RAILWAY CHILDREN (Hsipaw, Myanmar)

Cycling around aimlessly, we stopped to take some pictures on the railway line we had come in to town on. A very smiley woman, Phyu Htwe, appeared and invited us into her home with her daughter April and niece Ithsa Win, right next to the tracks.

We learned she had lost her husband recently to what sounded like Malaria. She showed us through her treasured family photo album, which included her wedding shots and a couple of other pics. I had taken more photos in the last hour than she had to show for her entire life!









She then offered to put some Thanaka paste on Neko's face from locally grown trees to keep her pale and beautiful. Clearly, Neko’s efforts to brown up were met with bewilderment! Next, she took us across the road for tea where her father runs a rail side cafe, and is the person responsible for closing the gates at the level crossing.

 

Such wonderful hospitality - it's good to allow space in our itinerary to wander around and be available for chance encounters life throws at you. Whilst we waited for the train to pass, we took some family snaps and portraits for them and printed them off to add to her treasured album.