The road to the Montagnard Village was so filled with deep ruts, it was necessary for us to transfer from the van to a trailer pulled by an old tractor (of sorts). We clambered on the trailer (in our senior kind of way) and traveled another five miles or so down the road, until we arrived in the Montagnard village. We were just the third group of western travelers to visit this village. It is easier, and therefore, common, for tour groups to visit the same places, time and time again. This practice significantly alters the opportunity for cultural exchange. OAT's philosophy of not "over-visiting" is one of the many aspects that fosters my respect for Overseas Adventure Travel.
The kids were so excited by our visit, they ran to meet us, then hopped on the back of the trailer, often hanging on by one hand. One young boy on a bicycle grabbed on to the back of the trailer for a "free" ride into the village. That is, one hand on the trailer, one hand on the handlebars. On a badly rutted road, I
repeat. And we weren't going all that slow. After we "scrambled" off the trailer, the kids on the left "helped" the driver back the trailer into a space between the homes made of grass roofs.
The village is in transition from dilapidated three walled huts to cement houses, thanks to civet poop coffee. An interesting side note is that many of the Montagnards have not moved into their new, and quite lovely, cement houses. They remain in their three walled huts and use the new houses for storage. Change, in all its forms, takes time.
The children created a parade, beside and behind us, as we strolled through their village. They loved to pose for pictures, and were thrilled to see their pictures. Mimi has an IPad, and the children were thrilled to see such large pictures of themselves and their village.
The older women mostly shied away, but with patience and smiles, they eventually allowed us to take their pictures. We also visited a woman making tablecloths, although I have no idea what she was smoking.
What are we bringing to these people? I vacillate between being so grateful to have the opportunity to visit such a remote place, and feeling the need to apologize for being there. Fortunately, although they just installed electricity, there is no TV yet. I fear, however, it won't be long. I feel so lucky to have had this experience.