November 1, 2013
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- Family at their home in Chin Village near Kanpalet – Note the woman’s tattooed face. (Jenni Fogle)
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- Shaman trying to cure woman near Kanpalet. (Jenni Fogle)
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- Top of Mt. Victoria. (Jenni Fogle)
IMG guide Jenni Fogle managed to send a few photos and a report from their visit to the western part of Myanmar:
“We just returned to Bagan from three amazing days in the Chin State. We stayed in a remote lodge near the town of Kanpalet and took day trips from there, including a hike to the top of Mt. Victoria, just over 10,000 high and the highest in Chin State. We also visited villages where women still have faces tattooed from the days that the king would take the most beautiful women from Chin villages. At the age of 18, the women would have their faces tattooed to protect themselves from the king. In one town we were able to witness a shaman performing a ceremony to help a young woman bear children. By reading an egg heated over fire, he could determine who was causing her to not be able to bear children, and remove the curse. Everywhere we go, we are greeted with smiles and curious looks. It’s easy to see they are not used to western visitors here…we only saw a couple other foreigners the whole time. We made the jeep drive back to Bagan today and will visit the Mt. Popa shrine (777 steps to the top) tomorrow.
Jenni Fogle