Our guide, Min Min, showed up on time, ready to go. BTY, turns out he's also related to the families, of course.
We headed right into the hills.
Although there had been a little rain earlier, we wound up with a very nice day, with an occasional overcast keeping things cool. I liked the patterns in the hillside fields - in this case, tea, oranges and some banana plants.
After about an hour and a half we came to the first (Ywathit) of two Palaung villages, that Min Min said were of people who had migrated from Cambodia during the killing there.
We went into the village, and met some interesting people:
I stopped to photo this neat old house...
and this traditionally-dressed lady popped into the window, nodded that I could photo her, and struck this pose - no request for money.
We happened upon these folks producing brooms from local grasses...
and they kept up quite a banter in the Palaung language while they worked - some of which I'm sure involved me.
We had been able to hear a school from a mile away, and when we arrived found a rather raucous scene, including what appeared to be some actual lessons.
This little gang didn't seem very interested in the lessons...
but they did mount a spirited assault on my pockets, looking for mo mo (candy) which I of course did not have. Min Min toned them down with some watermelon seeds.
We also stuck our heads into a house, where these guys...
were in some kind of confab with the village head man, who looked like a village head man.....
but broke into self-conscious little grin when Min Min translated my comment that he was an impressive man.
The second Palaung village, Tar Yaw, provided a contrast, being larger, and obviously wealthier - those are one (nuclear) family houses.
The obligatory lunch stop is at The Viewpoint restaurant, run by the descendants of Nepali Gurkha soldiers who had been in the service of the Brits but stayed around after independence.
There was a view....
that included the ridge in the background of this next picture, beyond which, according to Min Min, opium is cultivated by the Palaung and another minority group.
Min Min fixed a meal that showcased the abundant fruits and vegetables from the Kalaw area.
On the way back, in fact all along the way, there were little items of interest:
Solar panels for satellite dishes...
fruit trees and other plants, here a fruit called "crystal" in the thorny green hulls...
that is used for childbirth, constipation, and biofuel....
some young monks cutting poles for a Buddhist festival...
the Kalaw reservoir, which is fed by a spring and is 80 % pure...
and, as we returned to Kalaw, a temple with a bamboo Buddha.
and a teak one.
The 9 mile trek at 4000+ feet (lot of up and down) drained my energy and trashed my knees. I'm hoping they both recover enough that I can manage to get through our second trek tomorrow.
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