Visiting Basaat for Thanksgiving

Last weekend I went with some of the villagers for a thanksgiving celebration. After an extremely bumpy and long ride to this village we arrived. The roads to this particular village are inaccessible during rainy season because they are easily washed out and very steep at different parts of them, but an adventure all the while. I wish I could describe to you the beauty of the landscape as you drive higher and higher into the mountains and farther from the conveniences of the lowland.

Upon arriving we had breakfast at the headman's house which consisted of fried pork, rice wrapped in banana leaves, soup, peanuts, and coke. Following eating we walked up to the church which was decorated with crops they had brought in from their fields (tomatoes, garlic, ginger, melons, squash, peppers, onions..etc) as well as a few chickens. Following the service we all ate another big meal together standing around tables covered with banana leaves and an assortment of food. The specialty of the day was raw pork. I was very impressed with the generosity of these villagers who had welcomed their neighboring Lisu village to join them for the service and for the meal. Though their own resources were limited, they generously shared what they had with their guests.