Wonder if this is why Papa puts it under the house

The one pictured sold for five hundred dollars

Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2006
Kengtung, Myanmar (Burma)

Dear International Living Reader,

Need to replace your old, worn out water buffalo? Head to Kengtung in Shan State, Myanmar where, three times a week, the water buffalo market is held in an empty field outside town.

You'll have to take a motorcycle taxi to get there and be sure to hold on tight because the road up the hill is rough and full of holes. During the rainy season it can be downright treacherous. However, if you arrive early, the sound of the monks chanting from the nearby monastery reverberates through the misty hills, adding an ethereal touch to the scene.

Wonder how much duty is charged

Be the first farang on your block to own one! Now that would be something to write home about.

Seems like it would be expensive to keep one in feed. Have to buy some land for grazing but how much land? One rai per water buffalo? Also, a pond or slop hole for it to wallow in on those hot days.

Huge animals but seem easily controllable. Used to see Thai kids as young as 4 or 5 leading these beasts of burden around with a string tied to the ring in its (water buffalo) nose. Those were the times when you wished you had brought your camera along.

The brother inlaw is saying he is looking for one to buy very soon, but i am sure i will contribute to the purchase,so i guess i will own a part of it , looking forward to taking it for walkies might even buy one of those bells to hang around its neck.





this is one he was eyeing up 2 months ago. A fine specimen.

You know that are still used from time to time, but it is unusual they are sold for meat. But I think there is a move on to preserve the asain heritage in this is about the most known simple of life here.

I can recall that on a visit to the P.I. all the kids from America were going to chip in and buy Papa a tractor. He would have nothing to do with it, his buffalo got the work done just fine and he didn't need to buy gas for it. If things went bad or his buffalo had a flat tire he could eat it.

Now this man farmed a huge amount of land 100's of hectres.

There are so many aspects of Asia that are changing working elephants, buffalos. But the people who now how to use them and the oil runs out they can still be productive, how about us.

My wife a farm girl she could actually get by without money here, she knows how, I don't. It's not unusual at all for her to spot some goody in a tree and be right up that sucker, getting it. What looks looks like wild grass to me she makes great food from. As long a she has rice she can get by.

The other change I have noticed in myself is I never ate rice before moving here and now I eat it everyday. Actually miss my Thai food these day if I eat to much farang food.

So Cheers to the Buffalo after all I have now spent four years in the Water Buffalo University

Any guesses on what I will space out about next