The Mekong is the lifeblood of southern Laos, providing a source of income and food for people throughout the region. In Champasak, rice farmers live in elevated houses among the paddy fields that flank the river. Every year during the rainy season, the river breaks its banks, flooding the low-lying paddies with the nutrient-rich waters that enable the rice crop to flourish. Just beyond the paddies, at Wat Phu,
frangipani flower offerings are made by local craftswomen. They’re bought by visitors who leave them as offerings to the religious deities housed within the beautifully adorned stone temples around the ancient site.