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.