Not on the Top

Monday, Sept. 12, Hsipaw

I didn't feel well last night. My stomach was grumbling, I was burping, and I had a slight flu-like feeling in my joints. The stomach problems were related to my dinner. I could taste it as I burped. The sauce for my pork was a little greasy and it took effort to digest it. During the night, I figured out the other problem. It wasn't my joints; it was my kidneys. I don't think I've been drinking enough water. I've had this problem before. Today, I'll drink two liters or more of water and tonight they should be flushed and the pain gone.

Speaking of health problems, many people here have low, foghorn-like coughs. I wonder if it's because of TB. As I said before, there are TB units at all the hospitals and there are psters cautioning to get "D.O.T.S."--something related to TB.

There is electricity here only from 6-10 p.m. The rooms have candles and matches to use otherwise. The big problem is that the fan doesn't work after 10. It was somewhat warm last night. Although I'm still in the mountains, it is hotter here than it was in Maymyo.
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I tried to go exploring. I walked through the market, but I had no interest in looking at anything. I just felt exhausted. I stopped at a park beside the river and started reading a new book, In America by Susan Sontag, but again I just felt tired and miserable. I bought a 3 1/2 liter jug of purified water and returned to the room at 9:30 a.m. and slept until 11:40. Then I drank more water and began to read again. It's now 2 p.m. I'm still feeling lazy and somewhat weak, and it is too0 warm today to want to try to do anything at this hour. I guess I'll read another chapter and try to go out around 4 p.m.
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Well, I must be sicker than I thought. The way I keep seating, I must have a fever. I am still burping, and I have no appetite. I had a loose bowel movement this morning, but I have been fine all day in that regard.

I went walking into the countryside for an hour. I was tired, but seemed to have enough energy. I wanted to try eating a bowl of noodle soup, but it just didn't sound good. Instead, I bought a small poundcake at the bakery. I'll force myself to eat it and drink more water. And I'll dig into my supplies for some medicine for the fever. I'd love to wake up tomorrow feeling fine again.

The Shan people live very poorly in the countryside. Their homes remind me of those in Mountain Province int he Philippines the first time I went there 40 years ago. They are built on stilts above ground and have very nice wooden floors. The walls are made of woven rattan, and the roofs are made of palm frongds. Often, there will be only one or two rooms.

The Shan people also still worship spirits (Nat Worship). There are shrines all around that have been built to honor the spirit of someone or some thing whose spirit they have decided has powers. Even though they have adopted Buddhism, they haven't given up the spirit worship. Some of their bigger festivals are related to the spirits they worship.

I finished a camera battery while I was walking. I'm trying to re-charge it, but the electricity keeps going off!I hope I feel well enough tomorrow to try to head back toward civilization.

Water 300 kyat
Cake 200
Total = $0.48