Afternoon all,
Just back in town after a week in an Akha village. Chose the above title because it really isn't Thailand up there, it's clearly the home of the Akha. The village is at the very north of the country - you can just about see the Burmese border from the hilltop - and the whole way of life is different. I was staying in the Akha Garden Logde (sic). This may sound like a holiday resort, but is actually three mud huts on a cattle farm. Everyone here lives in houses made of mud and straw, yet they all have electricity and huge TVs. It's the usual incongruous mix of the traditional and modern that happens when an indigenous people interacts with the outside world.
The Akha have their own language and customs, and saturday was the start of the pentannual Aqkaq Zahl Festival (Akha Culture/Religion Festival), where I got to watch a great deal of traditional dancing and music-making. It's especially cool watching something like that when you've been getting to know the dancers for the past week. The Akha make pretty much all their equipment out of bamboo, and I've been joining in with the carrying of this huge old plant up the hillsides, plus chopping and cleaning the stuff for use. All great fun, if a bit exhausting in the heat (April is the hottest time of year here).
Frankly, the Akha don't need any help, so I'm not sure why there's a voluntary programme here. Nevertheless, it's been an amazing experience getting to know their way of life; I've eaten dog, snake and lizard, drunk the potent rice whisky and played the traditional wooden bagpipe-like instrument (I wasn't very good). I'm in AFECT for about another three weeks, and to let you know how far away I am: here we're six hours ahead of you, and the year is 2551. Work that one out...
Dan xxx
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