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Published: January 5th 2006
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My main concerns this morning were to make sure I got a good shower since I may not be able to bathe for a couple days and wondering if my Chronic Fatigue will be an issue on this trek. Here is the outline of what we are supposed to expect:
Day 1 - 14 kilometers, all uphill - a 1300 meter climb; stay the night in an Akhu/Lisu combo village
Day 2 - 6 kilometers, some uphill - a 700 meter climb; stay the night in an Akhu village
Day 3 - 10 kilometers, all downhill, sometimes steep; van ride back to Chiang Mai for hot showers and real beds!!!
I am really only worried about making it the first day, so I hired a porter to carry my packpack. I am sure glad I did! Most of it was OK, but there were a few areas that were so steep, that I am sure it would have taken too much out of me and I would have jeopardized having the ability to finish the other two days of trekking. The waterfall at lunch was beautiful and we made it to the first village in plenty of
Our Porters
They deserved every Baht they got for carrying our packbacks up that mountain! time to take a VERY COLD shower, well, not really a shower, mainly just rinsing off our nasty sweat. It was very hot during the day, but gets quite cold at night.
Once we got as clean as we could, some Lisu women set up a craft shop for us to buy a few things, then after dinner Akhu and Lisu children performed for us. They were in their traditional outfits and performed some songs and dances for us. These kids were so much fun. After they performed, they jumped at the chance for us to take photos of them. The key with this though, was that we had to have a digital camera so they could look at themselves after we took the picture. If we didn't have a digitial camera, they didn't want their photo taken. One little Akha girl became very fascinated with Sherry and I and wanted to take us to meet her family. We asked our guide if this was appropriate, since none of the adult villagers came to greet us, and he said let's check and came with us. Mom and grandma did not seem very happy with their little girl. They didn't
On Top of the World!
We finally made it up the mountain, and this was the view from where we were to be sleeping that night. want us there, so we left. We did get a peek inside the door to check out how these people really live. The Akha houses are made of bamboo and palm leaves and are only one large room with a dirt floor. When we had the chance to peek in, the family was sitting around a fire making crafts.
When we got back to our cabin, there were several Lisu women waiting to give us massages for 150 Bhat/hour (approx. $3.25) - Of course I took advantage of that! The massage was nice, somewhat relaxing, but you could tell these women were not professionally trained. It was still very relaxing after a long day of trekking. Actually, I was prepared for quite rugged conditions, but at least at this first village, they have a fairly modern building constructec specifically for trekking groups. Real sitdown toilets (no squatting - yeah!!!), something that resembles showers, and nice, but very hard bunks. They even provided blankets in additional to the sleeping bags we had to carry with us. Supposedly it gets real cold here at night, but so for I don't think it is too bad. We'll see when I am sleeping.
One other observation I have made so far, is that the Akha and Lisu housing is very segregated, although the kids have no problems playing together. The Lisu housing uses more modern materials, such as metal walls that make the buildings look like pole barns. The Akha still use nature to make their houses. Based on this, the Lisu seem to be more affluent than the Akha, but this may also be a lifestyle choice of the Akha.
The adults of the village have not yet come out to greet us or have anything to do with us, so I am not quite sure what to think of the village as a whole. It seems that although they live in very modest housing and lack most of the conveniences we are used to (i.e. hot water, real toilets, heat, indoor plumbing), they do have cell phones, the school has a satellite and access to the internet, so they are not completely shut off from the rest of the world. From what I have learned today, the cell phones, satellite, electricity, and internet were originally bribes from the christian missionaries. According to our guide, several years ago, there were
no roads to these villages, therefore less contact to the outside world and life went on as they knew it to be for thousands of years. Christian missionaries came in with promises of an easier life if they convert. They were enticed with electricity, roads to the cities, and other modern conveniences, so now, as a result, many hilltribes are Christian communities. At this point in my reflection, I must note that although I do have personal views about what certain missionaries do, but I do not wish to impose any of my opinions in this blog, only state what I learn to be reality. You can make your own judgements to yourself.
OK, I am tired and need some rest - I will continue updating this blog in the morning as I wait for our next adventurous bus ride back to Chiang Mai (hopefully puking will be minimal now that we know what to expect 😉. I have to keep you in suspense anyway - can't give you all the stories right away! See you in the morning 😊
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