One of the most valuable things you discover when traveling is the fact that everything is relative. Ask a local how far a certain place is from where you are and chances are, if he says it's just near like about a 30 minute hike away, it's likely to be 60 minutes following your pace. The picture above is a concession to us lowlanders -- a hut that houses the wood-fired stove for heating our bath water. Consider the fact that the Sunday we were there at the Ethnic Village, locals from surrounding areas were trickling in to swim in the cold spring-fed pools! Talk about the feeling of coldness being relative. Why, even the roaches were coming out of the woodwork because the El Niño phenomenon is making the weather warmer than the highland people (and creatures) are accustomed to.
Meeting people on the road, I also find out that beauty is indeed relative. The people here wear unadorned, warm smiles that belie the cold clime. No perfect, pearly white teeth; no rosy white skin that came from a bottle; just unadulterated innocence and honesty. I just supplied the titles but honestly, no captions are really needed. Click on the individual image/s to see a larger version.
Bokiawan Girl
Hapao Boy with the Almond Eyes
Viewpoint Lola
