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All of a sudden I find myself being drawn to the old folk. At least when it comes to photography. Or maybe that should be only when it comes to photography. Old faces just seem to have so much character. It’s as though the person’s entire life has been mapped on their face. There is a life in all those wrinkles.

Even more astonishing than my fascination with the ancient, I seem to be drawn to little kids now too. And that would definitely be only when it comes to photography. The old folk thing I can understand. The kids, hell I don’t even like little kids. In any case, I’m only sharing a few shots of old folk with you in this post. And in my defense on the young: I still think every baby ever born in the world is a homely little thing. So when I get around to posting the kiddy shots, they won’t be of babies.

old lao man

. . . and still a backpacker.

You know this guy has had a rough life. I only saw the previous ten minutes of it though. That’s how long it took him to climb a rather lengthy and steep set of stairs leading up to a wat in Luang Prabang. Stairs are big in LP. They’re everywhere. You can’t avoid them. I didn’t look this worn out by the end of the trip, but sure felt like it. I know LP is a Heritage City, but I think they could still put in a few escalators every now and then. If not for me, then at least out of pity for this old local dude.

money shot

The Money Shot

You’ll see this ladies again I’m sure. I fell in love with their greed and shot a few dozen photos of them over the course of a few days. They had a stall, or I guess technically a blanket, at the morning market in Luang Prabang. They sold betel nuts tied in fanciful baskets. Most of their business was to other vendors. They seemed to have cornered the woven betel nut basket wholesale business in town. And were making a killing. But to keep things in perspective, that basket of cash is holding about $20. But still a tidy sum for locals in Luang Prabang. And I bet they hired someone to carry them up the stairs to the local wat, too.