The Akha people are very shy about having their photos taken, some believing that you take part of their spirit away, but Akha villages are always full of curious kids, and though they were a little scared of me and kept their distance at first, a bit of larking about and letting them play with my binoculars soon had their parents gathered around having fun. After everyone seemed happy that I was there, then I tried to take pictures of the kids first. Akha women wear their traditional clothes here: usually a loose black tunic edged in red and yellow, a short black skirt, and a headdress decorated with coins, keys, and any other bits of silvery metal they can find—and it's them that I wanted to photograph. Some of the villages are more used to tourists and their cameras, and I could take a few pictures without too much problem after a while. In others, the women would scuttle into their huts and hide when they saw me! Unfortunately, some tourists have come to Muang Sing after hearing of the Akhas' predilection for smoking opium. Walking out of these villages to others further up the mountains, I didn't have the problem of the people thinking I was there just to smoke. I was viewed with as much friendly curiosity as I had about them. Now, if only I could speak Akha!