Final Days

Reluctantly, we depart today for Heho airport to board the 17:30 flight to Yangon. We are staying at the airport in Yangon overnight, as it takes an hour or more (depending on traffic) to taxi to and from the airport to central Yangon. We chose Palm Springs Resort as we can laze around the pool 

before our evening departure flight via Singapore and Heathrow to Dublin. 

This morning, we walked around the town. There isn’t much to see. The main attraction is the lake. The night market looked a sorry sight in daylight.

I decided to seek out Viewpoint Lodge, where the Andrea and Elka, our German friends, were staying. We had been unable to reserve a room there as the hotel was fully booked for our dates. 

En route, I met a lady who wanted me to take a Tuk Tuk to her restaurant outside the town. She took out her iPhone, a superior one to mine, and showed me photographs of the location. It looked beautiful. When I said that I was departing this afternoon, she said that she would call a taxi for me after lunch. I informed her that I’d already booked one at my hotel. She asked me how much the hotel was charging, I replied K20,000. She said that that was a good price!!! 

I arrived at Viewpoint Lodge - a mere 5 minute walk from Thousand Island Hotel. 

It is located beside the canal but one is less aware of the sound of the long boats. 

The manager met me and very kindly showed me around the hotel. The lodge is composed of cottages located on the canal banks

with a pool - 

the largest, the manager informed me, in Shan state!!! 

He then showed me the menu. He informed me that the menu had been revamped with a choice of European or Shan food and that their prices had been reduced - slightly less expensive than European prices but vastly greater than some good local restaurants. 

I returned to the hotel to pack and taxi to the airport for  our one hour return flight to Yangon. 

We had lunch in a local pizzeria - doesn’t Italian food travel well ? While we were there, a group of girls, dressed in pink (the monks dress in brown) with shaved heads, arrived at the restaurant with silver  bowls. (They’re from the Nunnery; the female equivalent of the monastery). They were seeking food. The owner distributed rice to each person. They continued down the street, stopping at some restaurants, their parasols protecting them from the hot sun. 

At 15:00, as requested, our taxi driver arrived. It was a real taxi! As we drove to Heho airport, we had to ask him to desist from using his  mobile phone! The phone was constantly ringing, he was replying but when he commenced texting  and I could see in the mirror that his eyes were off road, we had to intervene. He apologized and didn’t answer the persisting ringing after that!! I thought him a little odd. Had he been chewing  the Betel nut of the acacia tree? . It is a mild intoxicant and it destroys teeth - most had this redness about the teeth from chewing the nut. There is s great emphasis on ‘no smoking’ with signs everywhere but no reference to Betnel. 

The road was in good condition and upgrading works were in progress. Interestingly, it was mainly girls who were doing the work, some throwing down pans of stones and another pouring tar on them. Nearby a man was siting on a roller!!! 

We arrived at the airport. It is small and check in was expedited quickly. The personal scanner wasn’t  working and I got a very cursory body search. I’m here at present sitting in the airport lounge, it needs a lot of  TLC! 

The airline safety record here is questionable. Some planes arrived, didn’t knock off their engines, loaded passengers and baggage and took off again!! Our plane arrived and did cut the engines and within 10 minutes we were loaded and on our way- (we couldn't  face a 10-12 hour bus journey to Yangon) 

The Mann Yadansrpon Airlines was our Airline of choice. It did not disappoint. The plane was immaculate unlike the airport and the service was excellent. Throughout our journey, the sun,  coutured in its evening finery, accompanied us almost to Yangon. 

On arrival, we got a taxi to the hotel, had dinner and retired. Tomorrow is a long day as we make our way west and home.  

Until the next trip thwa-me-naw (goodbye in Burmese)   

from Myanmar (pronounced Meanmar).

A truly wonderful holiday. 

Day 14 Inle Lake

It was 06:00. I awoke to the sound of engines The longboats were already at work. From our bedroom balcony which overlooked the canal, I could  see boats ferrying people and their provisions down the canal to Lake Inle. 

                   A view from our balcony

A few tourist boats were returning having  observed sunrise over the Lake and a single  balloon  floated in the sky. 

After breakfast, we went to the jetty and hired a boat. What one books is the entire boat - it can fit up to 4 people. We were provided with life jackets but I saw many tourist in boats without life jackets. 

We set off c.10:00. This as it turned out was an excellent departure time as we sailed down the canal, there wasn’t a tourist boat to be seen. It took c.45 minutes to reach the lake. En route we passed the fishermen planting their cages. 

These boys I think wouldn’t know how to fish!!! 

The latter was dredging the Lake. There is a lot of algae in the lake, which appears to be chocking it. 

We passed the Buddha. I assume he’s here to guard the boats. 

Numerous settlements dotted the lake. 

We docked at a Lotus Weaving Workshop. Lotos is more expensive than silk. It is understandable when one observes the labour involved in taking the strands from the lotus bark 

The lotus flower grows more abundantly during the wet season. 

It is eventually woven by a simple weaving apparatus into the above. 

A longy  - a type of ‘long skirt’ worn by men, women and children, made of lotus, can take two days to produce. 

We next visited Phaung Daw Oo Paya; the holiest religious site in south Shan province. 

 

Five Buddha images have been transformed into mere blobs by the sheer weight of gold leaf applied by devotees!! One could not distinguish in which direction the Buddhas were facing. 

We proceeded to: 

Another promotion but in fairness, the vendors were  not pushy. This weaving centre is unique in that it has a reputation for the ‘ladies of the long necks’ a tradition of the weavers wearing a succession of  gold  band completely covering the neck. 

We sailed through the Floating Gardens 

where Intha farmers grow fruit, vegetables and flowers on wooden trellises 

supported by floating vegetation.  

From there we sailed to Nga Hpe Kyaung, known as the Jumping Cat Monastery. In the past the monks trained cats to jump through hoops when they weren’t praying. The only cats I saw were lying on a prayer mat -asleep!!  

The monastery is situated in the lake but has a pedestrian bridge to the mainland. 

On our return, we passed the bird sanctuary 

Later, another species stood all alone on the lake



The fishermen were still hard at work as we sailed home

Locals were making their way back home having contributed to dredging the lake. 

The jetty came into view as did our hotel - Thousand Island Hotel (Best Western) 

It’s the high building on the left. Our room faces the canal.  After we docked, 

we returned the the hotel, opened the doors and stepped out on the balcony to admire the evening - I know not another you may say - but this is definitely the last!! 

A truly great day on the lake. 

  

Day 13 Kalaw - Shwenyaung - Nyaungshwe (Lake Inle)

Would you believe I’m here awaiting the train to Schwenyaung and I’m charging my phone on the platform? 

Today, we had an excellent breakfast. The hotel caters for Asian and European. We took a Tuk Tuk into the town - about a 5 minute ride. 

We walked down the Main Street - Min Street. 

We again saw a number of pagodas, 

a Muslim Mosque and a Christian church - it’s mainly Anglican here in Myanmar. 

We saw a clock tower and thought it was one of the vestiges of the Empire. On closer examination, I discovered that it was recently built by the Local Council! 

Nearby was a park but no seating within. It was a cool refuge from the morning sun 

We decided to walk back to the hotel. En route we saw some beautiful colonial houses with pristine gardens 

We even saw a thatched house!! 

At the crossroads  outside the hotel was a vestige of the past - a beautifully maintained roundabout. 

Kalaw is far cleaner and more organised than other towns we’ve visited and its roads are paved - unlike Bagan. 

There are few flowers in  bloom. Sun flowers are  cultivated  here but I failed to photograph one in bloom. It appears to be the end of season. 

We took a Tuk Tuk to the station. The train was due at 14:30 but the ticket office didn’t sell tickets until 14:00! 

The train arrived.  

- only a few minutes late. 

We’ve boarded and are awaiting its  departure - it was stationed here yesterday for 20 minutes. 

We departed at 15:44, as in places it is a single track, our departure was delayed awaiting another train’s arrival - we were now 50 minutes down!!   It’s definitely the slow train to Thazi, though we’re doing it the other way around  Thazi to Shwenyaung. 

We climbed for a short time 

and then a wide valley appeared, where numerous crops were grown - tea, potatoes, green vegetables etc  When one considers that the farmers plant with the most basic of machinery - one cannot but be impressed with their industriousness. The symmetry on the fields was to be admired as most of the work is done by hand! 

and the land although it appears to a have a rich fertile soil; Tropical  red soils lose their nutrients quickly and have to be constantly replenished with fertiliser. 

We passed station after station, at times only collecting mail!  

We arrived at Heho, the region’s airport. Two passengers alighted. I trust they made their flight considering that the train was running 50 minutes late!

Finally we arrived at our destination. Before the train stopped, a taxi man was on board asking us if we’d like to share a taxi with a couple sitting behind us, whom we had not met. We all agreed and agreed a price with the driver. However, when we went outside, unknowingly, what had we agreed to was one of the public buses which has two benches; one on each side.!! The other couple were young - he from Spain and she was English. They were on s tight budget so they didn’t object. As it was a 30 minutes drive to Nyaungshwe, had we been on our own, we’d have ordered a proper taxi for such s long journey. As we approached Nyaungshwe, the driver stopped and we had to pay K15,000 each to enter the city as we had in Bagan (K25,000). He dropped us to our hotels - it’s Thousand Island Hotel , Inle Lake. 

Thousand Island is a good choice if one is short of time, I considered it not feasible to stay on the lake for a day or two. The commute can be long 

We checked in  at 19:30. The whole town appeared to have retired for the night. Our hotel restaurant closes st 20:00!! We must find somewhere to eat .....more tomorrow.!!