Riding in tiny dugout canoes, we cruised the Mekong at the border, looking for signs of the elusive Irrawaddy Dolphin. We saw only a few fins, at a great distance. Not much of a photo opportunity. Yet the excursion did produce an image rich in color, which expressed the spirit and customs of the people in this remote corner of Southeast Asia. The small dugouts were decorated with hand-painted bows such as this one, painted in bizarre combinations of red, blue, orange and pink, with a touch of deep green for good luck. We may have returned from our Dolphin search empty handed, but an unknown Lao boat painter did leave us with this colorful, and lucky, reward.