“Climb Every Mountain”
We set out around 8:00 this morning, our trek only slightly elongated because our bus wouldn’t start to take us to the starting point. No matter though, as we got to see a little more of the town on our way out. I was so cold last night as the temperature is much lower than it was in the Delta area, so I packed both my jacket and sweatshirt. It turned out this was a mistake as it only added weight and the temperature rose quite a bit throughout the morning. Perhaps they will come in handy tonight.
I realized from trivia of our guide that the pines I have noticed in this area are actually invasive species (*insert freak-out here!*), which were introduced by the British and now are the dominant species of tree on the mountainsides from what I can see. The forest here is protected (rather vehemently) by the government and there is a three-year prison sentence for cutting a tree in this area. I find it ironic that the invasive forest is protected, but so goes the logic of the world these days….
Hiking in the mountains is so refreshing and truly inspirational for me. Call me a dork once again, but it reminds me of “The Sound of Music” and I have been singing “Climb Every Mountain” the entire way.
When we stop for water breaks, David often gets on his soapbox about some environmental or human rights cause- once he gets going, he doesn’t stop and for those of you who know David Radcliff- his orations are mesmerizing. He’s definitely committed to his cause and very successful at getting his point across to many people. At times I find him to be a bit radical, but then when I think about it- that’s kind of the whole point. When you’re fighting to help other people in tucked-away, “insignificant” places in the world, you have to be radical.
We stop for lunch at “The Viewpoint,” which is a small restaurant at the top of a mountain. The view here is spectacular and we eat lunch in small pavilions looking over the mountains and valleys below. Lunch is excellent and actually one of the only meals that has not involved rice. Instead we are served freshly-made tortillas and a yellow spread made of potatoes, pumpkin, and chyote. We are told to spread this on the tortilla, wrap it up, and eat it. Very tasty!!!
“the secret is optimism”
Our guide, named Jimmy, looks about 50 years old yet he scampers up and down the mountainside like he’s 25. –actually, younger than that because he has a lot more energy and stamina than I do. At one point, he asked us to guess how old he was. I believe we began guessing around 50- at his prompting, we kept going up and up ….turns out he is 68 years old. Gracious! We joked that it’s the constant mountain-climbing he does almost every day, but in response- he told us his secret is “optimism.”
At another point, Jimmy turned around as asked us if we like Obama. Of course there were several mixed feelings within the group with some “yes’s,” “no’s,” and “kind of’s,” and we asked if he liked Obama. He said “yes!” –the Burmese all like Obama, he says because “he brings lots of peace.”
You’re out hunting and you spot a pig & a tiger. Which do you kill first?
At another point, Jimmy gave us this riddle. Everyone in our group said to kill the tiger first, since it seems more dangerous. I went for the pig- I figured the tiger would then try to eat the pig, then you could kill the tiger too. Turns out I was right (score!=), but my reasoning was faulty- for one thing, I was imagining a domestic pig- pink, curly tail, pretty innocent….. Jimmy’s idea of a pig was more like a wild boar. According to him, the pig: is looking to kill the tiger and kill you, the tiger: wants to kill the pig and kill you…. but the key here is the pig can run faster than the tiger. (we were surprised, but Jimmy claims tigers are actually slow and clumsy- who knew??) So…..you shoot the pig, the pig is injured, so he gets really angry- thus the pig runs wildly at the tiger, goring him with his horns, so you have succeeded in killing both animals with one shot- more dinner for you!
Honestly, I would quietly back away because I would try to shoot the pig, miss, and get mauled by both animals. But then again, neither am I native Burmese…..
Changes in Scenery
We began this morning hiking in mountains covered in pine trees and underbrush; then we crossed into a valley of rice paddies and vegetable fields and suddenly it was like we were in a rainforest jungle. There were no more pine trees but instead a great variety of tropical plants, trees, and vines. There was a stream below us which I am sure provided moisture for this climate. The trail/road was paved here and very navigable.
After lunch we found ourselves hiking on hillsides and mountain ridges. Although Moe and Jimmy claimed they were only “gentle slopes,” some of the trails were very precarious, narrow and sloping steeply on each side. There is a variety of crops grown here and it amazes me how steep the slopes of the fields are. We didn’t see any planting or harvesting but I am sure it is difficult navigating to do so. There’s certainly no way to utilize a tractor here…..
The Hilltribe Area
While the mountains I am used to are tree-covered and practically untouched by human development, the mountainsides here are a patchwork of fields. Hillside farming is a way of life for the people who live here and although I find it a fascinating landscape, there are actually many environmental drawbacks to this practice. Because land is cleared and plowed on such steep slopes, erosion is more severe than in other areas and a very large problem for the region. While all of the crops we saw being grown and harvested in the Delta region were rice, we found a wide variety as we hiked through the mountainside fields- tea, mango, bananas, papa, wheat, peas, and lentils.
“Dancer Down!”
I must pause one minute to celebrate the one-year anniversary of D-Day. (a.k.a. Dislocation-Day) One year ago today, I dislocated my shoulder while dancing at a basketball game and spent months of frustration in rehab- today I enjoy a full range of arm movement while Katie jokes that I will jinx myself and fall off the mountainside because I am recognizing D-Day at all.
Turns out I didn’t fall off the mountainside, but at the end of the day the arch in my right foot is hurting from walking the slopes in hiking sandals. Little did I know that it would later swell up while dancing and land me right back in athletic rehab, just in time to kick off the spring semester. I will have to start being wary of the 17th of January- it’s like the Ides of March or
something……
Gathering Firewood
One of the main causes of deforestation in the world is due to the need for firewood. This is a huge problem, not to mention that the smoke from wood fires in many homes is a leading cause of death due to respiratory illness from smoke inhalation. One solution to this is to make charcoal, which emits less smoke, but takes up to five times more wood to make- which then leads to more deforestation. This provides a segue for me to talk about the lifestyle of Palaw women and other hilltribe villages here…..
It is the women’s job to gather enough firewood for each day. They carry baskets on their back which is held in place by a strap on their head- thus the full weight of this basket is on their head and neck. I don’t know how much this pains them- it certainly makes me feel rather wimpy as I often complain about the weight of a ponytail….. As we were discussing the gathering duties of women, our guide pointed to a hilltop over yonder and said that is often where they would travel each day to gather wood. It was at least three miles we decided, and more than we had traveled already today- one way. Our guide also told us that if it’s in the evening and there is not enough firewood for the night, it is expected that the woman to go out and gather it- no matter what time it is…….
One of the solutions that has been come up with, but not yet put into motion, is to plant an orchard of trees for firewood. These trees would be fast-growing so they could be cut down and replanted as firewood is needed- this way the women would not have to travel so far to gather and it would not contribute to so much deforestation.
Palaung
We are finally here- extremely dusty, sweaty, sunburned, and tired. As Katie put it, “we actually earned our dinner tonight.” We are sleeping in an upstairs room of somebody’s house tonight, so we had to clean off before we were allowed to go up. There are so many children in the villages here. From what I can see they are mostly unsupervised but I guess it is a small village. Jimmy said they get colds from the season change and we can see this is true because their noses are running. They are shy but they watch us and inch closer as they feel comfortable. Not unlike me when I was little=)
“All the children of the world”
We had an hour before dinner to explore the town, so Katie, Kay, Aubrey, and I began a game with the children of toss-and-catch with the wicker ball we bought in Kalaw. It was funny to see the children when we tossed them the ball- most of them ran away at first until they understood the game, then came back and joined the circle.
We realized through this that really all children are the same no matter where they are in the world. They like to play and they like to be a part of the fun. Some stand back and watch, and some are eager to take part in the action. It reminds me of “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” I loved that song as a child because of the tune but I am finding a new meaning in the words in meeting these children.
Made in China
While we were waiting to eat, we had another informal meeting with the people who live in the house. This is where we met Daw Peit. Daw Peit is a very outspoken woman, animated and enjoyable to listen to. She told us the story of how, to help her sewing, she saved and bought a small handheld sewing machine for 5,000 kyats. ($5) After only a short time of using this device, (which looks a lot like a stapler) it broke and is now completely useless. Jimmy’s comment was “it was made in China.” We thought this was hilarious- I didn’t know they used that phrase in other countries too! Daw Peit says that if the women had at least one sewing machine for the entire town, it would help so much, but there are no funds for this.
David bought the useless handheld sewing machine from Daw Peit for 5,000 kyats so he could take it home and show it to people. She was very animated in telling him he was crazy because it was completely useless.
Through this meeting, we began to formulate a plan for NCP to help provide funds for a sewing machine and training for women to learn to use it. Jimmy already has plans to hold a town meeting when this happens to make it clear that it is for public use, but only with knowledge of how to use it. He has evidently thought this through- very smart!
Thoughts during the meeting
I think of a book we read for history class last year- “Guns, Germs, and Steel,” and I think of the author’s explanation of why certain parts of the world developed and exercise power over others. It’s amazing that people live like this, but its intriguing and sad how it happened.
It’s so exciting to be on this trip because it’s not only touring a new land, but breaking ground for new programs which will truly help these people.
Dinner by candlelight
It is after (a very large) dinner, which included French fries (surprise!) and avocados (of which I found I am not a fan). We are in candlelight, everyone is chatting or writing, and some are animatedly teaching Moe to play Uno. I so enjoy these people- no matter who I sit by at dinner or walk with hiking, it is always a good time of fellowship.
Shooting stars
The stars are so clear and beautiful here and absolutely incredible! Because there are no city lights to obstruct the view, the nighttime sky is spectacular. A group of us spent time looking up at the sky, pointing out constellations, and finding shooting stars. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a beautiful night sky as I have here. We could even see the Milky Way.
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