This might not be the most idyllic spot for swimming, but it didn't spoil the children's fun. Ali, Freda and Edie spent the afternoon at Lao Yang's grandpa's house in the countryside north of Simao, eating BBQ yak and honey straight from the hives. When I joined them in the evening they took me down to the pools to see where the ducks, now much larger and with feathers, are living. They gave up trying to catch the ducks in favour of swimming, fully clothed, in a muddy pool. Xiao Yang (Lao Yang's younger cousin), dressed in lovely white sportswear, was in deep trouble with his mum when we retreated to the house in the pouring rain and was promptly washed under a hose. Lao Yang was also worried about getting a beating and begged me to let Freda have another sleepover at his house. She returned this morning at 8 am, reassuring me they there was no violence.