Hiking into the past
The border area of Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam and China is known for the various communities of minorities. Hiking trips to visit the villages of these people are offered in all of these countries. However, most develop fast. For a long time hiking trips start from Chiang Mai in Thailand. Vietnam and China already are modern countries. Even in Laos, although like Burma still a very poor county, I did not expect to see traditional village life.
Village people
Children take care of children
Nevertheless, after I had arrived in the charming historic capital, Luang Prabang, after sitting in a slow river boat for two days, I decided to go on a little organised hiking trip to visit some of the local communities just to stretch my legs. More than 30 years before I had done a similar hike in the north of Thailand and I wanted to see how life had changed.
The trail
There was a tour on offer which already had four participants and I was allowed to join spontaneously. My hiking companions all were members of a family from Utah. The son and his girl friend were on a tandem cycling trip around the world and his parents were visiting. We got a ride north on Lao national road 13 along the Nam Ou River to the starting point of the trail. On the way we passed a huge construction site. Like in other south east Asian countries the Chinese also built huge dams in Laos. It brings money to the country and electricity to China, but will change rivers, countryside and traditions forever.
From there we started a long hike up the side of the valley through second growth scrub-land and through villages of the Khmu and Hmong people to the village of Ban Mokchong (which is not in google). On the way we had an opulent lunch served on banana leaves, which the guide had carried along.
The village of Ban Mok Chong
Surprisingly we ended up in a village which was not much different from what I had seen in 1982, many years before in the north of Thailand. Simple wooden huts, no electricity, water from a common village fountain and a simple fenced in space for washing, where the local kids curiously peaked through the straw of the fence. Pigs and chicken were roaming the dusty village streets. The long blond hair of my hiking companion and his laptop were an incredible attraction for the local kids, which were definitely not used to outsiders and computers, although there a school on a plateau above the village. While we explored the village, our guide butchered a very skinny chicken and prepared our dinner. The tour agency had announced an incredible night deep in the mountains living for a night as the mountain tribes have for ages before. So, in the hut, the family prepared compartments separated by blankets and covered with mosquito nets for a quiet night of sleep.
However, for a village without electricity this turned out to be no quiet night at all. Apparently somebody had built a new house and they celebrated the completion with a big party. A generator was used to supply energy for the music. I had the feeling the party went on most of the night.
Drinking the local beer with straws from a common cask at the house warming party
The next morning I walked around and found the new house. A couple of women invited me in. There, a whole group of them, including babies, were sitting around big pots of self-brewn beer. Long straws were stuck in the broth to drink. They not only put a straw into my mouth but also indicated how much the level of the content of the jar had to decrease from my drinking. The stuff was not really comparable to ordinary beer, but I complied since I did not want to be unkind.. Fortunately the guide found me and told my hosts that we had to leave, otherwise this would have ended in a serious drinking contest.
Screens are unknown here. They are a big attraction
Every television crew, photographer or tourist visiting such places contribute a little bit in changing them. Doing that myself and in particular talking or writing about it always gives me a bad feeling. The first impression is that these people are happy in their traditional life and should be left alone. However, they also have the right to good medical treatment, education, clean water and a happy old age. Tourism brings a little money to the villages and has its advantages. I am not sure that these people live a better life in times, when all travelling is banned and there is no income from visitors.
Our little hiking group
No comments:
Post a Comment