The men are also the only ones who can drive the buffalo teams in the paddies. Women are not allowed to touch the animals. In some planting operations I saw as many as five or six teams of oxen (another name for the water buffalos) working the same large paddy.

This is the technique for smoothing the paddy. The teamster stands on the smoothing board and leans back slightly to push the board down into the soil and mud. This treatment makes the bottom of the paddy even so the rice seedlings will all be planted at the same height relative to the surface of the water.

This was the line of women planters that I first saw when we entered the broad field from the road with it's lovely views to the north.

I took off my sandals and put down my Nikons and looked for a place to join one of the smaller teams where I wouldn't be in the way quite as much. I wasn't sure if they would even let me plant but it was almost too muchfor me to resist trying as it looked physically demanding and difficult and I wanted to know what it felt like to do it for hours as the women do season after season.