{"id":4753,"date":"2021-03-10T15:22:24","date_gmt":"2021-03-10T15:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/?p=4753"},"modified":"2021-03-18T11:44:20","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T11:44:20","slug":"a-village-blacksmith-in-the-lao-highlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/a-village-blacksmith-in-the-lao-highlands\/","title":{"rendered":"A village blacksmith in the Lao highlands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The scent of wood smoke hangs in the air. Children play in the dusty soil. Small pigs, chickens and dogs wander at will between the wooden houses. And inside one a blacksmith is at work, shaping a machete over glowing coals.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is Phou Taen Khamu, home to some of the Khamu people, one of Laos\u2019 minority ethnic tribes. Its wooden houses are built on stilts, for protection during the rainy season, and each has a detached kitchen building.  These kitchens mark out the village as Khamu; their neighbours in the next village, who are from the Ikhos tribe, have interior kitchens.<\/p>\n\n\n