Trekking day trip in the Kengtung valley, Shan State, Burma

February 27, 2008

first a few errands on the way out of Kengtung town....

'None' thinking he was mailing a postcard to his mom in Thailand

our guide taking us to buy salted fish from the market for villages we were going to be visiting...

selling brooms in the market

we happened upon a Lahu wedding on our way up the valley. Here they are cooking tons of food, which we were obliged to feast on....Our guide had been in the 'forest army' with the groom. I'm sure they have LOTS of stories....

Jeff giving some marriage tips to the groom

men hard at work mincing the pork

the bride and groom

up the trail....

a tin-can and bamboo water wheel

beautiful white 'dok sieow' in bloom

first sight of the Eng village...I have never heard of this ethnic group before. Apparently they may be related to the Wa, and in the Mon-Khmer language family....


being greeted on our way in....

...with the Akha village on the next hill over

weaving a table

our first view of an Eng woman, and was she striking!

two words: BLACK lips!

Eng women trying to sell their weaving and jewelry

looking down on the Kengtung valley

the village religious shrine

Eng village shaman. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to see his drum....

Eng weaving loom


village water supply system

...to the bathing spigot

some kind of manual wood press, perhaps for seed oil?

Eng beauties

a micro-hydro plant

arriving at the Akha village

lunch!!

impressive headdress

candy handouts

giving salted fish to the village

after that, Jeff was made Lord of something...

3 crosses leaving the Akha village gate

Akha elegance

seed drying. I think Jeff scored about 10 new vegetable species on this trip...

view over to the Eng village

interesting poster on how the Christian denominations all evolved out of the Catholic church

Young Eng girls resting after hiking broom grass 6 hours down to the valley. Another 6 to go to the market.

Jeff tests his neck strength! about 40 pounds?! SNAP!
now try that downhill in flipflops!!

'flowering orchids'

OFF to a Palaung village

'None' on his new tractor

making a mini-guitar

and a little performance

Palaung silversmith

backstrap loom, using her legs and back to tighten the weave

'hey you mister, 3 dolla' (actually 3,000 jyat)
how can you resist this face?

the dream farm

a Palaung woman with her silver and rattan jewellry and belts

sustainable housing--the model for Jeff and Sarah's new farm house!

dry season irrigated paddies in the Kengtung valley

enjoying the end of the day at the villager 'beer bar'