Day 18 (Mon, Feb 28) - Trek Day 1 (overnight with family in village)

Uzo, Lello and I left Kalaw on foot shortly after 9am, stopped for lunch around noon at the Nepalese Viewpoint restaurant which true to its name had panoramic views from thatched gazebos, and arrived at our host family's bamboo home for the night at 6pm, shortly before sunset. We walked along red dust roads through pine forests and passed farmers at work in their fields and women collecting firewood, and I got excited every time Uzo pointed out a plant I've not seen 'live' before.



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Uzo, who has done this walk hundreds of times, stopped in on friends in every village we passed through, and handed out sweets to every kid we saw along the way - who raced each other across fields to the road when they saw him coming.