Tongba nights ................Tongba, or also known in other places as ‘Bamboo’ I discovered this local brew for the first time whilst on the Singalia treck. One night I was invited to join our guide to congregate around their fire and join with them in a bit of a Tongba drinking ceremony. Since then I developed a taste for this mildly alcoholic, special brew. I found that it varies from place to place, subtle differences in taste and strength, so you build up your own personal liking to a particular variety, that becomes an interesting evening pastime, to seek out these seemingly secret drinking dens, taking you down secret allies and dark, backroom corners. I never found out why, but there seemed to be some sort of black market, taboo sort of feeling about it all ... read more