58: Chapter 58 Kachin State

A week later, Old Wu called.

"Little Li, it's done."

"We can go in?"

"Yes. The permit is secured, and the Kachin Independence Army has agreed. But there is a condition."

"What condition?"

"Once we enter the mountains, you can't take photos or wander off. Their people will be following us."

"Following us? Then how am I supposed to take photos?"

"You can take photos over by the river valley, but nowhere else. They're afraid you might be a journalist."

"Alright. What about the checkpoints along the way?"

"The Government Army and the local militias have all been paid off. It's two hundred US dollars per person, round trip."

"No problem."

"Then we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning. Bring two days' worth of dry rations and water; there's nowhere to buy anything in the mountains."

"Okay."

At six o'clock the next morning, Old Wu drove over to pick him up.

The back of the pickup truck was loaded with two large oil drums and some supplies. Old Wu wore a camouflage jacket and hiking boots, looking completely different from his usual self.

"Get in," Old Wu said.

Li Xin got into the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt. He placed his backpack at his feet; it felt light. His actual gear was all stored in his space.

The car drove out of Yangon and headed north.

Once they left the city, the road conditions grew increasingly worse. Asphalt gave way to concrete, which then turned into dirt. The car jolted violently, and even the steering wheel was shaking.

"How long will it take to reach Kachin State?" Li Xin asked.

"A whole day. We should arrive by evening."

"That far?"

"Over six hundred kilometers. The roads are rough, so we can't drive very fast."

After driving for three hours, they arrived at a town. Old Wu parked by the roadside and went to buy a few bottles of water and some dry rations.

"Eat something." He handed a bag of bread to Li Xin.

Li Xin tore open the bread and finished it in a few bites. Old Wu stood outside the car smoking, his eyes fixed on the distance.

"What's wrong?" Li Xin asked.

"The first checkpoint is just ahead." Old Wu pointed forward. "It's the Government Army's."

"Do we have to pay?"

"Depends. If we're lucky, twenty dollars will get us through. If we're not, a hundred."

"How's our luck today?"

"I don't know."

Old Wu stubbed out his cigarette, got into the car, and started the engine.

After driving for twenty minutes, a roadblock appeared ahead. Two logs lay across the middle of the road, with a green tent pitched beside them. A few soldiers in camouflage uniforms stood by the roadside, rifles slung over their shoulders.

Old Wu stopped the car and rolled down the window.

A soldier walked over, rifle in hand, with a serious expression. He looked down into the car and spoke a few words in Burmese.

Old Wu replied with a smile, pulled a few banknotes from his pocket, and handed them over.

The soldier took them, counted them, frowned, and said something else.

Old Wu pulled out two more bills and handed them over.

The soldier nodded and waved them through. The roadblock was moved aside.

Old Wu stepped on the gas, and the car slowly passed through.

"How much was it?" Li Xin asked.

"Sixty dollars."

"Not cheap."

"That's just how it is here. They won't let you pass without money."

The car continued driving north. The scenery outside the window shifted from farmlands to hills, and then from hills to mountains. The road grew narrower and bumpier. The surface was full of potholes, and the wheels clattered noisily as they rolled over them.

"How many checkpoints are left?" Li Xin asked.

"Three. The next two are at the border of Kachin State."

"Do we have to pay at all of them?"

"All of them."

After driving for four hours, they reached the second checkpoint. This time, it was the Kachin Independence Army. They wore civilian clothes with armbands on their sleeves. Their guns were even newer than those of the Government Army.

Old Wu stopped the car and rolled down the window.

A man wearing an armband walked over, glanced at Li Xin, and asked a few questions in Burmese.

Old Wu took a document out of the glove compartment and handed it over. The man looked at it and nodded.

Old Wu handed over a few more bills. The man took the money and waved them through.

The car passed through.

"How much this time?" Li Xin asked.

"Forty dollars. Since we have a permit, they charged a bit less."

"What about the one after this?"

"The next one is run by a local militia. It's hard to say."

After driving for two hours, it began to grow dark. There were mountains on both sides of the road, and the trees were so dense that the sky was completely hidden.

Old Wu turned on the headlights, their beams illuminating the road ahead.

"Almost there," he said.

"How much further?"

"Half an hour."

The car turned into an even narrower road. Bamboo groves lined both sides, their stalks scraping against the car body with a loud, scratching sound.

Another roadblock appeared ahead. A few logs lay across the road, with three men standing beside them. They wore a mismatched assortment of clothes and held guns—some had rifles, some had pistols, and one even had a homemade firearm.

Old Wu stopped the car and took a deep breath.

"We're here. This one is run by the local militia."

"How much do they want?"

"I don't know."

Old Wu rolled down the window, and a man walked over. He was in his forties, with a scar running from his forehead all the way down to his chin. He spoke a few words in Burmese, his voice very harsh.

Old Wu replied with a smile and handed over a few bills.

The Scar-faced man glanced at them and threw the money back. His voice grew louder, and his expression turned fierce.

Old Wu's expression changed. He pulled out a few more bills from his pocket and handed them over.

The Scar-faced man took them, counted them, and still shook his head. He pointed at Li Xin and spoke a few words.

Old Wu turned to look at him. "He wants two hundred."

"Give it to him."

Old Wu pulled out two hundred dollars from his pocket and handed it over. The Scar-faced man looked at it, pocketed it, and waved his hand. The roadblock was moved aside.

Old Wu stepped on the gas, and the car surged forward.

Only after driving for a few minutes did Old Wu finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"We're through."

"What was that about?" Li Xin asked.

"He thought it was too little. He said you're a foreigner, so he had to charge extra."

"People like that are insatiably greedy."

"There's nothing we can do. On their turf, we have no choice but to pay."

The car drove into a village and stopped in front of a wooden house. Old Wu turned off the engine and got out.

"We'll stay here tonight. We go into the mountains first thing tomorrow morning."

Li Xin got out of the car and looked around. The village wasn't large, with only about a dozen households, all of which were wooden stilt houses. The sky was pitch black, and only a few dim, yellow lights were on.

Old Wu spoke a few words to the owner of the wooden house. The owner nodded and pointed upstairs.

The two of them went upstairs. The room was small, with just two straw mats and a single lightbulb.

"We'll have to make do for the night," Old Wu said.

"Sure."

Li Xin lay down on the straw mat. It was hard and uncomfortable, but still better than sleeping on the ground in the mountains.

Old Wu lit a cigarette and sat by the doorway to smoke.

"Little Li."

"Yeah?"

"Once we go into the mountains tomorrow, don't wander off. Those two soldiers will be following us; don't provoke them."

"I know. I'm just going to take some photos and look at the scenery."

"Also, if you see anything strange, don't ask about it. Asking too many questions will only bring trouble."

"Understood."

Old Wu stubbed out his cigarette and lay down.

The light went out, plunging the room into pitch darkness.

Li Xin closed his eyes, listening to the chirping of insects outside.

Tomorrow, into the mountains. The river valley, the old riverbed, the upper reaches of the tributary.

He tossed over and quickly fell asleep.

---