Sunday, December 21, 2014

Yazagi & Sleeping in the Monastery

Wow! I'm in a village called Yazagi which is at my speed about 3 hours hike through the mountains and other villages from Pindaya and probably one of the most specials hikes I've ever done...



I'm alone with my guide, Bruno, no tourist at all and just happy locals around. Some collect and move the tea leaves that are drying in the sun, others are cleaning route vegetables in the polls of water getting ready for the market that is starting tomorrow, kids are learning the lesson before the Xmas Holiday exam.


Here they only use horses and motorbikes which are the new invention of the last 4 years! During the wet season (June - August), they have to walk through the rain and mud, but for them this is totally ok! They told me they have to take care of the roofs if they have a bamboo house and be be careful as winds and thunderstorms can be very, very strong. Some people lose everything every year.

The lucky ones have houses made of brick which takes years to build. One year they can afford the roof, the other the walls and so no... a true long term project.

The lunch stop at the house of a local in another village was unique: there is no electricity here so he lit the fire in the traditional way. We had green tea, veggies, rice and the tofu his wife prepared (this was the best!). He showed me the machines he has in his backyard to work:  he has an old scale he uses to weight and sell his tea and other vegetables. Is this old fashion scale that works with weights; he uses something to pump wheels to press liquid out of some roots and he said very happy that he was finally able to get a ''new and modern'' machine for the tea leaves process... just amazing!




I got to know a few new vegetables but I cannot remember the name... I am a disaster with remembering names! jajaja

And then we continue walking and made it to Yazagi where happy kids were waiting before reaching this empty monastery! Wow! I have the full Monastery for myself, crazy! 
The three mini monk novices working the land outside have the energy of any other 10-11 year old boy! They smile and play around and really cannot get still :) As with the other kids they are all so so soooo happy to take pictures and see themselves on them later on, they just go really crazy with this :)




While walking in the village I met a very special group of kids and we made a photo shoot session. I gave them poses and they would do them and I would take a picture  Then they were shouting and running to me to take a look at the picture, the energy that they had is hard to describe. They were bursting with joy and happiness :) Of course I thought them to do my signature jumping picture and this was their favorite with no doubts :) and yes, I jumped with them as well. They were so happy, I could see it in their beautiful faces and smiles.




Now the sun is down, is getting cold but I feel so good! No matter what, today this place and these people brought me a lot of joy! :):) Soon I will eat in the Monastery, in the middle of the mountains in Myanmar... really in the middle of nowhere, its incredible and it feels so good!

And the dinner was amazing, the best since I've arrived. Bruno cooked some delicious dishes: lentils soup, fried tofu with tomato sauce, cabbage with peanut and haricots with tomato: all of this paradise for me :) Bruno learnt to cook when he was 9 as his parents are farmers and were all the time working, so someone needed to take care of the kitchen! I should learn from him...



While I was eating, my favorite 3 little mini monks were around me. So much energy! they really couldn't get still. We played a lot and when dinner was over they started singing songs and I was dancing with them. They even started making music with a flute and the pans and it went on and on! There were also two beautiful grey cats joining the party :) At the end I asked Bruno if the kids could eat, as normally monks don't eat after noon, I was not sure they could, but they could as they are only there temporary. This made me really happy as there were lots of left overs and I could tell they were hungry.



And now while I write this, I am in this big room, well its a full floor, there is no light, just one candle next to the Buddha statue and my flash light. Outside is ''dark moon'' day, so no moon today, but I can see up to deepest starts in the universe, its stunning! :)

At the same time, I have to admit that I will need to go to t he toilet and I am a bit scared! But it's ok, there is really no one around.. maybe this is what makes it a bit more scary!




What an intense experience, very humbling... These kids have nothing and they are really very happy, from the heart, full of smiles and joy! like all the rest of the people.

How grateful I am to be able to have this experience, lots to learn from these people.... time to sleep at 7:30 PM, good night!

I guess that it was only this morning that I realised where I was. When I opened my eyes and I saw a Buddha statue next to me and realised I was indeed in the monastery. I went for breakfast to find the joyful 3 mini monks having rice, curry and other food. The Monk that runs the monastery was also there having his breakfast. I had some coffee and gave the croissant to the kids.... and something happened on me but I couldn't stop crying. I still don't know how to explain it... it's just these 3 little ones have nothing and probably they never will and they are happy from the heart, happiness is really simple and within each of us...














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