Kengtung Native Villages
We wore hiking boots or Tevas each day, depending on whether our guide, Toe, thought it was too steep for Tevas. Toe always wore his velvet flip-flops, muddy or not, steep or level, but I'm always sliding into the mud. It is inappropriate for men or women to wear shorts and sleeveless tops...we made do with T-shirts and lightweight pants (capris for me).
The villagers also hunt birds, and in one village, a stuffed wild cat hanging over their entrances were the epitome of decorating chic.
A steep path led us to the first Ann village, Nat Min Khaung. The people here are still Animists, dress in traditional black costumes and paint their teeth black. (That sure cuts down buying or using whitening toothpastes!) They believe it is better to be black on the outside and have a pure heart inside. The Government donated a Buddhist shrine (with statue) to convince the villagers to convert to Buddhism, but no luck so far. They are still Animists.
black teeth
There are pigs, chickens running all over the village, and if a pig manages to escape, everyone races to recapture it because of their value. One pig headed for the hills while we were there, and they can really move! These pigs weren't going anywhere.
time for a snooze
The food in Myanmar was a combination of Thai and Chinese-style cooking. Breakfasts were always Western-style. Everything was really good, we never got sick and managed to gain weight. Never had to resort to our cans of Tuna and candy.
The villagers would look at us, we would look at them and marvel over their clothing, earrings, headdresses - they work in the fields, and do chores dressed like that, every day!
hauling wood
earrings
After our daily allotment of villages, we'd slide down the hills and wait for our vehicle. Umbrellas to keep off the intense sun.
A massage would sure hit the spot about now......
