We were in luck as the 5 day market was in Kalaw this morning which doubled the size of the town. Every 5 days it moves to another location and all the locals and ethnic tribes bring their produce in to sell or trade for other goods. It was a myriad of different people, colours, fruit, vegetables, fish, eels, cooked goods, flowers, clothing etc. It's quite amazing to think these people cart this stuff around every day to a different location. Apparently it only takes place during the dry months when there is not much work happening on the farms. After wandering round the market we started off on our trek to see some of the ethnic hill tribes. The boys were a bit nervous about how far we would have to walk. As we were getting to the edge of town it started to spit with rain and was looking very black, so Mandy jumped on the back of a motorbike and went and bought 4 raincoats from the market. Needless to say we didn't need them.
We started off on a red dirt road which had turned to sticky mud overnight with the rain, and wasn't particularly interesting walking. There were also a couple of groups of other hikers. The boys amused themselves by making and throwing mud balls, but Michel soon picked up that we would prefer to be on the small tracks and we cut though a tea plantation. The views would have been stunning but there was still low cloud around.
We stopped quickly for lunch as the wind was very chilling, but it was an excellent lunch of Dahl, chipatas, soup and avocado salad. It was starting to clear when we headed off again and the views were becoming more spectacular of the rugged,steep peaks, covered in either forest of some sort of plantation. The boys started what they termed 'adventuring' where they would take a small track and head off on their own route and meet up with us a little while later. Michel, was a relatively quiet guy, but obviously knew the area and luke in particular enjoyed chatting with him. We saw a meditation centre on the top of a hill peak and decided to go and have a look. There are quite a few of these around, up on high peaks. They are generally occupied by a priest and on Sunday's locals go there to meditate. Very small and basic brick buildings, but first class views of the surrounding valleys.
Shortly after we entered our first village, which was in mourning as the head monk who was 80 had died the previous day. We were invited to go and view his dead body laid out for 7 days in the monastery, but declined thinking it was not very appropriate (although the boys were quite keen). We walked on to the next village where we were invited in for tea at the local head of the villages house. He was not around but his lovely wife was. It was a basic but comfortable house, built on stilts and made of bamboo and teak wood. Bags of tea for selling at the market were piled up inside as well as bags of rice. A small area set aside for the kitchen where fish was hanging over the fire being dried. The boys are attracting quite a lot of attention in the villages as I don't think they're used to seeing younger kids on the treks.
After tea we headed back out on the road and followed this for a while before cutting onto a small trail through the woods. Michel told us there are still wild pig and deer in the forest, which although protected are hunted by the local people using muskets left over from the British. We enjoyed working through the forest and it was now a sunny afternoon, although still a bit chilly, with some spectacular views. Michel stopped to pick some ginger to make tea for Mandy's still persistent cough. We then headed down through some rice paddies and past water buffalo, up the train track to a beautiful village where we were staying with a family for the night.
We were ushered into a large room that had a small table for sitting around the floor and 2 mattresses in the corner with big blankets in the corners. Much cosier than expected. Liam and Mandy went for a walk around the village whilst it was still light. The people were very friendly as we walked around. A farmer was upgrading his house by making more walls out of weaving bamboo. Most of the houses are made out of bamboo, a very useful plant that grows quickly and big in this area. Kids were playing at the playground in the school and a soccer pitch had been made in one of the dry rice paddy fields. Mandy had fun videoing the kids dancing and singing which they would be in peals of laughter as she played it back to them. A serious hacky volleyball game was being played by the younger men at the top of the rice paddies, they are very skilled. The village is nestled into the side of a hill, on the edge of 2 valleys. It is surrounded by vegetable gardens, fruit trees, bamboo, forest and rice paddies with a monastery at the top of the hill. The people seem very happy and appear to have everything they need. They are from the Tayo tribe. As the sun dropped the temperature dropped rapidly and we headed back to our village house. An amazing dinner of 6 different dishes was served of various forms of vegetable, rice, curry chicken, finished with fruit. One of the best meals we have had in Myanmar. As promised very delicious hot ginger honey tea accompanied it. It was now getting very cold. There was a small overhead electric light powered by hydro electricity apparently. We turned in early grateful for the big blankets. It was very quiet outside.
Location:Kalaw
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