Our trek into Nam Tha National Protected Area began at 9am. I got up at 8 and had breakfast with Marco (Spain) and Jenny (US) at Zuela Guesthouse/restuarant. We met again at the Green Discoveries office. We found that Jerome (France) had joined our group last night, so we got some of our $ refunded. I got along great with everybody and was looking forward to the trek. It was a gloomy and cloudy day but at least it wasn't raining. We first had to take a tuk tuk about 30 minutes out of town to a small village that was our starting point. At the village we picked up two villagers that would help carry and prepare our food for the first day.
We branched off the main road and followed a skinny but well maintained tral along the river. Then the trail climbed and climbed and climbed! It seemed like the first day was mostly uphill but it wasn't that difficult. I actually prefer going mostly uphill as to downhill. Sure, downhill is easier and you're not sweating but it's much harder on my knees and my legs sometimes get shaky after extended descents, so I didn't mind the uphill. We stopped for lunch beside a river. Lunch consisted of a big ball of sticky rice and a cauliflower/mushroom mix and another meat mixutre with sides of a really spicy dish. It was all a free for all, I would pick up the rice with my hand and then the other food with my chopsticks and try to combine them at the same time in my mouth. It was all very good and filling.
Our first day was easy as we only trekked 6km and got to our camp for the night at 2.45. The jungle camp consisted of a communal sleeping hut raised off the ground and a small cooking hut all set on a high ridge surrounded by forest. It was a really nice spot and a stream was only a 5 minute walk downhill. I got settled in and then we all went down to the stream. I walked upstream for some privacy and bathed quickly. The water was only about 15C. I brought a book with me so I read for a while after that. Dinner was again sticky rice, veggies and meat but a different variation and really good too. There was always enough food to fill up. We had cardomum tea that was picked fresh along the way. After dinner, our guide, 24 year old Pet, produced a bottle of Laolao, the national drink of Laos after Beerlao. It's strong stuff usually made from rice or maize. We each did a shot but that was about all I wanted.
That evening the two villagers took Jerome and Marco to catch frogs to eat for breakfast, along the stream. I wasn't into this but they let me walk alone in the forest for a nightwalk. The forest here is home to many animals, tiger, gibbons, deer, pangolin, slow loris, monkeys, wild pig,etc. Though we didn't see or hear anything on our trek, I hoped I might have some luck with some nocturnal creatures. The pangolin and slow loris are two nocturnal animals that are at the top of my nocturnal mammal wishlist. I looked hard and slow but only saw a giant grasshopper, almost 15cm long. I think I scared a few sleeping birds too as I heard some commotion but never saw any eyeshine.
I hung out at the dinner table for a while watching the stars. I saw an amazing shooting star, one of the best I've ever seen. It lasted almost 2-3 seconds. I saw it penetrate our atmosphere and then disintegrate into a fantastic burst of red, yellow and orange and finally disappear. It was really something special. I saw another later but this was like most shooting stars that only last a fraction of a second and then are gone. Everyone was in bed by 9am! We slept on a hard, thin mattress with a mosquito net and two blankets. The entire forest was a in a thick mist and the temperature was about 14C but the humidity was 90%!
Day 2
When I woke up early in the morning I could hear the guides and porters talking and thought they would be waking us up anytime but I would sleep until they did. I woke up again later on my own and checked the time. It was 8.15. I was surprised and thankful that they let us sleep in. Most treks, you're up at six or seven and then on your way an hour later. This was different and I liked it. I got up naturally, had a three in one coffee and waited for breakfast. The forest was still very misty. Breakfast was a big clump of sticky rice, an omelette and pumpkin soup, all very good and filling. I was ready to trek. We packed up and left at 10.
Today was our longest day but it the 11km we had to trek was supposed to be mostly on flat ground. The trekking was easy but the mist obscured some of the viewpoints along the way but it never rained. We all got to walk at our own pace and we rested about once an hour. There were many snacks of oranges, sour apples, apples and cookies and oreos provided by our guide and porters but also from within our group. I was never hungry or thirsty. They provided bottled water and boiled water but I brought my water purifier. I don't like the burnt taste of boiled water and this way I could have fresh water whenever I wanted when we crossed a river. I was only carrying my small day pack with a change of clothes, camera, binoculars, book, portable weather station, towel and some personal stuff. It was really easy to trek with just this.
We stopped for lunch on the trail and Pet cut a bunch of banana leaves as a makeshift placemat and table. Lunch was again another variation of meat and veggies with sticky rice. We had also been eating a lot of Rattan, collected along the way. Rattan is a thorny vine/shrub type palm that is prized for furniture and basket making. I've seen it before a lot in Borneo but never knew that the inside of the fresh stems could be eaten. The taste and texture was like bamboo, I liked it. Sometimes they even roasted it. Our second night was spent at another jungle bungalow, except this one was more in the open. It was in the site of an relocated village. The government sternly enforced the village to move out of the middle of the NPA to near the road about 3 years ago. The only signs left of the village were some massive and very dead 4x4's that we burned.
Pet told us there was a large waterfall nearby that we could bath under. We all got ready and were really looking forward to a good washing. We looked up a pitiful and vegetation choked stream for the waterfall but couldn't find it. Turns out Pet was just bullshitting us! I didn't find this funny though. The 'waterfall' was only about 30cm high. I still got naked though when everyone left and used a scoop to take a 'bucket' type shower. I read again after my shower. I was so full from lunch that I wasn't that hungry when dinner was ready around 5.30. It was another delicious feast. The Laolao came out again after dinner but I only had one shot.We sat around a fire for a while before crashing at around 9. The sky was clear above us but the half full moon was too bright for any amazing stars.
Day 3
Our last day was supposed to be the hardest, a lot of up and down but that still didn't mean we had to get up early. I woke up around 7.30 and had a coffee. Breakfast was an egg/rice mixture with veggies and pumpkin soup. We were all full and ready for our trek. It was a lot of long ascents and descents but not too hard and we took regular rests. A local from a nearby village helped fetch water and prepare the food. He and his four year old son also helped set up and take down our beds and nets. The trekking got easier after a few hours. Most of the way, the four year old boy was leading the entire group, and barefoot at that! I must admit he kept up a good pace and knew the way and never complained. This was one tough kid.
Around 2pm we reached our finishing point in a small village. We had lunch here near the river. It was another giant feast with fresh forest made chopsticks from bamboo. The villages were used to tourists and ready for us. Little kids tried to sell us homemade bracelots and jewellery. We took a waiting tuk tuk back to Luang Nam Tha and our trek ended around 3pm. We all went our own ways but agreed to meet for dinner at 7.
Though I enjoyed the trek and being out in the forest, I was a little disappointed with the wildlife. I thought I would maybe have a hint of seeing or hearing an animal but nothing. We only saw some fresh tracks of a wild pig our last morning. After doing the trek I realized that we weren't deep enough in the forest to see anything. All along the way we saw tiny encampments,some old, some new, used by the villagers while they are in the forest collected bamboo, rattan or other forest products. It's illegal to hunt in the protected area but I'm sure it probably still happens and I think all the wildlife has learned to avoid any areas near humans. I hope to see more in Laos's other protected areas.
We all met up for dinner and went to Yamuna Indian restuarant at my suggestion. Jenny gathered up the few people there that were eating alone and our group was eight people. It was a fun Christmas Eve night of drinking and merryment. Marco is a showman and a bit of a magician. He does some cool tricks that the village kids love. I must admit, I didn't even know how he did some of his tricks. Some of our group left today but the rest of us are doing our own things during the day but will meet up for Christmas dinner. My Christmas gift to myself is a herbal sauna and massage that I will take later today. Tomorrow I head to Luang Prabang.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Luang Nam Tha
I came to Luang Nam Tha (or just Nam Tha) to go trekking in the Nam Tha National Protected Area (NPA), Laos's version of the national park. The big difference being that people are allowed to live within the boundaries of the NPA. The town of Nam Tha is small with one main street with lots of guesthouses, traveller oriented restaurants and travel agencies. The town didn't have any character but I still liked it. It was quiet with lots of facilities and stuff to do around. I was looking to do a long trek in the NPA and went to a few different agencies. Green Discoveries had a German couple doing a seven day trek combining forest and village stays. This sounded good to me. They would arrive in town tomorrow. I wanted to meet them first because seven days is a long time to spend with people you don't like. I ate lunch and dinner at an excellent Indian place.
I went back to Green Discoveries the next day to find out that the German couple had cancelled! I was on my own again. Treks with one person are very expensive. Even just adding one more person cuts the price almost in half. I began just asking random couples and solo people I saw. I found a Portuguese guy who was interested so we went to Green Discoveries. He wasn't totally sure because he was worried about his knee he injured 3 weeks ago but then decided to go for it. Then at the last minute as we are literrally signing the paperwork, he stops and says he doesn't want to go now! What a f#$@ing loser! Sorry for my language but this really pissed me off. I spent a few hours with this guy talking about the trek and then last minute he changes his mind!? I left right away. I had to find at least one other person to share the trek with and didn't want to spend another day in town looking for people. I finally found an American women and a Spanish guy who were interested. We went down to Green Discoveries, filled in the paperwork and paid. We were on our way, finally. The 3 day trek starts tomorrow (Dec 22) and spends 2 nights sleeping in forest bungalows. It goes through forest and mountains and not near any villages. This is just what I wanted. I only have to carry my personal stuff and some clothes. I look forward to this trek.
I had not seen a drop of rain in Myanmar but things were looking lush in Laos. It is the dry season but there was a five minute shower yesterday and it sprinkled rain for hours today. This isn't normal for this time of year and I just hope it doesn't rain too much on our trek.
I went back to Green Discoveries the next day to find out that the German couple had cancelled! I was on my own again. Treks with one person are very expensive. Even just adding one more person cuts the price almost in half. I began just asking random couples and solo people I saw. I found a Portuguese guy who was interested so we went to Green Discoveries. He wasn't totally sure because he was worried about his knee he injured 3 weeks ago but then decided to go for it. Then at the last minute as we are literrally signing the paperwork, he stops and says he doesn't want to go now! What a f#$@ing loser! Sorry for my language but this really pissed me off. I spent a few hours with this guy talking about the trek and then last minute he changes his mind!? I left right away. I had to find at least one other person to share the trek with and didn't want to spend another day in town looking for people. I finally found an American women and a Spanish guy who were interested. We went down to Green Discoveries, filled in the paperwork and paid. We were on our way, finally. The 3 day trek starts tomorrow (Dec 22) and spends 2 nights sleeping in forest bungalows. It goes through forest and mountains and not near any villages. This is just what I wanted. I only have to carry my personal stuff and some clothes. I look forward to this trek.
I had not seen a drop of rain in Myanmar but things were looking lush in Laos. It is the dry season but there was a five minute shower yesterday and it sprinkled rain for hours today. This isn't normal for this time of year and I just hope it doesn't rain too much on our trek.
Laos!
I shared a tuk tuk to the local bus station from the border with an older Danish couple. There was only one bus at the station. It was leaving at 5pm for Luang Prabang but stopped at Luang Nam Tha, where I wanted to go. The problem was it was only 1.20pm. The Danish couple changed their plans and went back to the border town. I was alone at the station for a while until a group of package tourists from China took over the place. A few backpackers arrived just before the bus left at 5. The bus was super modern ultra deluxe, compared to anything I saw in Myanmar. It was two levels with super freezing Air Con. They even handed out water and blankets.
I arrived in Luang Nam Tha at 9.30. I took a tuk tuk into the town which is ridiculously 11km away from the station. I took a nice room at Manychan Guesthouse, ate dinner, watched TV and crashed. It was another long day but I was glad to be in Laos.
I arrived in Luang Nam Tha at 9.30. I took a tuk tuk into the town which is ridiculously 11km away from the station. I took a nice room at Manychan Guesthouse, ate dinner, watched TV and crashed. It was another long day but I was glad to be in Laos.
The Golden Triangle
Dec. 18
I ate my last breakfast at Four Sisters and walked with all my stuff into town. A travel agent there was giving me the cheapest price on a taxi to the airport. The airstrip was in Heho, 40km away and the taxi was $14 to get there. I gave myself one hour to get there and arrived exactly one hour and a half before my flight left, as the travel said I should do. I checked in a then waited. The 'airport' was empty except for a few locals. The plane landed just minutes before we boarded. It left on time at 1.25. There were already passengers on the plane but it was full. It was open seating and I took a window seat. The aircraft was a 60 seater twin prop plane. It's not everyday I ride in a prop plane. The flight was fairly smooth and only 45 minutes long. The landscape below looked brown with some different colored cultivated patches. Once we landed in Tachilek I took a taxi into town to the Myanmar Travels and Tours office (MTT) to get my permit. The office was smartly located right at the border. Everything went smooth and the guy from the office even walked me to the Thail immigration and helped me. MTT took care of all the customs on the Myanmar side.
Once in Thailand it was easy to get the standard 30 day visa. The border was really busy with Asain people. I took a pickup to a waiting bus for Chaing Rai. It took about 1.5 hours to get to Chang Rai.It was a shock to be back in Thailand after a month in Myanmar. Sure Thailand is still a developing country but compared to Myanmar, it's developed! The smooth and paved roads, new cars, nice buildings and abundance of shopping and services available took a bit of getting used to. It was nice to be back in this for a bit. I took a nice room at City Home and went out to eat. I had a tasty green Thai curry and Singha beer. There were lots of foreigners around too. I just relaxed for the rest of the day, it had been a long one.
Chaing Rai is one of the largest cities in the Golden Triangle, the triborder area between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar were most of the worlds opium is grown. Chaing Rai was just a transit point for me. I left the next day on a bus at 10am for the border, 2 hours away. I arrived at the border and it was pretty straightfoward filling out the forms and getting my 30 day Laos visa.
I ate my last breakfast at Four Sisters and walked with all my stuff into town. A travel agent there was giving me the cheapest price on a taxi to the airport. The airstrip was in Heho, 40km away and the taxi was $14 to get there. I gave myself one hour to get there and arrived exactly one hour and a half before my flight left, as the travel said I should do. I checked in a then waited. The 'airport' was empty except for a few locals. The plane landed just minutes before we boarded. It left on time at 1.25. There were already passengers on the plane but it was full. It was open seating and I took a window seat. The aircraft was a 60 seater twin prop plane. It's not everyday I ride in a prop plane. The flight was fairly smooth and only 45 minutes long. The landscape below looked brown with some different colored cultivated patches. Once we landed in Tachilek I took a taxi into town to the Myanmar Travels and Tours office (MTT) to get my permit. The office was smartly located right at the border. Everything went smooth and the guy from the office even walked me to the Thail immigration and helped me. MTT took care of all the customs on the Myanmar side.
Once in Thailand it was easy to get the standard 30 day visa. The border was really busy with Asain people. I took a pickup to a waiting bus for Chaing Rai. It took about 1.5 hours to get to Chang Rai.It was a shock to be back in Thailand after a month in Myanmar. Sure Thailand is still a developing country but compared to Myanmar, it's developed! The smooth and paved roads, new cars, nice buildings and abundance of shopping and services available took a bit of getting used to. It was nice to be back in this for a bit. I took a nice room at City Home and went out to eat. I had a tasty green Thai curry and Singha beer. There were lots of foreigners around too. I just relaxed for the rest of the day, it had been a long one.
Chaing Rai is one of the largest cities in the Golden Triangle, the triborder area between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar were most of the worlds opium is grown. Chaing Rai was just a transit point for me. I left the next day on a bus at 10am for the border, 2 hours away. I arrived at the border and it was pretty straightfoward filling out the forms and getting my 30 day Laos visa.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Inle Lake
This placid lake was to be my last destination in Myanmar but it was one I liked the most. I checked a few hotels out and settled at the Four Sisters Inn, about a 15 minute walk from the centre of Nyaungshwe town. The town is very small with little traffic but plenty of places to stay and eat. The internet was also kind of fast and cheap. It was a mellow place just to walk along with no hassle. A few guys would approach you for a boat or trek but were easy to deal with. My first day there I just relaxed in the afternoon, I arrived at 2.30. I was really looking forward to a grilled fish dinner and actually pre ordered my dinner. I arrived at Unique Superb food restaurant at 6.30, just when I said I would. My dinner was out in minutes. A huge grilled lake fish stuffed with veggies and accompanied with french fries for $4. It was all supremely delicious.
The lake sits at an elevation of 900m, so it was just a bit chilly at night. It was a bit expensive here to do a boat trip on the lake, so I asked a few people I saw around but everyone had already been on the lake. I figured I would leave the boat trip till my last full day here and see if I met anyone to share.
Day 2
The Four Sisters Inn gave one the the best breakfasts I've had in Myanmar. Tea/Coffee,bananas, toast, eggs and a pancake! I hung around and read for a while before walking into town. There were some hot springs nearby that I wanted to visit and went to a tiny hole in the wall travel agency to ask about hiring a moto. I got a moto and driver for $5 take me there and back and wait a few hours. This was decent price and we left at 11am.
The Hu Pin hotsprings were exactly as I pictured them from the guidebook's description. Hot spa/mineral water was channelled into nicely tiled small pools for bathing. It was all very tasteful and well constructed. They supplied towel,locker, change room,soap and shampoo. They also separate the men/women and foriegners. I had the whole 3 pools to myself and total privacy, no locals to stare at me but no other foriegners around either.
There were 3 pools, 2 warm and one hot. I started in the warm pool, about 32C, very comfortable.
The lake sits at an elevation of 900m, so it was just a bit chilly at night. It was a bit expensive here to do a boat trip on the lake, so I asked a few people I saw around but everyone had already been on the lake. I figured I would leave the boat trip till my last full day here and see if I met anyone to share.
Day 2
The Four Sisters Inn gave one the the best breakfasts I've had in Myanmar. Tea/Coffee,bananas, toast, eggs and a pancake! I hung around and read for a while before walking into town. There were some hot springs nearby that I wanted to visit and went to a tiny hole in the wall travel agency to ask about hiring a moto. I got a moto and driver for $5 take me there and back and wait a few hours. This was decent price and we left at 11am.
The Hu Pin hotsprings were exactly as I pictured them from the guidebook's description. Hot spa/mineral water was channelled into nicely tiled small pools for bathing. It was all very tasteful and well constructed. They supplied towel,locker, change room,soap and shampoo. They also separate the men/women and foriegners. I had the whole 3 pools to myself and total privacy, no locals to stare at me but no other foriegners around either.
There were 3 pools, 2 warm and one hot. I started in the warm pool, about 32C, very comfortable.
Mandalay - Thazi - Kalaw - Inle Lake
My next destination was the mountain town of Kalaw on the way to Inle Lake. I was going to do the three day trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake but taking a day to rest after being sick kind of screwed everything up. I was able to get my permit to cross the border to Thailand and booked a flight for the day before my visa expired on Dec. 19. There was no flight on the 19th or else I would have went the last day. This means that I would only have 4 nights for Kalaw, trekking and Inle Lake. The trekking was two nights. I didn't want to spend just one night at the lake so I decided to skip on the trekking. It was only staying in villages along the way with not much forest, so I wasn't too disappointed.
The problem I had to figure out was how to get to Kalaw without taking the overnight bus option which was the most popular and straightforward way. I came up with a plan. It would be a bus/train combo to Kalaw. I hung out with Thida for the last time in the morning before I left. She helped me get transport to the bus station and rode with me there. I said bye and then got on the bus to Meiktila.
It was three hour ride from Mandalay to Meiktila. Once there I had to switch to a pickup for Thazi, only one hour away. I rode in the back of a pickup filled to the brim with sacs of onions. It only took us 30 minutes to get to Thazi and before I knew it, they were dropping me off at Moonlight Resthouse. I ate dinner and went to bed. The train to Kalaw left at 5am.
I woke up at 4.20am and walked to the train station. I bought my ticket for upper class and had a bit of rice and coffee for breakfast. The train left 30 minutes late. Instead of separate chairs, like a bus, off the last train, this time it was a larger seat with one big cushion. It was more comfortable and had more elbow room. The tiny old woman sitting beside seemed far away. The train left in the dark but soon the morning sun was a welcome sight. It's warming rays getting out the morning chill. The scenery along the way was amazing, mountains and rolling hills and small villages only along the rail line. It took about seven hours to get to Kalaw.
I took a horsecart to the Golden Lily Guesthouse and got a large, though faily empty room, with hot shower for $6. After eating lunch I took a rest. I was feeling the effects of being up at 4am. For dinner I went back to the same small family run restaurant. I was literally eating in their living room. Kalaw sits at 1230m elevation and gets cold in December and January. It was 14C when I went to bed but when I got up it was only 9C! This was the coldest place I had been to so far and I hoped it would remain the coldest place I would visit.
That morning I took a pickup to the junction for the road to Inle Lake, about two hours away. From here I hired a moto for the last 30 minute drive. I was finally in my last destination in Myanmar. I had 3 nights to spend at the lake before my flight out.
The problem I had to figure out was how to get to Kalaw without taking the overnight bus option which was the most popular and straightforward way. I came up with a plan. It would be a bus/train combo to Kalaw. I hung out with Thida for the last time in the morning before I left. She helped me get transport to the bus station and rode with me there. I said bye and then got on the bus to Meiktila.
It was three hour ride from Mandalay to Meiktila. Once there I had to switch to a pickup for Thazi, only one hour away. I rode in the back of a pickup filled to the brim with sacs of onions. It only took us 30 minutes to get to Thazi and before I knew it, they were dropping me off at Moonlight Resthouse. I ate dinner and went to bed. The train to Kalaw left at 5am.
I woke up at 4.20am and walked to the train station. I bought my ticket for upper class and had a bit of rice and coffee for breakfast. The train left 30 minutes late. Instead of separate chairs, like a bus, off the last train, this time it was a larger seat with one big cushion. It was more comfortable and had more elbow room. The tiny old woman sitting beside seemed far away. The train left in the dark but soon the morning sun was a welcome sight. It's warming rays getting out the morning chill. The scenery along the way was amazing, mountains and rolling hills and small villages only along the rail line. It took about seven hours to get to Kalaw.
I took a horsecart to the Golden Lily Guesthouse and got a large, though faily empty room, with hot shower for $6. After eating lunch I took a rest. I was feeling the effects of being up at 4am. For dinner I went back to the same small family run restaurant. I was literally eating in their living room. Kalaw sits at 1230m elevation and gets cold in December and January. It was 14C when I went to bed but when I got up it was only 9C! This was the coldest place I had been to so far and I hoped it would remain the coldest place I would visit.
That morning I took a pickup to the junction for the road to Inle Lake, about two hours away. From here I hired a moto for the last 30 minute drive. I was finally in my last destination in Myanmar. I had 3 nights to spend at the lake before my flight out.
Mandalay Hill
I met Thida later in the afternoon. We went to a local market but there was nothing I wanted. We both wanted to go to Mandalay Hill for sunset. The hill rises 760' above the flat city. We hired a bicycle trishaw for the ride there and back. We arrived late and as we climbed barefoot up tons of stairs to the top, the sun set. That was okay though because I've learned the most intense colors of the sun can come 20 minutes after it's set. We were both a little sweaty by the time we reached the top, but what a view! A panoramic 360 degree view of the shan hills in the distance, Ayerwaddy river and the huge Mandalay palace. There were some curious young monks up there asking me questions. We stayed up for a while admiring the views.
Ten minutes into our trishaw ride back into downtown there was a firecracker loud BANG! It was the tire of the sidecar exploding. We sat at a teashop for a bit waiting for it to be repaired. After it was fixed we only went for 5 minutes before it started ballooning out, it wasn't fixed. So we switched to another trishaw. We went to a local place for dinner. I ordered a big bowl of Thai veg soup, since it was only 30 cents more than the small bowl. Sure, I ordered the big bowl and that was what I got! There must have been 2 litres of soup, tofu and veggies! I said " Come on! You're kidding" as it arrived. Thida was laughing her head off! I scooped out most of the tofu and veggies. It was spicy but my stomach was able to handle it fine just two days after being sick. I just didn't want rice for a few days. Soup seemed like the way to go. I said bye to Thida at 9 as she rode her bike back home.
Ten minutes into our trishaw ride back into downtown there was a firecracker loud BANG! It was the tire of the sidecar exploding. We sat at a teashop for a bit waiting for it to be repaired. After it was fixed we only went for 5 minutes before it started ballooning out, it wasn't fixed. So we switched to another trishaw. We went to a local place for dinner. I ordered a big bowl of Thai veg soup, since it was only 30 cents more than the small bowl. Sure, I ordered the big bowl and that was what I got! There must have been 2 litres of soup, tofu and veggies! I said " Come on! You're kidding" as it arrived. Thida was laughing her head off! I scooped out most of the tofu and veggies. It was spicy but my stomach was able to handle it fine just two days after being sick. I just didn't want rice for a few days. Soup seemed like the way to go. I said bye to Thida at 9 as she rode her bike back home.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Monywa
Monywa is about 4 hours northwest of Mandalay by bus and thankfully, there are buses almost every hour, so no need to leave at 5am. Last night in Mandalay I met Thida, a 24 year old Burmese local. She started chatting me up as I went to the internet cafe. I wasn't sure what her motives were but it turned out she was genuine and just wanted to talk. We hung out for a few hours and she said she wanted to travel with me as an unofficial guide/friend, for no money. I could use the company since I've hardly met anyone after leaving Bagan.It's also nice to have someone who can speak english and Burmese.
I kind of feel like I'm in Africa, where I would travel for weeks on my own not really meeting anyone. You get that feeling that you're an old colonial travelling around unseen territory for the first time. The traveller crowd here is slim. Even at places I thought it would have been busy, it wasn't. Also Myanmar seems to be more of a 'mature' traveller's destination. Most of the travellers I've seen are over 30.
Thida and I met in the morning and took the 12.30 bus to Monywa. The bus was medium size and the seats were pretty tight. We got a hotel in Monywa and relaxed before going out to eat. We were both thinking the same thing at the Schwe Tang Tarn restaurant/guesthouse - chicken, veggies, rice and a glass of beer. It was the cheapest thing on the menu. We had a TV in our room but it only had news stations and sometimes chinese movies with English subtitles.
Thanboddhay Paya
I came to Monya to see the sites in the area and this pagoda was our first stop. It's a massive pogada which took almost 20 years to build. What sets it apart from any other temple I've seen is the mind blowing amount of buddha statues it contains. The guidebook says it has 582,363! Some of these are large but most of them are small and line the upper walls to the ceiling.
Bodhi Tataung
5km from Thanboddhay Paya was the highlight for me of our trip to Monywa. On the site of Bodhi Tataung are a gold temple and 2 massive buddhas. The gold standing buddha is 425' tall with a 312' reclining buddha at his feet. The standing buddha is over two times the height of Niagara Falls! I could see it in the distance when we were coming on the bus. I wonder why they put something this amazing way out in the middle of nowhere. Thida and I hired a motorickshaw to get to these two sites. The area around the buddha was pratically empty except for a few vendors. I'm guessing they didn't speak english because only Thida was asked to buy stuff. There are about 26 floors inside the standing buddha, all accessible by stairs. An elevator was there but not working. The standing buddha was cool and like nothing I've ever seen but what really got my attention were the paintings inside.
Extremely graphic, violent,bloody,realistic and disturbing images lined the walls. Vivid portraits of humans being butchered by huge ogre like creatures. Humans were being skewered on a stick, boiled in stew, heads bashed in, limbs cut off....etc,I think you get the picture! It was getting late in the afternoon as Thida and I began to go up inside the buddha but I kept wanting to go just one more floor. I wanted to see what ghastly paintings were in store on the next floor. We made it up about seven floors. The inscriptions surrounding the paintings are all in Burmese but say something about this happening to you when you die. Thida says " I never want to die!' and "Will this happen to me?" I reassure her it won't. This isn't a place for children but as we left young kids were ascending the stairs. Apparently it is a place for children! The paintings were somewhat cartoonish but there was no denying their brutality. I had not expected this at all.
Back in Monywa, Thida and I ate really cheap and delicious street food.
Hpo Win Daung Caves
Thida only stayed 2 nights and went back to Mandalay. I stayed one more day to visit the man made temple caves of Hpo Win Daung. Thida has seen them before and doesn't like the aggressive monkeys hanging around the caves. I hired a mototaxi to get there, the cheapest way. The caves were about 70 minutes west from Monywa. The road out of Monywa wasn't bad at all but then we turned on to a unpaved road for a while. On both sides of the road were copper mining villages. Thankfully the road became sealed again before we reached the caves. There was hardly anybody around the caves. The monkeys quickly gathered around me in search of food as I opened up my pack to get my camera out. A local guide kept them away. I grabbed a stick to keep them away. Not far from the entrance though there were no more monkeys and I could walk in peace and eat my bananas.
These caves were all carved from a giant sandstone mountain between the 14th and 18th centuries. A local unofficial guide offered his services for whatever I wanted to pay. Seemed like a good deal to me, so he led me around the site and had some information. I could clearly see the difference between the newer and older caves. Some caves would have many small entrances to one larger chamber. Of course, inside most of the caves were statues of buddha. Some had elaborate and colorful frescoes on the walls still in good condition. Many of the caves are blocked with wire gates to keep the monkeys from living in them and smelling them up. Back in Monywa I ate the same meal Thida and I had a few days ago at the same place. I went to bed feeling fine.
I woke up at about 5am and felt sick. I vomited a few times and felt a lot better right away. I went back to bed. At 6am I was awoken again feeling sick. I thought I got it all out the first time but I guess not! I vomited some more and went back to bed. Breakfast at the hotel was from 7-9am but I didn't care if I missed it. I had a slight fever and felt like crap. I didn't think it was malaria though. I didn't have any hot/cold sweats and I didn't vomit when I got malaria (though this is possible, it was the treatment of malaria that made me vomit). This sickness came as a big surprise and totally unexpected. I had done nothing different.
At 8.30 I got a knock on my door from the hotel manager asking if I'm coming for breakfast. I told him I was sick and only wanted some juice and fruit. He came back with exactly what I needed. A glass of cold lime juice and a big platter of fruit - orange, apple, papaya, banana and watermelon. I ate most of it and then went back to sleep till 11. I wanted to check out by 12 and go back to Mandalay. If I was going to be sick, I wanted to be in a bigger city. I wasn't feeling too terrible and picked up some paracetamol on the way to the bus station.
I got a room at Nylon hotel and went to the chapatti stand for dinner. I could only eat one chapatti. I relaxed and watched movies and felt a bit better. I had taken 2 paracetamols and my slight fever was stable and not rising. I was going to make a judgement in the morning, if my fever was higher, I was going to go to the Doctor. Thankfully when I got up I felt a lot better, no fever. I was able to eat all of the hotel breakfast. I even got caught up on some blog writing.
I kind of feel like I'm in Africa, where I would travel for weeks on my own not really meeting anyone. You get that feeling that you're an old colonial travelling around unseen territory for the first time. The traveller crowd here is slim. Even at places I thought it would have been busy, it wasn't. Also Myanmar seems to be more of a 'mature' traveller's destination. Most of the travellers I've seen are over 30.
Thida and I met in the morning and took the 12.30 bus to Monywa. The bus was medium size and the seats were pretty tight. We got a hotel in Monywa and relaxed before going out to eat. We were both thinking the same thing at the Schwe Tang Tarn restaurant/guesthouse - chicken, veggies, rice and a glass of beer. It was the cheapest thing on the menu. We had a TV in our room but it only had news stations and sometimes chinese movies with English subtitles.
Thanboddhay Paya
I came to Monya to see the sites in the area and this pagoda was our first stop. It's a massive pogada which took almost 20 years to build. What sets it apart from any other temple I've seen is the mind blowing amount of buddha statues it contains. The guidebook says it has 582,363! Some of these are large but most of them are small and line the upper walls to the ceiling.
Bodhi Tataung
5km from Thanboddhay Paya was the highlight for me of our trip to Monywa. On the site of Bodhi Tataung are a gold temple and 2 massive buddhas. The gold standing buddha is 425' tall with a 312' reclining buddha at his feet. The standing buddha is over two times the height of Niagara Falls! I could see it in the distance when we were coming on the bus. I wonder why they put something this amazing way out in the middle of nowhere. Thida and I hired a motorickshaw to get to these two sites. The area around the buddha was pratically empty except for a few vendors. I'm guessing they didn't speak english because only Thida was asked to buy stuff. There are about 26 floors inside the standing buddha, all accessible by stairs. An elevator was there but not working. The standing buddha was cool and like nothing I've ever seen but what really got my attention were the paintings inside.
Extremely graphic, violent,bloody,realistic and disturbing images lined the walls. Vivid portraits of humans being butchered by huge ogre like creatures. Humans were being skewered on a stick, boiled in stew, heads bashed in, limbs cut off....etc,I think you get the picture! It was getting late in the afternoon as Thida and I began to go up inside the buddha but I kept wanting to go just one more floor. I wanted to see what ghastly paintings were in store on the next floor. We made it up about seven floors. The inscriptions surrounding the paintings are all in Burmese but say something about this happening to you when you die. Thida says " I never want to die!' and "Will this happen to me?" I reassure her it won't. This isn't a place for children but as we left young kids were ascending the stairs. Apparently it is a place for children! The paintings were somewhat cartoonish but there was no denying their brutality. I had not expected this at all.
Back in Monywa, Thida and I ate really cheap and delicious street food.
Hpo Win Daung Caves
Thida only stayed 2 nights and went back to Mandalay. I stayed one more day to visit the man made temple caves of Hpo Win Daung. Thida has seen them before and doesn't like the aggressive monkeys hanging around the caves. I hired a mototaxi to get there, the cheapest way. The caves were about 70 minutes west from Monywa. The road out of Monywa wasn't bad at all but then we turned on to a unpaved road for a while. On both sides of the road were copper mining villages. Thankfully the road became sealed again before we reached the caves. There was hardly anybody around the caves. The monkeys quickly gathered around me in search of food as I opened up my pack to get my camera out. A local guide kept them away. I grabbed a stick to keep them away. Not far from the entrance though there were no more monkeys and I could walk in peace and eat my bananas.
These caves were all carved from a giant sandstone mountain between the 14th and 18th centuries. A local unofficial guide offered his services for whatever I wanted to pay. Seemed like a good deal to me, so he led me around the site and had some information. I could clearly see the difference between the newer and older caves. Some caves would have many small entrances to one larger chamber. Of course, inside most of the caves were statues of buddha. Some had elaborate and colorful frescoes on the walls still in good condition. Many of the caves are blocked with wire gates to keep the monkeys from living in them and smelling them up. Back in Monywa I ate the same meal Thida and I had a few days ago at the same place. I went to bed feeling fine.
I woke up at about 5am and felt sick. I vomited a few times and felt a lot better right away. I went back to bed. At 6am I was awoken again feeling sick. I thought I got it all out the first time but I guess not! I vomited some more and went back to bed. Breakfast at the hotel was from 7-9am but I didn't care if I missed it. I had a slight fever and felt like crap. I didn't think it was malaria though. I didn't have any hot/cold sweats and I didn't vomit when I got malaria (though this is possible, it was the treatment of malaria that made me vomit). This sickness came as a big surprise and totally unexpected. I had done nothing different.
At 8.30 I got a knock on my door from the hotel manager asking if I'm coming for breakfast. I told him I was sick and only wanted some juice and fruit. He came back with exactly what I needed. A glass of cold lime juice and a big platter of fruit - orange, apple, papaya, banana and watermelon. I ate most of it and then went back to sleep till 11. I wanted to check out by 12 and go back to Mandalay. If I was going to be sick, I wanted to be in a bigger city. I wasn't feeling too terrible and picked up some paracetamol on the way to the bus station.
I got a room at Nylon hotel and went to the chapatti stand for dinner. I could only eat one chapatti. I relaxed and watched movies and felt a bit better. I had taken 2 paracetamols and my slight fever was stable and not rising. I was going to make a judgement in the morning, if my fever was higher, I was going to go to the Doctor. Thankfully when I got up I felt a lot better, no fever. I was able to eat all of the hotel breakfast. I even got caught up on some blog writing.
Pyin U Lwin and Kandawgyi Botanical Garden
From the train station I took a mototaxi to Grace 1 hotel. It was just outside of downtown and on a quiet street. The $10 room was a bit expensive but it was large, clean, with TV and a hot shower. It would be okay for one night. I went to Club Terrace restaurant for dinner. The guidebook describes it as a classy place. Now, I'm anything but classy but what sold me was that it also said it had authentic Thai curries and I could really go for that. The place was nice with candlelit tables outside but there was no one else there. Where is everyone in Myanmar?
My waiter's english wasn't great but after talking about my order for a few minutes, I wasn't sure what I was going to get but that all changed when the food came. The green Thai chicken curry was really heavy on the chicken and light on the sauce but the spice was just right. It was the best curry I've had in Myanmar and one of the best I've ever had anywhere for that matter. I wish I was staying longer in town just to eat here again! My dinner with rice and a tasty pineapple shake was $5, still not too much and totally worth it.
Kandawgyi Botanical Garden
This 176 hectare garden was founded in 1915 by an English botanist. Most of it was in immaculate shape, there were a few weeds but that's in every garden. The amount of work and detail that went into this place was absolutely staggering. I couldn't imagine the maintainence here but somehow they pulled it off. The garden had more work than all of the Niagara parks gardens (where I work) put together. It was mindblowing. There were quite a few different types of plants but some they used a lot. These included easter lily, kale, pointsettia, marigold, alternanthera, salvia, pansy, carnation, dusty miller, snap dragon, iresine and bromeliad. They had a big orchid garden. While I was walking along, an Indian/Burmese family that was picnicing called me over. They ushered me to sit down and began filling a plate with food for me. They only spoke a little english but really wanted me to eat a lot! It was good food but I had limited time. I had booked a share taxi back to Mandalay at 2pm and it was after noon already. In hindsight, I should've gave myself more time.
Surprisingly they had a takin enclosure here. The takin is a strange looking animal seemingly made out of spare parts of other animals. I first read about it in George Schaller's book The Last Panda. Takin live in the same habitat as pandas. They are large mammals and difficult to see in the wild. I had wanted to see one ever since I read about them. They had four of them in the enclosure. The large male hung out at the fence breathing heavily out of his nose. Time was running out so I rode my rented bicycle back into town into the market to look for some fruit but couldn't find what I was looking for. I found out I was looking in the wrong spot, oh well. I got the front seat of my share taxi for the easy 2 hour ride back to Mandalay. I went back to the Nylon hotel but they didn't have any nice rooms left. I took a similar room at ET hotel, just down the street. I was only staying in Mandalay for one night. My plan was to head northwest to Monywa the next day.
My waiter's english wasn't great but after talking about my order for a few minutes, I wasn't sure what I was going to get but that all changed when the food came. The green Thai chicken curry was really heavy on the chicken and light on the sauce but the spice was just right. It was the best curry I've had in Myanmar and one of the best I've ever had anywhere for that matter. I wish I was staying longer in town just to eat here again! My dinner with rice and a tasty pineapple shake was $5, still not too much and totally worth it.
Kandawgyi Botanical Garden
This 176 hectare garden was founded in 1915 by an English botanist. Most of it was in immaculate shape, there were a few weeds but that's in every garden. The amount of work and detail that went into this place was absolutely staggering. I couldn't imagine the maintainence here but somehow they pulled it off. The garden had more work than all of the Niagara parks gardens (where I work) put together. It was mindblowing. There were quite a few different types of plants but some they used a lot. These included easter lily, kale, pointsettia, marigold, alternanthera, salvia, pansy, carnation, dusty miller, snap dragon, iresine and bromeliad. They had a big orchid garden. While I was walking along, an Indian/Burmese family that was picnicing called me over. They ushered me to sit down and began filling a plate with food for me. They only spoke a little english but really wanted me to eat a lot! It was good food but I had limited time. I had booked a share taxi back to Mandalay at 2pm and it was after noon already. In hindsight, I should've gave myself more time.
Surprisingly they had a takin enclosure here. The takin is a strange looking animal seemingly made out of spare parts of other animals. I first read about it in George Schaller's book The Last Panda. Takin live in the same habitat as pandas. They are large mammals and difficult to see in the wild. I had wanted to see one ever since I read about them. They had four of them in the enclosure. The large male hung out at the fence breathing heavily out of his nose. Time was running out so I rode my rented bicycle back into town into the market to look for some fruit but couldn't find what I was looking for. I found out I was looking in the wrong spot, oh well. I got the front seat of my share taxi for the easy 2 hour ride back to Mandalay. I went back to the Nylon hotel but they didn't have any nice rooms left. I took a similar room at ET hotel, just down the street. I was only staying in Mandalay for one night. My plan was to head northwest to Monywa the next day.
The Gokteik Viaduct
The owner of Mr. Kid convinced me it was a better idea to take the train out of Hsipaw instead of the bus. Sure, it's slower and more expensive but I get to cross the Gokteik Viaduct, a steel train bridge that I could see from the bus on the way here. The bridge crosses the Gokteik gorge, an obstacle to travel between Mandalay and Lashio and the way to China. The British solved this problem by going right over it. The viaduct was constructed in 1901 by the Pennsylvania Steel Company. It's 318' high and 2257' long and was the second highest train bridge when it was constructed. It's the oldest and longest railway bridge in Myanmar. Normally I'm not into trains or railway bridges but this seemed like something special and different and I wanted to cross it.
I got a ticket in upper class, the one difference between this and second class was a cushion seat. My bony ass needs cushion! The other was that they only sell tickets for the seats. On the regular class they sell space after the seats are sold so every available space is taken up. Some people stand or sleep on the floor for the entire journey. As with most things in Myanmar, the government applies a two teir pricing system. One for locals, one for foreigners. Sometimes the foreigner price is five times the local price! That was the case with the train I found out from a local. I thought Myanmar was fairly cheap on the whole even with this system in effect. It would be insanely cheap if I was able to pay local prices all the time!
The train went really slow but passed some great scenery. Before we reached the viaduct, we went through two tunnels. The train geared down to cross the bridge at a snail's pace. I was hanging out the window taking photos. Technically taking photos of the bridge is prohibited for 'security reasons' but I thought I would risk it. No one said anything. The bridge creaked a lot as we crossed it and it was a great experience. Even though the train was slower than the bus it was more comfortable. I could get up whenever I wanted and go to the bathroom anytime. I was the only white face but the locals were really friendly. All over Myanmar, the charm of the local people wins over travellers. They are really some of the most friendly and genuine people I've encountered. I arrived in Pyin U Lwin about 7 hours later. I stopped in Pyin U Lwin mainly to see its botanical garden.
I got a ticket in upper class, the one difference between this and second class was a cushion seat. My bony ass needs cushion! The other was that they only sell tickets for the seats. On the regular class they sell space after the seats are sold so every available space is taken up. Some people stand or sleep on the floor for the entire journey. As with most things in Myanmar, the government applies a two teir pricing system. One for locals, one for foreigners. Sometimes the foreigner price is five times the local price! That was the case with the train I found out from a local. I thought Myanmar was fairly cheap on the whole even with this system in effect. It would be insanely cheap if I was able to pay local prices all the time!
The train went really slow but passed some great scenery. Before we reached the viaduct, we went through two tunnels. The train geared down to cross the bridge at a snail's pace. I was hanging out the window taking photos. Technically taking photos of the bridge is prohibited for 'security reasons' but I thought I would risk it. No one said anything. The bridge creaked a lot as we crossed it and it was a great experience. Even though the train was slower than the bus it was more comfortable. I could get up whenever I wanted and go to the bathroom anytime. I was the only white face but the locals were really friendly. All over Myanmar, the charm of the local people wins over travellers. They are really some of the most friendly and genuine people I've encountered. I arrived in Pyin U Lwin about 7 hours later. I stopped in Pyin U Lwin mainly to see its botanical garden.
Hsipaw
It seems like all the buses travelling longer distances leave either before 6am or after 6pm. I don't like either of these departure times but what am I going to do? The bus for Hsipaw left at 6am. I got up at 5am and went to the station. For the first time, the bus actually left late at 6.30. There were a few other foreigners on the bus too. Hsipaw is in the mountains and a good spot for local trekking. The road climbed up endless switchbacks. The different, safe and smart thing about the switchbacks here was that there was 2 different roads for ascending and descending traffic on the really tight corner parts. That's a smart way to avoid any accidents.
We stopped for breakfast at 9. I ate rice, chicken and some other stuff. Not normally what I would choose to eat for breakfast but again, not much choice and I was really hungry. The bus arrived in Hsipaw at 3. The town is really small and I just walked to my guesthouse. There are only 3 guesthouses licensed for foreigners in town. The guidebook really recommends Mr. Charles, 'Our Pick' they call it. Of course this is the one that most people go to but I had heard that there was construction going on beside it and sometimes I just don't feel like going to their pick. I heard the other 2 guesthouses were just as nice. I got a room at Nham Khae Mao for $4. It was a small concrete box, clean but the bathroom was downstairs and around the corner. After I checked in I went to check the other guesthouse, Mr. Kid. There I found a room for $4 also but it was bigger with more stuff inside and an attatched hot shower! I should've checked here first! Sure there was no breakfast included but for that price I didn't care.
After eating lunch at a tiny pick and point canteen, I walked up a hill behind town to a temple which is supposed to have good sunset views. I got up there just in time and it was a great view of the town. On the walk back down, an American couple in a taxi gave me a lift back to my guesthouse. I ate at a decent and very cheap chinese restaurant. Sweet and sour chicken with veggies and rice and a draft Dagon beer for $2.Not much to do in the evenings here. Most of the tea shops have TV's but they show soccer or Burmese shows.
Day 2
After breakfast I checked out of my guesthouse and into Mr. Kid. I thought there would be some other backpackers around but I was the only guest there. I got my room which also had a private back entrance and balcony outside. The women owner had two friendly little dogs who warmed up to me right away. She also had a true albino guinea pig, pink eyes and all! She didn't know what albinism was but I told her it was rare. I had to take a photo of this rare pet. I came to Hsipaw to go trekking and the woman here had some self guided maps.
My first destination was some local hot springs not too far away. I walked along the road and then branched off onto a trail through villages. I found the hot springs easily enough and no one was around them. They were in a totally natural settnig. Though they weren't really hot springs as warm springs. The water was only about 28C, nice and comfortable but not hot but when compared to a stream nearby they were hot. This cold spring stream was only about 10C! Even really cold just to cross in my bare feet as I had to. I hung out here for a while and then walked back to Mr. Kid.
I had lunch at the canteen and then went to the Black House Coffee shop, a large teak mansion on the river that served real coffee! Again, I thought there might be some people here, but nope, just me. I ordered a cappucino and it was delicious. I ate another cheap meal at the chinese restaurant. On the walk back to Mr. Kid, a teashop was showing the latest Indiana Jones movie in english. I had already seen it and thought it was really cheesy but decided to have a tea and sit and watch it. The nights drop to about 16C here but days are really warm. I liked the atmosphere of Hsipaw. I got a few stares from locals but they were a bit used to seeing backpackers in their town.
Day 3
Today my destination was 2 waterfalls. I walked the same way out of town as towards the hot springs but turned right instead of left at the cemetary. I passed through the town dump on the way. Some of it was smouldering and people were searching through it. One man's trash is another man's treasure. I saw the waterfall from afar and thought that was good enough instead of walking to its base. I went back to the main road and hiked further to a village with a road leading to the other waterfall. There were lots of tracks in the village and I was directed a few times to the waterfall but just couldn't find my way, so I said screw it, it's only a waterfall. Hell, when you grow up in Niagara Falls, it's not a big deal to miss a waterfall! Back on the main road I decided to hitchhike my way back into town. I only held out my thumb for a minute when the first motorbike to go by gave me a lift.
I went online for a while and then relaxed and read in my room before devouring another cheap and tasty meal at Mr. Food. Unfortunately the tea shops were all showing some big soccer match tonight. I felt I had done enough in Hsipaw and left the next morning to Pyin U Lwin, a small town about 2 hours before Mandalay on the main road.
We stopped for breakfast at 9. I ate rice, chicken and some other stuff. Not normally what I would choose to eat for breakfast but again, not much choice and I was really hungry. The bus arrived in Hsipaw at 3. The town is really small and I just walked to my guesthouse. There are only 3 guesthouses licensed for foreigners in town. The guidebook really recommends Mr. Charles, 'Our Pick' they call it. Of course this is the one that most people go to but I had heard that there was construction going on beside it and sometimes I just don't feel like going to their pick. I heard the other 2 guesthouses were just as nice. I got a room at Nham Khae Mao for $4. It was a small concrete box, clean but the bathroom was downstairs and around the corner. After I checked in I went to check the other guesthouse, Mr. Kid. There I found a room for $4 also but it was bigger with more stuff inside and an attatched hot shower! I should've checked here first! Sure there was no breakfast included but for that price I didn't care.
After eating lunch at a tiny pick and point canteen, I walked up a hill behind town to a temple which is supposed to have good sunset views. I got up there just in time and it was a great view of the town. On the walk back down, an American couple in a taxi gave me a lift back to my guesthouse. I ate at a decent and very cheap chinese restaurant. Sweet and sour chicken with veggies and rice and a draft Dagon beer for $2.Not much to do in the evenings here. Most of the tea shops have TV's but they show soccer or Burmese shows.
Day 2
After breakfast I checked out of my guesthouse and into Mr. Kid. I thought there would be some other backpackers around but I was the only guest there. I got my room which also had a private back entrance and balcony outside. The women owner had two friendly little dogs who warmed up to me right away. She also had a true albino guinea pig, pink eyes and all! She didn't know what albinism was but I told her it was rare. I had to take a photo of this rare pet. I came to Hsipaw to go trekking and the woman here had some self guided maps.
My first destination was some local hot springs not too far away. I walked along the road and then branched off onto a trail through villages. I found the hot springs easily enough and no one was around them. They were in a totally natural settnig. Though they weren't really hot springs as warm springs. The water was only about 28C, nice and comfortable but not hot but when compared to a stream nearby they were hot. This cold spring stream was only about 10C! Even really cold just to cross in my bare feet as I had to. I hung out here for a while and then walked back to Mr. Kid.
I had lunch at the canteen and then went to the Black House Coffee shop, a large teak mansion on the river that served real coffee! Again, I thought there might be some people here, but nope, just me. I ordered a cappucino and it was delicious. I ate another cheap meal at the chinese restaurant. On the walk back to Mr. Kid, a teashop was showing the latest Indiana Jones movie in english. I had already seen it and thought it was really cheesy but decided to have a tea and sit and watch it. The nights drop to about 16C here but days are really warm. I liked the atmosphere of Hsipaw. I got a few stares from locals but they were a bit used to seeing backpackers in their town.
Day 3
Today my destination was 2 waterfalls. I walked the same way out of town as towards the hot springs but turned right instead of left at the cemetary. I passed through the town dump on the way. Some of it was smouldering and people were searching through it. One man's trash is another man's treasure. I saw the waterfall from afar and thought that was good enough instead of walking to its base. I went back to the main road and hiked further to a village with a road leading to the other waterfall. There were lots of tracks in the village and I was directed a few times to the waterfall but just couldn't find my way, so I said screw it, it's only a waterfall. Hell, when you grow up in Niagara Falls, it's not a big deal to miss a waterfall! Back on the main road I decided to hitchhike my way back into town. I only held out my thumb for a minute when the first motorbike to go by gave me a lift.
I went online for a while and then relaxed and read in my room before devouring another cheap and tasty meal at Mr. Food. Unfortunately the tea shops were all showing some big soccer match tonight. I felt I had done enough in Hsipaw and left the next morning to Pyin U Lwin, a small town about 2 hours before Mandalay on the main road.
U Bein Bridge
There are many sights to see around Mandalay but the only one that really interested me was U Bein bridge in the village of Amarapura, about 7km from Mandalay. On my walk back to the downtown after applying for my permit, I was approached by a taxi driver. I was going to rent a motorcycle to visit the bridge but wasn't looking forward to this due to the traffic. This taxi driver agreed to go for the same price as a bike rental so we agreed to meet at my hotel at 3.30. I wanted time to explore the bridge and to see sunset there.
The taxi driver was there on time and we left, dodging the traffic of Mandalay. My driver's vehicle was a blue 1962 Mazda pickup,but it was unlike any taxi I've ever been in. This vehicle was absolutely tiny. Our shoulders almost touch in the front cab. The pickup looked like it belonged in miniature world. It could have easily been lost in a child's dinky car set!
The road to the bridge went along the lake it crossed on one side and the village on the other. The village was really dirty with trash littered everywhere. The bridge is obviously a very tourist spot for independent and package tourists. There were large open air restuarants and vendors along the bridge. Beggars placed themselves strategically along the bridge. There was almost no hassle though so it was okay. When I arrived there was almost no other visitors there. I took time to walk almost the entire length of the bridge, taking photos along the way. I saw 2 snakes in the shallow water below. Around 4.30, the busloads of package tourists began to arrive but the bridge is wide enough for a car and 1.3 km long, so their numbers never felt overwhelming.
U Bein bridge is the world's longest teak footbridge and is over 200 years old. It's quite an amazing sight and unlike anything I've ever seen. Normally I'm not too into bridges but this one is something special. It was possible to hire a boat to take you across the lake but I thought this expensive for the very short ride. As it got closer to 5pm and the sun began to drop, a boatdriver approached me and offered me a discounted price because it was close to sunset. I accepted his offer because I did want to see the bridge from the water and thought there would be excellent photo opportunities for the bridge with the setting sun in the background. I was right, it was a very photogenic scene and an intense sunset. I stayed out on the lake after the sun went down for the after sunset colors. I was the last boat to come ashore.
Coming back into downtown, the traffic was horrendous. The fumes were enough to choke on and I thought 'I have to get out of this place!' and I did. The next day I left on a bus for the mountain town of Hsipaw.
Bagan to Mandalay
Most buses in Myanmar seem to leave really early morning, at 6am or before. Thankfully going to Mandalay I had a choice and choose the latter bus at 9am. The bus wasn't in great shape. I didn't get a window seat either! Myanmar is one country that is really particular that you sit where your seat number says. I've never seen this more strictly enforced in any other country. After an hour the guy beside me got off, so I took his window seat. We stopped around noon and I asked a guy if we were staying for lunch. He said we were. He spoke a bit of english and I sat beside him and his friend. He was very smartly and cleanly dressed.
There are a few things very unique to Myanmar. One of them being the longyi, kind of like a skirt for men. Women also were them but they just look like a regular skirt on a woman. About 95% of the men wear a longyi and it looks comfy but I'm not going to be one of those foreigners that wears one! The other thing is thanaka, a sandalwood type paste that is smeared on the face during the day and the body at night. It's a natural sun block and supposed to be good for the skin.
This guy from the bus was wearing pants, not a longyi. After lunch, he paid for my meal, very nice of him. The bus trucked along slowly. At another rest stop, this guy paid for my pop too. There was no stopping him!
We finally arrived in Mandalay at 4.30 at the highway bus station, 7km from the downtown. The guy, his friend and I shared a pickup into town. I took the $7 room at the Nylon Hotel, over the $5 room, basically because it was much larger, nicer and had TV, HBO at that! Mandalay is the second largest city in Myanmar and is kind of a smaller version of Yangon. I didn't like it too much. Lots of crazy traffic. The British designed the block grid street system, which is great for finding streets. The downside is, there are mass intersections and hardly any traffic lights. The traffic that wants to cross the street just inch their way out slowy into the other traffic until they are forced to stop and they can cross. It's a crazy system but seems to work. I've learned to stand right beside a car or motorbike and cross synchronised with them.
I ate a delicious dinner of chapattis and curry chicken on the street at a chapatti stand. All that and a Star cola, for $1.80. I watched movies later when the power was on. The electricity is erratic here to say the least. When it's not on, the city is very dark. Many places have a generator, hell, Nylon hotel is above a generator shop! But there are few street lights on the government grid, so it's dark in the streets. Thankfully, traffic dies off early in the night. It's really warm here, my room stays a lot warmer than outside and at night it's about 28C. I do have A/C but it only works when governmentt power is on, so I've just been using my fan. It's fine, I can sleep in the heat with a fan. I'm on the 5th floor which is a pain for going and coming on the stairs but breakfast is served just outside my door in the dining area.
I'll be spending the next 2 weeks of my trip in this area of Myanmar. I wanted to fly from Mandalay to Chang Mai in Thailand when I leave Myanmar and then overland into Laos. The guidebook said it was possible but I went to a travel agent and he said those flights haven't been running for 2 years now! I wonder if the guidebook authors do update everything or just add it in from previous editions? I have the latest edition, with information no more than a year old. Going back to Yangon and then flying to Chang Mai is expensive and time consuming. I can fly to the border with Thailand but need a government permit to do this and cross the border. Going overland to the border is not allowed, not sure why. There's stuff going on there the government doesn't want seen, like opium fields. It is afterall part of the Golden triangle, the tri-border area of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar that grows much of the world's opium.
I went to the government run Myanmar Travels and Tours (MTT) to apply for my permit. It would take 2 weeks but that's fine because I have 18 days till my one month visa expires. When applying they want to know everything. Where I've been so far, where I stayed, how I got around and where I will be going for the rest of my trip. Maybe they'll follow me around! Seriously, they do that. The guy at the office said permits are generally issued without hassle most of the time but can't guarantee. A lot hinges on this permit for me. He told me to call the office in a week and he will know for sure then if I get my permit. Either way, they have my $50!
There are a few things very unique to Myanmar. One of them being the longyi, kind of like a skirt for men. Women also were them but they just look like a regular skirt on a woman. About 95% of the men wear a longyi and it looks comfy but I'm not going to be one of those foreigners that wears one! The other thing is thanaka, a sandalwood type paste that is smeared on the face during the day and the body at night. It's a natural sun block and supposed to be good for the skin.
This guy from the bus was wearing pants, not a longyi. After lunch, he paid for my meal, very nice of him. The bus trucked along slowly. At another rest stop, this guy paid for my pop too. There was no stopping him!
We finally arrived in Mandalay at 4.30 at the highway bus station, 7km from the downtown. The guy, his friend and I shared a pickup into town. I took the $7 room at the Nylon Hotel, over the $5 room, basically because it was much larger, nicer and had TV, HBO at that! Mandalay is the second largest city in Myanmar and is kind of a smaller version of Yangon. I didn't like it too much. Lots of crazy traffic. The British designed the block grid street system, which is great for finding streets. The downside is, there are mass intersections and hardly any traffic lights. The traffic that wants to cross the street just inch their way out slowy into the other traffic until they are forced to stop and they can cross. It's a crazy system but seems to work. I've learned to stand right beside a car or motorbike and cross synchronised with them.
I ate a delicious dinner of chapattis and curry chicken on the street at a chapatti stand. All that and a Star cola, for $1.80. I watched movies later when the power was on. The electricity is erratic here to say the least. When it's not on, the city is very dark. Many places have a generator, hell, Nylon hotel is above a generator shop! But there are few street lights on the government grid, so it's dark in the streets. Thankfully, traffic dies off early in the night. It's really warm here, my room stays a lot warmer than outside and at night it's about 28C. I do have A/C but it only works when governmentt power is on, so I've just been using my fan. It's fine, I can sleep in the heat with a fan. I'm on the 5th floor which is a pain for going and coming on the stairs but breakfast is served just outside my door in the dining area.
I'll be spending the next 2 weeks of my trip in this area of Myanmar. I wanted to fly from Mandalay to Chang Mai in Thailand when I leave Myanmar and then overland into Laos. The guidebook said it was possible but I went to a travel agent and he said those flights haven't been running for 2 years now! I wonder if the guidebook authors do update everything or just add it in from previous editions? I have the latest edition, with information no more than a year old. Going back to Yangon and then flying to Chang Mai is expensive and time consuming. I can fly to the border with Thailand but need a government permit to do this and cross the border. Going overland to the border is not allowed, not sure why. There's stuff going on there the government doesn't want seen, like opium fields. It is afterall part of the Golden triangle, the tri-border area of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar that grows much of the world's opium.
I went to the government run Myanmar Travels and Tours (MTT) to apply for my permit. It would take 2 weeks but that's fine because I have 18 days till my one month visa expires. When applying they want to know everything. Where I've been so far, where I stayed, how I got around and where I will be going for the rest of my trip. Maybe they'll follow me around! Seriously, they do that. The guy at the office said permits are generally issued without hassle most of the time but can't guarantee. A lot hinges on this permit for me. He told me to call the office in a week and he will know for sure then if I get my permit. Either way, they have my $50!
Bagan
Bagan
Upon arriving in Nyuang U,I was still tired from the early morning bus and the first thing I did was catch up on some sleep. I went out to eat lunch after that. The New Heaven guesthouse where I'm staying, is a block away from ' Restaurant Row', a road lined with restuarants, shops and travel agencies geared towards foreigners. Many of the places have the same menu. I just relaxed on my porch for the afternoon until I went out for dinner.
The guidebook mentions a few standout places for dinner so I thought I would try their recommended Aroma 2 for Indian food. This restaurant, like many, has a great atmosphere with tables out under the stars with candles on them. The food was very delicious and probably as close to real Indian food that I will find in Myanmar.
Day 2
I slept in till 8 and then had the complimentary breakfast. There are many ways to explore the nearby temples and today I decided to rent a bike for $1.50. It was a junky chinese bike but it would do. The temples started just minutes after I left the small village of Nyuang U. Some of the temples are marked and described in the guidebook but there's just too many to mention them all.
At last count there were 2230 temples and another 1800 brick mounds that used to be something. The temple builders started in 1057 and built relentlessly for the next 230 years before being overrun by the Mongols of Kublai Khan. The temples are crammed onto a small 26sq mile plain. It's mindblowing to be standing on one of the higher temples and look out over the bagan plain and see an endless vista of stupas, the cylindrical cone that tops the temples. A massive earthquake in 1975 devastated Bagan, but many of the temples have since been restored.
The first few temples I explored were lesser known and I had them all to myself. It wasn't until I got to one of the more famous ones that I saw how touristy and annoying Bagan can be. Vendors selling souvenirs line the entrances to the pagodas and are relentless with offers to buy or just come have a look. Even just making eye contact can result in constant pestering but I found that most respond to a firm 'no thank-you'. The only souvenir I bought here was some old Burmese $ for my $ collection back home. I spent the whole day exploring different temples, some were crowded, some I had almost to myself. I only stopped for lunch. I rode back to the guesthouse around 3 and then headed out again for sunset at 4.30 atop buledi temple. Some of the temples are jam packed with foreigners at sunset but Buledi was supposed to be a low key sunset place and it was. There was only about a dozen other people up there. Sunset from third level of the temple, reached by climbing outside stairs, was amazing. The silhouttes of the temples with the vivid colors of dusk was very photogenic. The sun sets very early here. I thought it would be around 6pm but at exactly 5.20, the sun dipped below the horizon. However some of the most intense colors didn't begin to reveal themselves until long after the sun had set. At around 5.40, the sky was intense. I was the last one to leave the temple and rode back in the dark.
Once back at the guesthouse I met Charlie and Nina, a British couple staying at New Heaven who I had been seeing around during the day. We went out to eat at a restaurant specializing in Thai food. After eating there and the Indian place, I knew I would just divide my time between these 2 places for all my dinner meals.
Day 3
I hired a bike again today to explore but instead I hired the bike from an outside travel agency as they had newer and better bikes for the same price as the shitty New Heaven bikes. It was so much easier on this bike. I road straight to Old Bagan, a walled city with many famous temples in a small area. I parked my bike at the first temple and then did a circuit on foot.
I ate lunch at Golden Myanmar, a purely Burmese place that was packed. I was the only white face. I ordered chicken curry and rice and this came with 8 side dishes! This is normal for Burmese cuisine, many small side dishes.Some of the side dishes were good, like corn and veggies, while others were bitter and disgusting. They fill up the rice and side dishes as fast as you can empty them. Lunch with a soda averages about $3.
Back at the guesthouse I ran into Charlie and Nina again as I was getting ready to go out for sunset. They had a temple in mind for sunset that they had seen earlier in the day and I joined them. It was far out but reachable along a paved road. There were only 3 other people there. Sunset was great, though not as colorful as the previous night. Charlie,Nina and I went out to eat at Aroma 2. They also love curry. They are on a year long driving trip across Europe and Asia but left their Landcruiser in Thailand while they came to Myanmar. They were short on time and were leaving the next day.
Day 3
I was a bit sore from the seat of my bike and was looking to hire a horsecart to explore today. It would be a bit pricey for just me so I was hoping to find at least one other person to share. I saw two guys looking over a map at my guesthouse and approached them after I ate breakfast. They were also looking to rent a horsecart and I could join them. They were Rihot and Jaron, both from Singapore. Our driver first took us out to near the place where I had spent sunset the previous night. From there we toured to some temples I had already seen and others I had not. Our driver Min Min spoke some English and was a funny guy. His horse, Rambo, was in good shape and seemed to know the route as well as he did. I wasn't too picky on where we were going so I ended up back at Buledi for sunset again. Tonight's sunset was spectacular. Vivid and surreal colors of pink and orangey red that got more intense after the sun set behind the distant hills at 5.20. I have so many sunset pictures!
Back in Nyuang U, the 3 of us went out to eat at the Thai restaurant. Rihot and Jaron weren't really my type of traveller though. They moved much too fast and left the next day for some other place.
Day 4
Besides the temples, there were some other sites I wanted to see in the area. The main one being Mount Popa, about 60km away. I would have to hire a car to go there and was only going to do it if I could share the car. I met John, an American, the night before and he was also interested in seeing Mt. Popa. The 2 of us and another older Austrian guy shared the car to Mt. Popa. The mountain is actually a small and freestanding ancient volcanic plug in front of another higher and larger mountain. On top of the 2418'Mt.Popa are numerous monasteries, stupas and shrines. Macaque monkeys are all over the mountain and unafraid of humans. The 25 minute climb to the top has to be done barefoot. The walkway is covered to provide relief from the sun but I had to watch out to avoid monkey feces and urine on the steps. Thankfully some locals spend their days cleaning the steps but not all of them are clean. The bold monkeys have no fear and it's possible to get very close for a photo, just hold onto your bag and camera! I hung out on the top for a while taking in the views of the surrounding plains. I ran into Paul, an Irish guy I had been seeing all over Bagan but never really spoke to him before. Now I run into him on top of Mt. Popa, it's a small world!
I ran into him again in Popa village were we had lunch. He came here by public transport but his ride had left before he got down the mountain. We squeezed him into the middle seat in the back of our taxi. On our way back we stopped at a small shack where they make peanut oil. No one was really doing anything when we were there but they sat us down and gave us tea and snacks. I saw bamboo ladders tied up to palm trees nearby which means only one thing - palm wine! I asked our driver about sampling some Toddy, as palm wine is known here, and it was no problem. They brought us out a shot glass each. It wasn't the best palm wine I've had, but it was still good. After that they brought out the heavy stuff. Jaggery wine is crystal clear and 40%. Again we were given a shot glass of that. It was harsh but not as bad as I thought it would be and had an pleasnt aftertaste. After our local liquor sampling, we each gave some small money and then we headed back to Nyuang U.
I hadn't been online for over a week, so I went to check my email. This internet cafe was able to bypass government restrictions and I went on my blog to update. I had dinner again at Aroma 2. After spending 4 days in Bagan I was ready to move on. I bought a bus ticket for Mandalay to leave the next morning.
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