Visiting a Traditional Lisu Village in Mae Hong Son Provence

     Ploy and I just traveled to Mae Hong Son Provence. It was a dangerous 4.5 hour motorcycle ride from Chiang Mai.

    The locals have affectionately called it the road of a thousand hair pin curves. That is not accurate, there are over 1,800 tight turns over the course of 175 miles. The jungle surrounds both sides of the road, and mountains tower over most of the sky. The scenery is spectacular, however the drive is not for anyone who gets motion sickness. I promise.

     One of our very good friends recently had his first child. His wife is from a small Lisu Village, outside Bang Mapra, Thailand in Mae Hong Son Provence. Lisu People are a hill-tribe group most distinguishable because of their traditional clothes, or costumes. They wear very brightly adorned shirts, and with many colors, and make all of their own clothing.

     The village of our friends wife is home to about 200 people, most of whom are related. I was accepted to join the festivities, and talked with both the old and young. Lisu speak their own language, as well as Thai. My friend does not speak Thai, so I was able to talk with his Father in law and translate for him. Lisu are an an extremely kind and hospitable group. It was a special occasion to meet so many of them in their own town and not to feel like a tourist who was just shipped in for a brief photo op.



     Please enjoy these pictures from a Lisu Village we spent some time in, and celebrated one of our close friend's having a new born son. In honour of having a firstborn son, they held a large party for everyone in the village to come.

     A full grown wild boar was killed and cooked for the dinner's feat. It was made into four different meals.

     The raw pig meat was cut into many tine pieces and pounded by the ladies of the village, into a raw pig meat and chili spicy appetizer.

Here is nice girl that we met and talked with a little. She is in 10th grade.
That is traditional Lisu clothing that she is wearing.

Many children watched as the women prepared the meal.

Here are different pieces of chopped meat being prepared to be
cooked in oil on the wok.

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A prized rooster!

Discussion over how much chili to cook  with the pork.

Here are the kids, watching the mountains in the distance and snacking on
fried pig meat.

The soup was amazing, and filled with fresh vegetables.
Their broth was to die for.
A truly authentic Lisu dish!

     Children are carried by their mothers on their backs. These backpack bundles are made of nothing but locally woven cloth.

Take a close look. There is the one month old boy named Jackson, who we came to visit.

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Two Lisu girls beginning to help clean up after the feast was over.

Here is my favorite picture from our trip.
These two boys stuck around after the party wound down, and sat together, eating more than anyone else.

Here is Ploy, sitting on a large 50 pound bag of beans. Watching on as a Lisu Girl holds Jackson.

Pigs were kept beneath a house,
at the center of the village.
They can't be taken as long as they are close!