far in SE Asia that has not been the case.

Almost instant. Pick a bowl, put some noodles in, transfer to hot water, add a few veggies, serve.

We passed a driving school. This is one of their many vehicles. We lost count.

First practical lessons are in roads inside the driving school compound. Later, several students at a time are taken out on real roads.

Since there is little family history of driving, or even car ownership, in China the driving schools have to start assuming no knowledge or experience.

Difficult to see but the tar mixture is being raked by hand, held and guided by one person but pulled by several.

A strange (to us) mixture of mechanisation and manual labour.

The steam to the left of this truck is from water sprayed on the brakes for cooling. Probably also cools the tyres.

The trail of water left on the road was useful for knowing there was a truck somewhere in front.

We couldn't hear any evidence of exhaust brakes.

The roads and hills are considerably different to what we are used to. One stretch of expressway was continuously downhill for 27km. 

All in 4th gear for the Tardis fortunately and not a hint of temperature rise.

4th gear again.

Nearly missed the speed humps at the bottom of this hill. The bus slowing and wobbling alerted us. There were several quite vicious bumps which successfully slowed the traffic.

A huge feat of engineering anywhere in the world. High on the side of the valley.

The valley was already quite dry and stark. Not sure what happened to the vegetation.

It even looks more stark than the surrounding valleys in satellite photos.

There was some dredging in the river.

This time a minced beef dish and a bitter melon dish.

With rice and tea, of course.