A Birthday in a Hmong hilltribe village

Shower time

The one pony

My most enthusiastic pupil

As with all touristy tours one is never sure that it is going to be at all what you expect it to be but I'm pleased to report that this one was wonderful and surpassed my expectations. We travelled by mini van about 50 km along the river and then were dropped off with our guide, myself and another charming young Swiss couple. We trekked about 4 hours before we reached the first village, which was a small village of about 200 people and the first building we came to was the school and of course you've guessed I couldn't resist going to have a look. There were about 15 children sitting at the desks but no teacher so a perfect opportunity for me! I sang a few action songs and most of the time they stared and were wondering what this mad woman was doing but towards the end they started to join in and the 3 year old boy that had come along with his big brother thought I was hilarious. I gave them all stickers but I wished I'd known before how much they needed.They had a blackboard and chalk and no paper, pencils or books as far as I could see and I suspect the teacher only turns up when he has nothing else to do in the village. The village was surrounded by pigs, cows, ducks, hens, dogs and there was a heavy aroma of cow dung. Since it is the dry season everything is very hot and dry and there was a lot of preparation going on into repairing roofs and burning the land in preparation for the rain in April/June. There was a very small dirty stream running through the village and some mothers were trying their best to wash their children but with everything so dry it was difficult. They were also peeling the bark from the mulberry tree and drying it to sell for paper in the market which they apparently get about 5 euro per kilo.

The girls aren't so sure!

Our homestay

Preparing mulberry bark

We set off again, up much steeper terrain and eventually arrived in our host villages about 4 ish. Much of the land had been cleared and so there was very little forest left but around the villages there some which is protected now. There were actually two villages on either side of a hill where the school and meeting room were built. One being only Hmong and the other village mixed Hmong and Tai Dam.The first thing that we were told to do was wash which you can imagine we needed. So off to the wash area with everyone, through the forest and down to a stream where  - us two girls were given a sarong and were told we could have 2 buckets of water to wash and basically left to get on with it. There were women, men and children all washing together and no one looked or paid the slightest bit of attention to us which was a relief as washing under sarongs is not something I have ever done. Someone helped me for my final rinse of cold water and afterwards I felt so refreshed and rejuvenated. After a hard days work and everyone is washed, then it is the time to relax and it was a lovely sound to hear, people chatting, children playing and some of the men playing the cross between volleyball and football game also played in Sabah. We wandered around the villages and said hello and people were polite but obviously used to these odd white people wandering around their villages. The Hmong tribe have not been influenced by Buddhism and believe very much in the spirits. We were allowed to go into the Shaman's house and saw the many objects used to ward off the spirits . At dusk we went back to our hut and were served our meal of sticky rice, chicken and vegetable soup and other vegetables which was delicious. We then sat and chatted around our candle and went off to our mattresses about 9. So not the wildest birthday celebration that I've ever had but very memorable.

The future generation off to work

These villages were different to the first one we had visited and I realised why in the morning as we had come the long way round and there was access by a track to the road which only took 2 hours.   The headman owned a truck where they could take things to the market and buy other items. The villages were well organised and there were animals everywhere but also beautifully kept vegetable gardens. There was one generator in the village, owned by the headman and it was switched on and about 40 children and adults squeezed in to watch the TV in the evening. I suspect it won't be too long before there will be more generators and their village life will change. We set off in the morning with a group of teenagers who were going to work in the fields. There were a few that had mobile phones and had their ear phones in whilst carrying traditional tools and baskets. These young people only have 3 years of schooling and then their future choices are limited I imagine. I wonder what it will be like in a few more years. I felt that these villages were very similar to the villages in Sabah where many have been touched by modernisation now but some more isolated ones are just on the turning point.

Lunch time

Before the other tourists arrived

The rest of the next day was also memorable but apart from saying that we kayaked for 4 hours down the Mekong through amazing scenery it was uneventful but wonderful and not too tiring. The last part of the adventure was perhaps the most disappointing .The elephant ride in the jungle was an elephant ride around a track with no jungle in sight but the worst thing for me was I was with a couple from UK who wanted the whole ride videoed and kept waving and commentating about where they were and what they were doing. I wanted to disappear so if you see a grumpy lady not smiling on a video of an elephant ride - that is me! So enough for today but I have much more to tell. Tonight I'm getting the sleeper bus back to Vientiane and with a very heavy heart will say "au revoir" to this beautiful place and people. I will be back.....

A charming Hmong lady who seemed pleased to welcome me

Young farmers