Ban Bouam Phieng lies at the crossroads, where the side road to Luang Namtha meets with the new main road from China to Thailand. The people are Lao Bit, a very small sub group.  This gentleman is called Mr Sand, and was born in 1915, which made him 88 when I took this portrait. When his grandson visited my house in Vientiane recently, he recognised his grandfather, and confirmed the man is still alive at age 92 now.