Opal House

At 15 Cho Cho married her husband, as arranged by their families. They liked her as she was 'not lazy'. This is evident, as now 53, she treks easily from her families village home into the mountains where she and her husband live without power and road access. Wearing the traditional selfmade clothes of her culture she takes small steps, but she never seems to tire. For 14 years Cho Cho has been sharing her culture and family with tourists, taking them on treks through the area surrounding her village. She considers her family poor, but she has an evident wealth of happiness with family surrounding her, with 15 grandchildren, many living within shouting distance. Being poor in her village means relying on the land to provide food, leading to a diet of rice and mostly vegetables which she shares with her guests. We were lucky enough to be staying with Cho Cho's family during school holidays, meaning our trekking also doubled as a school holiday activity for 5 of the boys. They could easily guide us through the winding back paths through the rice fields and the mountains to find a swimming home, even though they were no older than 8. Cho Cho was quick to smile and laugh. She was wholly authentic and shared herself and family with us, which we are very grateful for.