Marcia Goes Hiking
Marcia on the trail to Mae Hae Khee November 27, 1984 I’ve seen it written that hiking is walking but with more expensive shoes and where it is acceptable to do your toileting in the bushes. Hiking also implies the terrain is rugged and steep. By that criteria Marcia and I definitely did more than just walk to villages. We hiked. For the Karen however, who were born walking up and down mountains, they eschewed expensive hiking boots in favor of flip flops, and they literally took the steepest terrain in stride. Even on the hottest, steepest, most strenuous trails they wouldn’t even begin to sweat. OK, they might do some toileting in the bushes but other than that, they walked while we hiked. Marcia did her share of village visits. She also took many strenuous walks in and around villages that could well have been called hikes. But she only did a few genuine hikes to reach a village. One such hike was to visit the village of Mae Hae Khee in November of 1984. Consulting diary entries, ...
