A connection beyond words

"I was in #ChiangRai, two-weeks into my one month roadtrip. Famous for its coffee, and cool weather, it hosts many refugees from #Myanmar, including people from the Karen tribe, who have historically lived in the hills of Myanmar close to Thailand. This beautiful woman caught my eye as I was walking through one of the tribal villages. She was the only one wearing the thanaka on her cheeks, a paste made from bark which acts as a natural sunscreen. Usually, it is quite common to see Myanmar men and women with it. She was alone in her shop, and we started talking. Talking, that is, in sign language since my #Thai was minimal and Burmese non-existent. When I asked if I could take her a photo, she agreed. Karen women are famous for their striking, adorned elongated necks, but for me, it was her shy smile that made my day. We had not uttered a single word that the other understood, but the magic with humans is that sometimes, we can connect beyond words, and that is irreplaceable."