Below the pics of the German group did the trekking in Xishuangbanna during the period of July 2010. The trekking has not much technical skill as the itinerary is the same that the local people step everyday. Our stop point will be in the village each night so there is no need to take tent or cooking things. We stay overnight at the local people’s home and eat with them.
The altitude is around 1000m-2000m, so it’s not hot during the summer. The main route is in the original tea tree mountain.
In the mountain area of Xishuangbanna, i have visited many schools. It is said that some small village school will be closed and students need to go to the far center town school. It means many of the children need to live in the school when they are 6 years old.
I heard from the teacher that Dai students love to go to school but Aini and Lahu students are not so eager to go. Some of them even can’t undertand the chinese. They have their own languages, but they can’t wirte it out with letters. They can only speak it while learn it from their family.
Since we have done the students’ project in Hekai 2008, in the mountain area, almost all the school masters know world challenge team. And they hope this kind of thing can be continue carrying through as much as possible among the mountain village schools there.
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In Hekai, we stay overnight in Dai family. The main crops here are rice and sugar cane. Every morning, the local people will put on a conoid hat to the field. Of course, people here are in manual dexterity, they will produce rattan things. This morning, I learned to basketry-bamboo basket. Local Master Yu Kang taught me the very basic skill.
About half an hour later, I made out a very simple basket; my teacher Yu Kang comfort me that I have done it well.
On the way to Menghai county, we passed a large paddy fields which have been repairing the road between the fields had a better road situation than 2008, so transportation is not a problem now even in raining season.
In the half way, we meet the elementary school principals in the schools. Once he worked in Hekai School, and last year he was maneuvered to this larger school. The appearance seems good, but the furniture (desks and chairs) is quite shabby.
Here you can see some children dressed like monks. In fact, the custom here, like Thailand, the boys must go to the temple before the adult some time, because first place to learn something is in the temple in the past and it’s a kind of custom there.
One section on the road with both sides has very tall tree with yellow flowers. It feels like driving in xinduqiao. Feel like in the fall.
Passing Menghai, we go straight to mountain area, one the road we can see Shuhu Village far away. As the vehicle roadway and trekking routes are different. So I
Only saw a rough outline but not experience it on my own feet. The mountains of the roadway is narrow, very suitable for mountain biking, motorcycle riding.
Evening we reached the final point, the Nannuoshan Hani village. We has our own base there
.On top of the village, a local cottage made by hand through 2 years hard work. We often carried out where the outdoor training activities.
Since it is Aini family (Hani), of course, live based on tea plant and make Pu’er Tea.
As each family has very good ground, people there are very wealthy. Their lives are basically very rural. When you visit that place, you can involve in their daily life which is filled with tea culture.
From the hill overlook the Gasa Airport, the night sky is very beautiful.
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In the morning, I got up very early and go out to visit the local village in Xinbanzhang. Fortunately I saw the flag-raising ceremony of a local elementary school the morning. The students in this school are mainly from Xinbanzhang Village, and there are two Burmese, Lahu minority students basically do not understand Chinese. The school was divided into two classes, one with 1 to 3 grades; one is 4 to 6 grades. There are only three teachers. Schools have computers, TV satellite lid, etc., but the teacher said, these things are discarded by government and they pick them back. Now it seems, all the stockade of the primary schools have combined to the center school (larger school), and if so executed, then many children from first grade will begin to live on campus, and the growth of the child or the teacher’s work is a big challenge.
After breakfast, my host is very glad to shows me his old tea tree garden, so we drive the 4×4 vehicle up to the mountain. The road is very suitable for off-road vehicle and motorcycle, the dense vegetation on both sides, due to relatively high above sea level; it’s not wet, feeling very cool and dry. Not too much moisture, bamboo leaves are stepping scratched the ground, is a very good trekking routes, small off-road vehicles and motorcycles’ driving circuit.
As the trekking route is walked by the local tea farmer everyday except in winter, it has a very clear path, lush foliage on both side, old tea trees group among the original great trees which have vines off by each other, the ecological environment is very harmonious. There are a lot flowers and fruit (and even wild blueberries).
Although the road is clear path, we still need a local guide leading the way, because the many places are seems similar on the way.
We drive back to Xinbanzhang village to have the lunch and in the afternoon, I followed the locals to go the tea mountain (This time I go another trekking itinerary not vehicle drive road). This route can be used both walking and mountain trails Motorcycle roads. From Xinbanzhang Village to their tea garden there was about 20 minute walk. Then I have experience two hours of picking tea twig activities. Beneath the cool breeze blowing in the shade, I became love this places and the sounds of wind finger the trees.
Starting from the 14:45 pm, I decide to do the trekking from the tea garden to Laobanzhang, about 2 hours of walking around an average elevation of 1700m.
Xinbanzhang village – Laobanzhang village is 8 km, walking time is about two and a half hours – three hours or so. Basically walking on the ridge, I went uphill downhill intermittent. In the jungle where they have a very significant country lanes and off-road vehicles road, but very few vehicles go there.
Old Ben is still Hani village chapter, the more affluent villages, basically covered the new villa, every household is established cement house, and wooden house was relatively rare.
After arriving at Laobanzhang, our 4×4 vehicle was waiting there, and the I travel from Laobanzhang- Hekai Dai village on vehicle,
Around Heikai is the big barn located in Xishuangbanna, living there are the Dai people. Dai Minority is some kind like the Thailand people, they love a clean and they are very hardworking people. Because their hardworking, some people build their new house with new concrete, and toilets are very clean.
In 2008 WCE volunteer team did the project in the Hekai school, volunteer activities, as was more successful, so the schools by the local government’s attention once again built up a new classroom building for the students there..
Since the time we arrived the evening and sunset is very beautiful, color is pink. With fertile fields, the campus playground formed very beautiful patterns.
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