Miao Mountain Path......

After the school visits, we travelled on to explore around the mountains.......

We had to take our time navigating this path as it was so uneven, 

and we wondered what we would find at the top

Well, we discovered these old wooden houses, looking very shaky and dilapidated

                                                   with some very ingenious water systems

At the top, we discovered an open door, and inside were two remarkable ladies.

They were 85 and 89, resting in their home, fully dressed in their Miao dress.

Completely unperturbed by the crazy foreigners who had just appeared in the middle of the mountains, they welcomed us in with big smiles.

Hard to capture in a photo, but it was one of these moments, where I felt I was in a dream.

So surreal!

and just felt so privileged to be there........

                                     ..the girls just take it all in their stride..just an everyday experience?

Posing with the leader of the Woman's Association, a lovely lady who wanted us to enjoy our time in Rongshui and be "well looked after". She was very hesitant about allowing us to explore, but soon understood that we just wanted to "be" there and did not need special treatment.

View  down below........

Very little in the way of furniture or accessories in the home

but everywhere could be seen examples of the exquisite Miao colours and detailed embroidery

                                                                        in everyday use!

Dinner cooked here.......

They chatted, smiled and waved us goodbye

and no doubt went back to their nap!

                                               And we headed back down the track on the other side.......

                               ..headed to another Miao house where we had even more fun :-)

                                           A privileged snapshot of life in the Miao mountains