This was my color setting for SR06. I could see white streaks across the tips of the tall rice plants extending out of sight. These were probably the L&B and Mother Mekong logos. Thep was walking point. We were about ten yards apart. It was slow going because even here on the “road,” we had to push our way through chest-high grass and shrubs. It wasn’t much different from virgin jungle. I had never given a lot of thought to how these five-star sites operated. To cut emissions to zero, no internal combustion engines were allowed. Active Ground Cover certification meant no paved roads. The “road” we were on was about five yards wide. The only difference between it and the surrounding forest was the height of the undergrowth. The grass was full of insects—no defoliants or pesticides were allowed here. Naturally all the insects were theoretically harmless to SR06, but the sight of them buzzing around didn’t make me feel as if we were on a road.
