N 27 A Trip to My Hometown

Day 2  (5- 9 – 2012)

We left for Kali at about 9:30. If the road is smooth it will take only a jiffy for the 7 miles distance, but this 7 miles take longer, about 30 minutes. We stopped at Sydney’s mother’s place for sometime having refreshing drinks and snacks with 2 small cute children Naw Nawand Sai Kham Herng to entertain us.

After sometime we went to the monastery where preparations for tomorrow’s merit making ceremony is being made. U Sai Tun Mya and some village leaders held a meeting there to discuss some developments for the village. Nang Lao suggested that we go to her village mamely 7 miles village because it is 7 miles from Takaw bridge and have lunch there. She would call her relatives to have lunch prepared during our travelling.

So we took off for 7 miles village. People said that the road to Takaw is better than olden days. So we we expected to travel on a good smooth road. But the reality is the opposite of our expectation. Besides the rain was falling and the road was wet and muddy. Takaw where there is the mighty Salween river crossing bridge is about 21 miles from Kali. We passed some small villages while travelling on the rough road which eventually winds downwards when we were nearing the Salween River. The Salween river is called Nam Kone in the Shan language, and so the mountains here are called Loi Kone (loi is mountain) and they are so big and towering over the valley. There are small and big waterfalls in every bend of the road. We saw narrow and long waterfalls falling down from surface of the mountains. Some which are far from the road looks like a thin white line only, but those that cascade down to the road looks like real waterfalls.

 Although the road from Takaw Bridge to 7 miles village is really only 7 miles we thought it took us 7 hours to reach there. Beside the rough road hunger and the wet weather made us feel depressed and tired. At last we reached Nang Lao’s house which is on the side of the road and had seen better days as an inn and eatery. She told us that cars were full on the side of the road and they had to sell food until late at night then. But now that the road is better the place is no longer a place to rest and sleep for the nights.

Nang Lao had bought fishes on the way and she told us to wait a little until the fishes were cooked. They were the Salween River fishes which I sometimes longed to eat. The flesh is yellow and it is very delicious. I had eaten a few times in the past and my wish is going to be fulfilled now. Really when cooked it tasted so good that comments were given about it especially the fried fish which was better than the soup. The other vegetable curries also tasted good that we ate to our heart’s content.

After resting for some time we left 7mile village. We got to Takaw Bridge first and while waiting for the other cars to arrive had a chat with the army officer and the engineer who are posted there. There is a weighing machine there which detects Lorries for excess weight, which is the main cause for the deterioration of the roads.

A few miles from the west end of Takaw bridge we took a rest at a shop in Panglang village which happens to be Sai Shwe Hla’s (one of my fellow teachers ) house. He had gone to Kali and was not at home but his wife treated us with some refreshing drinks.

 We reached Kunhing before 6 pm in time for the closing of the bridge.Although the distance we travelled was not a long one, because the road is rough it had made the journey into a tiring one. But I felt satisfied to experience it because we cannot do so if the condition doesn’t permit us. Thanks to Nang Lao and the whole company (only 2 males) that we made it a day to be remembered forever.