I've driven (by motorbike) around a lot of the areas mentioned. Little has changed in many of the remote villages in a very long time. People still live in the dark ages there, no running water or even bathrooms and very little electricity. It is amazing though... really beautiful, especially in the north. The people always smile at you as you pass by.<p>As someone who's pretty much tone deaf, I have zero hope of ever learning the language. Hard is an understatement. Makes me sad because it would be interesting to try to connect a bit more with the people there.