Page 66 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL11

Trekking around Kalaw can be a wonderful experience. All you need is a good pair of trekking shoes, some trekking gear and preparation, and the will to interact with the local peopleyou walk at least four hours a day and end in Inthein, Tone Le or Thandaung villages close to the lake. The trip can be shortened to two days with car rides replacing parts of the trek.Levels of difficulty range from easy to moderate and you are more likely to climb low and high hills than steep forested mountains. Trails take you through valleys with sweeping views of tea plantations, rice, wheat, potato, sesame, green vegetables and chilli, dotted with farmers bearing woven bamboo baskets on their backs. While the landscapes from June to October are rather green, winter, lasting from November to February, shows the post-harvest colours – dark brown of the soil, red of the chilli fields, green of lettuce and white of the snow pea flower fields.The trails are dotted with tribal settlements. Those closer to town and on the plains are more modern, withhalf-brick, half-wooden houses, solar power generators, TVs and satellite dishes, while those higher up can consist of bamboo huts depending solely on daylight and candles. Most villagers still wear traditional clothing, and the geography around the settle- ments allows them to grow different types of crops. The Paluang, in red tunics, and the Danau, living higher up, subsist on corn, cotton and logging. The Pa-O, in black tunics and red head cloths, mainly produce chilli. And the Taung Yu of the plains are industrious growers of rice and green vegetables.Trekking around Kalaw can be a wonderful experience. All you need are a good pair of trekking shoes, some trekking gear and preparation, and the will to interact with the local people. The beauty of the nature and generosity of the locals will amaze you.64 Elite+