Tucked away in amid rolling green hills of Northeast Laos, bordering China, are scattered villages of the Akha people who live in the hills under conditions the U.N. would call "extreme poverty."

The Akha people traditionally grew OPIUM for income but now they have turned to tourism. That's how I got a chance to visit a village in 2002, with a eco-guide.

The excitable children greeted me first with acrobatics....

To my relief, they didn't beg for pen, photo money, or medical supply -- which is common for any "touristed" village in Laos because its come to be expected from visitors, many of whom give too generously.

I think these children did not yet know that they were extremely poor.  They just wanted me to play with them.

Okay...

ready for an interesting story about the Akha?

The picture you see here is the official MATING  spot where singles come to meet other singles    --->

There are many children because the Akha are polygamous and take a reckless attitude towards sex - which may or may not be related to the opium-habit.

I am NOT the expert but I am told that the little extra hut you see here is for the sexual exploits of the young women ...

... and after that expectant mothers are locked in there with some opium, to deal with their labor pain.

Here's the sad part.

Abandoned mothers are sometimes forced into prostitution or  to give away their children.

for more information on the AKHA people, go to this wikipedia.