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| Lahu Outpost: Life at the Top |
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Scenic view at the Lahu Outpost
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Some things are worth climbing a mountain for, and the Lahu village outpost is one of them. While it is possible to drive to the village during dry season -- being jostled about in a four-wheel drive -- it's almost more comfortable to trek there. A jungle hike is just the thing to work up a healthy appetite and on reaching the crest that these Lahu call home, sweating and panting with the effort of your climb, you are rewarded with a spectacular view of Thailand's northern mountain range.
From Rifle to Plough
Life is basic at the Lahu Village. Small wooden houses are built into the hillsides, with interconnecting paths created by the trampling of busy feet. As you might imagine, making a living at high altitude is hard work, and these people just manage to get by.
The Lahu, who originated in southwestern China, arrived in Thailand about one hundred years ago, via Burma. The Lahu originally made their living primarily as hunters, but shrinking game stocks and primary forest have made it impossible to sustain their lifestyle forcing them to make the rather painful transition to farming.
So far they haven't been all that successful with it, due to a lack of experience, and it is quite common for Lahu to make a living by hiring their labor out to other hilltribes.
Making New Friends
But for all the difficulties of earning a crust, the Lahu are a happy and curious people, if a little shy. New arrivals in the village find that children scamper away to observe strangers from a safe distance, and even the adults have trouble meeting their eye. But those staying overnight at the basic but comfortable house built for visitors, will find they soon overcome their shyness, and are quite happy to sit with the guests after dinner around the fire, singing songs and dancing. It might be a good idea to brush up your rendition of "Tears in Heaven", "I Will Always Love You", or perhaps "Edelweiss", because the Lahu insist that visitors sing at least one song from their homeland. Fair is fair, and there's no reason they should have to provide all the entertainment.
The village grows quiet at an early hour -- though most guests are more than ready to curl up under the blankets by that time, listening to the random symphony of the jungle, tasting the crisp air, and wondering if maybe this is the way we were intended to live.
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