We went into Ohn Ne Kyaun, a village, to get a glimpse of daily life. We had passed by a lot of villages as we floated down the Irrawaddy River. Some are clearly larger than others but for the omst part you see the same things. The houses are primarily built with bamboo. Thatched leaves or tin is used as the roofing. Pigs, chickens, cats and dogs seem to wander at will. Ox are regularly seen but tied to something.
There was a certain amount of electricity but we were told that it wasn’t enough to power a washer and dryer. It was typically used for lights and radios. We didn’t see any flat screen TVs or Xboxs and no home entertainment centers.
There are bikes and sometimes motorcycles but no cars. Kitchens were outside with meals cooked over a fire pit in clay pots and woks. In some of the towns there wasn’t running water. Women carried the water up from the river and gathered firewood to cook with.
We were first greeted by the kids. The tour guides asked why they weren’t in school. It turned out that there was a pagoda festival which made it a school holiday. The kids were playful and sang us a song and were asked to sing back Frere Jacques and the kids joined in. As we wandered through the village, the kids loved to pose for pictures and loved seeing their pictures when we showed them their pictures.
There was one little girl who loved to hold hands with some of the guys. She would just attach herself During one stop she let go of the hand so that she could pick her nose. I laughed and thought, I am the glad I am not the guy she has attached herself to.
I really want to go back and visit one day. Hopefully I’ll get the chance and go with my folks to show me around.