Use the links above to see more photos.

The Klondike, it's not. But there is "gold in them thar hills" - and some of it washes down into the River Ou. With prices nearing $40 a gram (that's about the weight of a paperclip) these locals can augment whatever little their "day jobs" bring in.

In the 20 minutes we were here we saw them came up with a few dozen tiny specks of the yellow metal. The Laotians are big believers in luck. And as any prospector will tell you - that, and patience, is all it takes.