Here’s a quick quartet of quirky transport from markets in Laos.

There is always a rare assortment of vehicles in various states of disrepair, laden with anything from fruits and vegetables to ducks, chickens and pigs.

Whatever it is, it’ll fit on a motorcycle.

It’s ant egg season. The markets in Laos, north and northeastern Thailand have an abundance of them at the moment. A good source of protein, they are used in soups, curries and salads. The shots here were taken at stalls in the rural town of Pak Lay in Laos where ladies had their harvest of eggs laid out of pages ripped from on school books instead of banana leaves.

There were two types for sale, the more common plump red ant eggs known as kai mot daeng (top picture), and the smaller darker coloured kai mot hai (above). Both type of ant build their nests in trees. I really like the larger red ant eggs added Lao style soups. More on this dish in the near future.

A woman cooking up breakfast dishes of pork, soup and sticky rice on three charcoal stoves in a morning market, Luang Prabang, Laos.

The fresh markets of Vientiane are colourful, chaotic and full of characters. Shoppers, and photographers, are spoiled for choice and there are many markets to explore.

Most open either in the early morning and are done by 11 a.m. or in the late afternoon and stay until dusk. Of course there are also several markets specializing in cooked food that open around 5 p.m. until late.

There’s an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables imported from Thailand and China, but also masses of local seasonal produce.

You’ll see plenty of plenty of foraged food, rice field crabs, and insects.

When fried and garnish with pepper, kaffir lime leaves and fish sauce, the grasshoppers and smaller crickets make an excellent beer snack. Just think of them as a land shrimp and get stuck in.

Unfortunately a lot of vendors are now mixing powdered soup mix in with the crickets to enhance the flavour, (essentially heaps of salt and MSG and other stuff that shouldn’t be allowed near a tasty fried insect), so watch out for this.

There’s a considerable Vietnamese population in Vientiane so you’ll also see ladies selling treats like duck embryo.

The majority of Lao people still like cook at home (although the cooked food for sale in the markets is definitely increasing). and many shop for ingredients twice a day.

The most popular meat is pork but a considerable amount of beef is eaten.

There are some impressive butchery skills on show. Thankfully it’s a world away from the sterile supermarket experience which has yet to reach Laos (although I hear it’s coming very soon).

No Lao meal is complete without fish and the Mekong river delivers an astonishing variety. Firm favourites with diners are the fat-rich catfish.

It’s not often I give an image the black and white treatment. I prefer portraying Asia in full colour.

However, every now and again a face just cries out to be converted; like this old lady in the market.