Today 2nd June
We were to have done a very long six hour walk with the driver taking us to a village about 10m away and us walking back across the hills and rice terraces through several villages to the guesthouse! We decided thankfully that this was not a good idea and decided to take a walk to the next village walk of about 90 minutes each way. We set off down a steep stone path in a direction away from the path we had taken yesterday and soon we were right in amongst the rice terraces and there was no one about except for us. Up hill and down dale we were both suffering from the heat even though it did rain at time. Tone still coughing well.
We saw a lady picking vegetables as Helen calls everything that is green and is not beans. Helen asked her for me if I could take her picture as she had one of the cloaks we had seen before which is made of palm and is warm and waterproof. See pics. The lady agreed but not before straightening
her hair and her hat and taking off her glasses. This lady who is working miles from anywhere and still cares about how she looks for the pics is fantastic. She is eking out a living by growing two crops alongside each other. Vegetables like pak choy and Corn. She will take her vegetables to the market in the village where we are staying, as you have realised a difficult walk, and she will set them up beautifully arranged on a little stool or table and hope someone will buy them.
We climbed up to a lookout where we rested and I decided Tone had had enough. It did not take any of us much persuading to agree that the walk back to the village would be enough for us for one day.
And another treat was in store for us.
You may remember when Helen picked us up from the airport she sang some of her minority groups folk songs to us in the car on the drive to the hotel. She had promised to sing some more and this was the perfect spot. Surrounded by the most astounding views she sang several songs and then played on her gourd flute. Again haunting sounds and in a perfect place. She has only learned to play the flute over the last 2 years and is very good. It was a lovely musical interlude.
And then another treat was in store for us
We started to walk back to the village and as we went we saw more and more people working in the rice terraces. Helen said she had never seen so many before and we stopped several times to watch. One man mending the banks of the terraces and cutting little notches in the bank to let the water cascade down into the next level. A couple ploughing together. She pulling the plough and him pushing it. They had a pole between them hooked onto their shoulders to keep them the correct distance apart and both wearing the cloaks made of palm leaves we have seen before. And then a man ploughing using his water buffalo. They were all working in terraces which were very narrow. The water buffalo just made two passed through the terrace and it was done!
This was the first day of the planting season and so we also saw some farmers planting the rice as you will all have seen on the telly
An amazing sight.
Then the fourth treat.
As we neared the village we heard fire crackers in the lower part of the rice terraces. Helen was beside herself with excitement. A wedding she said and clapped her hands with glee. We are so lucky she said again and again!
And we were. It is the custom when there is a wedding for the brides family to process round the rice terraces in a single file. The town band leads with various instruments. They were not as pretty as Helens gourd flute! Then the band is followed by the ladies all in their best costumes which are white embroidered cloth instead of the black they wear to work in. The bride was about fourth in line and they all had red umbrellas. There were at least fifty of them all walking round the rims of the terraces in the mud!! and the occasional rain! Following the ladies were men carrying boxes on bamboo poles between them. The boxes were laden with presents. Then more people carrying presents of wine, rice, the local bacon which is black with being smoked and is VERY fatty! Then I think Dad and a few male relatives . Every now and then there would be more fire crackers as they walked. Up through the terraces, down through the village they went. They were going to the grooms house to meet his relatives before the wedding. Helen could not describe what the rest of the day entailed but to see this was again brilliant. And Helen you are right it is beautiful, and we are lucky.
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