January 12-15. We left you after a day on the boat on Inle Lake. We still have wonderful memories of that day. But let us bring you up to date.
On the 12th, the 4 of us took a 5 mile hike from the Aquarius Inn into the surrounding countryside. It felt good to walk after being on the boat all day. We walked about 3/4 mile to get out of town accompanied by a potpouri of motorcycles, bicycles, tractor-carts, passersby, cars and buses. As we continued beyond Nyuangshwe on a dirt road, the traffic lessened considerably and soon we found ourselves basically alone walking amidst crops of sugar cane and vegetables. Before long, we found ourselves in a small village. We hiked up to a cave we had read about. There we were met by a monk who had flashlights and gave us a guided tour of the small recesses of the cave. Meditation areas and Buddha statues were everywhere and the cave was more extensive than we originally thought. On the way out, the monk proudly pointed to a small solar panel which we think will eventually provide lights to the cave.
We walked further uphill past a little school with children singing (for us?), a few more small villages and finally a view of the lake. Gradually we meandered our way down the hill and back to our inn. We ate an an Indian restaurant that night. The next day we rented bikes and biked out to the 5 day market in MaingThauk, about 8 miles away via flat road. We passed a place where the paving of the road was being done by hand. They poured tar on the surface and placed rocks on top of it (women doing this part). We made it to the market just before it closed at noon, but in time to buy a few souvenirs. Then we had lunch at a lakeside restaurant--noodles of course. On our way back, we stopped at Red Mountain Winery to sample 4 of its wines--one red (Tempranillo), one rose (sweet), two whites (Sauv Blanc and Late Harvest). The Late Harvest was excellent--surprise! Roger liked the Sauv Blanc and Kathy liked the Tempranillo. The rose was like syrup (yuck!). Then we were invited to join, but begged off on, a winery tour conducted in Russian. Finally we mounted our trusty bikes and wobbled downhill to our Inn. The bicycles were designed for Asians, so seats don't raise high enough for us....and the brakes are questionable. But we had 5 gears and relatively good seats, so who could complain. That night we had a wonderful Inle Lake fish dinner in town at Thanaka.
Yesterday was a travel day. I (Kathy) was nervous about it because Myanmar airlines don't always go as planned. For instance, if there are not enough passengers, they just don't fly. And the flight from Inle Lake to Yangon was the first leg of our trip home. So we wanted it all to work. And it did. We are now back in Hanoi (Inle Lake to Bagan to Yangon to Hanoi) and discovered a new airport since we were here last 6 weeks ago. It is stunning! We don't know what happened to the old airport, but we certainly agree that the new one is an improvement.
Today, we will do a little shopping, a little sight-seeing, have a fancy Vietnamese dinner and then tomorrow morning head back to Hong Kong and LAX. It has been a wonderful adventure! Signing off...unless something stupendous happens today. Oh wait! The four of us made a list of funny things that happened on our journey as well as a list of our "Best" and "Worst." We'll post this later. So maybe you will want to return.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Monday, January 12, 2015
Inle Lake - A Must for You Who Go to Myanmar!
January 10 - 14. We saved the best for last. Today we flew from Yangon to Heho and then took a 1 hour taxi ride to the Inle Lake area. We are staying at the Aquarius Inn in Nyaungshwe. We were greeted at the inn by the owner with a cup of tea and a plate of fruit. He suggested that we take a walk to the local market in the afternoon and sign up for a boat trip on Inle Lake the following day. After we got ourselves settled in our rooms, the four of us walked the few blocks to the market. We wandered around the stalls, this time dirt floors and bamboo stalls with tarps. Everyday the week, a regionwide market is held in a different city around the lake on a 5-day rotation. The day we arrived, it was in Nyaungshwe. However, we were so late in getting there that many vendors had packed up their wares and were departing. Still, we got the flavor of the market.
The next day, we got up early to take the boat on Inle Lake. I must interject here that we are at a higher altitude here in Nyaungshwe and it is COLD. Daytimes are in the 70s and nightimes in the 50s. I'm not completely sure that we are "escaping winter." Rising for breakfast in the cold of dawn (we haven't figured out yet why one has to get on the boat at 7:30 am), we put on every piece of clothing we had in our suitcases...and we were still cold. Then we boarded the long boats (about 35 ft long and 4 ft wide at the center, tapered on each end with a motor at the back driving a propeller on a long pole which can lifted out of the water as needed) and started on our journey down a wide 3 mile canal to the lake. The brisk wind in our faces chilled us further, but our driver had provided blankets and life jackets. The latter were helpful in keeping the wind off our bodies. Soon, the sun arose and we began to warm up. The lake is huge--13 by 7 miles--and shallow.
At the entrance to the lake, we saw fisherman using large cone-shaped bamboo baskets to drop on the fish. Then they speared any that were caught in the basket. While the fisherman was doing this, he stood and paddled the boat with one leg wrapped around the oar. Other fishermen used large nets, working in teams of 3 to drive fish into the nets. Fish is a staple here at Inle Lake.
Next, we went to Jumping Cat Monastery which unfortunately no longer boasted jumping cats. The monk who trained them died not long ago and the cats were retired. The monastery was on stilts in the middle of the river. It contained numerous gold-encrusted wooden Buddhas. The building itself was quite beautiful. Boarding our boat again, we wandered through the Floating Gardens. The gardens are floating masses of organic matter, staked in place by bamboo poles so they don't blow away in the wind. Tomatoes, gourds, green beans, squash, all in their neat little rows, all in the middle of the lake, acres of gardens. Incredible! Aquaculture...or hydroponics, whatever.
Our driver then chose one of many canals and wound through more solid patches of earth to the village of Inn Dein. We paid the 50 cents to use our camera (being new to tourism hasn't daunted their inventiveness) and walked up a series of stairs to a pagoda forest. Similar to Bagan, there were hundreds of stupas, temples and a pagoda, some in ruins, others in excellent shape and some in the process of being restored. It was fascinating to walk around the site and look at the artistry.
After an hour at Inn Dein, we returned to the boat and toured a parasol making demonstration, a lotus (silk) making demonstration and a cheroot making demonstration, all at separate places on the lake on stilts. Whole communities of people live on the lake in little houses on stilts separated by roads of water--just like a regular village, except water is the roadway. We loved it!
Our guide took us to an amazing restaurant on stilts where we had fried noodles and outstanding grilled lake fish.
As we returned to the hotel, the sun set and cold lake air returned. It was one of the best days of our trip. It couldn't have been nicer.
The next day, we got up early to take the boat on Inle Lake. I must interject here that we are at a higher altitude here in Nyaungshwe and it is COLD. Daytimes are in the 70s and nightimes in the 50s. I'm not completely sure that we are "escaping winter." Rising for breakfast in the cold of dawn (we haven't figured out yet why one has to get on the boat at 7:30 am), we put on every piece of clothing we had in our suitcases...and we were still cold. Then we boarded the long boats (about 35 ft long and 4 ft wide at the center, tapered on each end with a motor at the back driving a propeller on a long pole which can lifted out of the water as needed) and started on our journey down a wide 3 mile canal to the lake. The brisk wind in our faces chilled us further, but our driver had provided blankets and life jackets. The latter were helpful in keeping the wind off our bodies. Soon, the sun arose and we began to warm up. The lake is huge--13 by 7 miles--and shallow.
At the entrance to the lake, we saw fisherman using large cone-shaped bamboo baskets to drop on the fish. Then they speared any that were caught in the basket. While the fisherman was doing this, he stood and paddled the boat with one leg wrapped around the oar. Other fishermen used large nets, working in teams of 3 to drive fish into the nets. Fish is a staple here at Inle Lake.
Next, we went to Jumping Cat Monastery which unfortunately no longer boasted jumping cats. The monk who trained them died not long ago and the cats were retired. The monastery was on stilts in the middle of the river. It contained numerous gold-encrusted wooden Buddhas. The building itself was quite beautiful. Boarding our boat again, we wandered through the Floating Gardens. The gardens are floating masses of organic matter, staked in place by bamboo poles so they don't blow away in the wind. Tomatoes, gourds, green beans, squash, all in their neat little rows, all in the middle of the lake, acres of gardens. Incredible! Aquaculture...or hydroponics, whatever.
Our driver then chose one of many canals and wound through more solid patches of earth to the village of Inn Dein. We paid the 50 cents to use our camera (being new to tourism hasn't daunted their inventiveness) and walked up a series of stairs to a pagoda forest. Similar to Bagan, there were hundreds of stupas, temples and a pagoda, some in ruins, others in excellent shape and some in the process of being restored. It was fascinating to walk around the site and look at the artistry.
After an hour at Inn Dein, we returned to the boat and toured a parasol making demonstration, a lotus (silk) making demonstration and a cheroot making demonstration, all at separate places on the lake on stilts. Whole communities of people live on the lake in little houses on stilts separated by roads of water--just like a regular village, except water is the roadway. We loved it!
Our guide took us to an amazing restaurant on stilts where we had fried noodles and outstanding grilled lake fish.
As we returned to the hotel, the sun set and cold lake air returned. It was one of the best days of our trip. It couldn't have been nicer.
Yangon (Rangoon)
January 7-10 - Yangon (I really prefer "Rangoon" because it is so much more romantic) is a city of 6 million people. And after languishing under 22 years of closed borders and harsh military rule, Yangon is booming economically. New buildings sprout everywhere--banks (strange because the locals don't trusts them), hotels, malls, restaurants, and gas stations.
We stayed 3 nights at the Hotel WarDan, built within the last year or so. We took a short walk in the evening to familiarize ourselves with the area. The hotel was located among many old apartment buildings and street-side restaurants. The streets bustled with vendors, people buying stuff, monks walking by--a very busy place after the relative quiet of our river cruise. We returned to the hotel, showered and walked to a nearby restaurant for local Shen noodles and fried rice.
The next day, we walked about 1-1/2 miles to Scott's Market, a large traditional (as opposed to a mall) downtown market square filled with permanent stalls and tile floors. Women sold vegetables and fruits, fish (fresh and dried), chicken...basically every foodstuff imaginable. Also there were goldsmith, textile, souvenir, household goods in other stalls. Then we walked to the only Jewish synagogue in Myanmar. There are only 20 practicing Jews in the country. I can't remember if we gave you the religious breakdown of the country in a previous post, but it is 85% Buddhist, 5% Protestant, 4% Muslim, 2% Hindu and 2% Catholic. There were about 3,000 Jews in Myanmar prior to WWII, but most fled when the country was invaded by the Japanese.
The second night, we took a taxi to Swedagon Pagoda, probably the largest and most famous in Myanmar. We were trying to see the gold spires at sunset, but the weather didn't cooperate. There is a large central stupa surrounded by hundreds of smaller temples and stupas. Many Buddhists were there bowing to their favorite Buddha image. There were many tourists as well. We left the Pagoda on foot in search of the Feel Restaurant, highly recommended in the guides. We go lost in the dark and ended up taking a taxi. To order, we had to crowd up to a buffet of dishes and point to the ones we wanted while the waittress wrote down our choices. This sounds easy, but none of the food was recognizeable. Considering the chaos of the ordering process. we ate well.
Our last day in Yangon, we walked around one of the city's beautiful lakes, strolling over the water on a boardwalk. Next we returned to Scott's Market for a few souvenirs. Next, we did a "colonial building" walking tour near the Yangon River. This was followed by a great lunch-dinner at Monsoon (Thai food) and an afternoon of packing for our early morning departure to Inle Lake.
Roger and I have decided that we are not city-people. We really prefer smaller communities and natural places. We were not sad to leave Yangon behind.
We stayed 3 nights at the Hotel WarDan, built within the last year or so. We took a short walk in the evening to familiarize ourselves with the area. The hotel was located among many old apartment buildings and street-side restaurants. The streets bustled with vendors, people buying stuff, monks walking by--a very busy place after the relative quiet of our river cruise. We returned to the hotel, showered and walked to a nearby restaurant for local Shen noodles and fried rice.
The next day, we walked about 1-1/2 miles to Scott's Market, a large traditional (as opposed to a mall) downtown market square filled with permanent stalls and tile floors. Women sold vegetables and fruits, fish (fresh and dried), chicken...basically every foodstuff imaginable. Also there were goldsmith, textile, souvenir, household goods in other stalls. Then we walked to the only Jewish synagogue in Myanmar. There are only 20 practicing Jews in the country. I can't remember if we gave you the religious breakdown of the country in a previous post, but it is 85% Buddhist, 5% Protestant, 4% Muslim, 2% Hindu and 2% Catholic. There were about 3,000 Jews in Myanmar prior to WWII, but most fled when the country was invaded by the Japanese.
The second night, we took a taxi to Swedagon Pagoda, probably the largest and most famous in Myanmar. We were trying to see the gold spires at sunset, but the weather didn't cooperate. There is a large central stupa surrounded by hundreds of smaller temples and stupas. Many Buddhists were there bowing to their favorite Buddha image. There were many tourists as well. We left the Pagoda on foot in search of the Feel Restaurant, highly recommended in the guides. We go lost in the dark and ended up taking a taxi. To order, we had to crowd up to a buffet of dishes and point to the ones we wanted while the waittress wrote down our choices. This sounds easy, but none of the food was recognizeable. Considering the chaos of the ordering process. we ate well.
Our last day in Yangon, we walked around one of the city's beautiful lakes, strolling over the water on a boardwalk. Next we returned to Scott's Market for a few souvenirs. Next, we did a "colonial building" walking tour near the Yangon River. This was followed by a great lunch-dinner at Monsoon (Thai food) and an afternoon of packing for our early morning departure to Inle Lake.
Roger and I have decided that we are not city-people. We really prefer smaller communities and natural places. We were not sad to leave Yangon behind.
Last Days of Cruise
January 5-7 - After cruising downriver, we overnighted at Magwe. The next morning, we took a city tour by tri-shaw, which is really a bicycle with a side seat attached (hence the 3rd wheel). I asked Roger if he would attach one for me on his bike when we returned home.
Magwe is a pretty little town with remnants of British colonial buildings and a small market. We didn't see any tourist here. But we were certainly the entertainment for the locals.
That afternoon, we sailed further downstream, ending at the riverside town of Thayet Myo. In the morning, we took horse carts around the city ending at the oldest golf course in Myanmar, built by the British in 1887. Affiliatd with the famous Royal St. Andrews Golf Course in Scotland, members of the Thayet Golf Club are treated as honorary guests at St. Andrews. Roger sat in front with the driver and I sat facing back. The city is home to several universities and the medical school.
In the afternoon we had an excursion to Pyay (Prome) and Sri Ksetra. The Pyu Empire controlled this area between 5th and 9th centuries until they were conquered by the Burmese. They built a huge walled area (maybe 7 miles on a side) that included villages, farmlands, and royal structures to protect themselves against invasion. The museum held Pyu artifacts that have been unearthed in recent times. This is now considered the first empire in the country, rather than Pagan.
The next stop on the afternoon excursion was the Shwesandaw Pagoda complex, one of the most important and revered Buddhist sites in Myanmar. Our guide was a native of Pyay and shared many tales of the area. Pyay boomed along with the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in the 1890s and is now an important trading post for goods traveling between northern and southern Myanmar.
Our cruise ended after breakfast the next morning with a 6 hour bus trip to Yangon (Rangoon). There has got to be a better way of ending such a wonderful river trip.
Magwe is a pretty little town with remnants of British colonial buildings and a small market. We didn't see any tourist here. But we were certainly the entertainment for the locals.
That afternoon, we sailed further downstream, ending at the riverside town of Thayet Myo. In the morning, we took horse carts around the city ending at the oldest golf course in Myanmar, built by the British in 1887. Affiliatd with the famous Royal St. Andrews Golf Course in Scotland, members of the Thayet Golf Club are treated as honorary guests at St. Andrews. Roger sat in front with the driver and I sat facing back. The city is home to several universities and the medical school.
In the afternoon we had an excursion to Pyay (Prome) and Sri Ksetra. The Pyu Empire controlled this area between 5th and 9th centuries until they were conquered by the Burmese. They built a huge walled area (maybe 7 miles on a side) that included villages, farmlands, and royal structures to protect themselves against invasion. The museum held Pyu artifacts that have been unearthed in recent times. This is now considered the first empire in the country, rather than Pagan.
The next stop on the afternoon excursion was the Shwesandaw Pagoda complex, one of the most important and revered Buddhist sites in Myanmar. Our guide was a native of Pyay and shared many tales of the area. Pyay boomed along with the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in the 1890s and is now an important trading post for goods traveling between northern and southern Myanmar.
Our cruise ended after breakfast the next morning with a 6 hour bus trip to Yangon (Rangoon). There has got to be a better way of ending such a wonderful river trip.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
More Cruise Highlights - Bagan
Ah, Bagan! We spent 2 nights on the Irrawaddy Explorer docked at Bagan. Old Bagan covers about 20 sq miles (Roger's guess) and it is a forest of pagodas dating from the 11th to 13th centuries. It is an archeologist's and artist's dream come true. Of the original 10,000 pagodas, about 2,200 still survive. This was the center of the Pagan Empire. It is absolutely magical. Most of the pagodas have lost their original plaster coating and are terracotta color. Some have refurbished and are ornately colored. All are stunning.
Coming by oxcart to the site, we climbed to the top of Phya That Gyi, the most significant temple of the area and watched the sunset from the roof.
The next day, we toured the Bagan market in the morning. Then we cruised across the river, loaded into a van and drove to a mountain top pagoda. There we watched the sun set across the river on Bagan.
If we were planning another trip to the area, we would station ourselves in Bagan, bicycle down its quiet lanes, explore its little villages and basically spend more time there. It is special.
The following day, January 4, we had a morning walking tour through Salay a small British colonial port town. The highlight of this walk was a 19th century teak monastery (now a museum) with beautiful wood carvings and Buddha statues of various sizes and poses.
In the afternoon, we cruised down the river.
Coming by oxcart to the site, we climbed to the top of Phya That Gyi, the most significant temple of the area and watched the sunset from the roof.
The next day, we toured the Bagan market in the morning. Then we cruised across the river, loaded into a van and drove to a mountain top pagoda. There we watched the sun set across the river on Bagan.
If we were planning another trip to the area, we would station ourselves in Bagan, bicycle down its quiet lanes, explore its little villages and basically spend more time there. It is special.
The following day, January 4, we had a morning walking tour through Salay a small British colonial port town. The highlight of this walk was a 19th century teak monastery (now a museum) with beautiful wood carvings and Buddha statues of various sizes and poses.
In the afternoon, we cruised down the river.
Cruise Highlights
The morning we left Mandalay, we stopped upriver at the small town of Mingun. We saw an uncompleted stupa, which would have been the largest in the world had it been completed. And we saw a huge brass bell which was the biggest in the world until the Chinese made a bigger one in 2000. The stupa was not completed because the king was told that he would die when it was finished. He told the workers to go home.
The next day we had a full day tour to Hpowindaung Caves. There were about 1000 niches and caves carved into a sandstone hill, with Buddha statues in each of them. Dating back to the 13h century, many retained their original color. We also went to the Thanboddhay Pagoda, famous for its nearly 600,000 Buddhas--you have to have been there.
The following day we visited two small villages. The first village made clay pots that are used throughout the nation to hold drinking water. The villagers make 2000 a day by hand. The second village was much smaller (maybe 200 people) and made a brown sugar from the sap of the toddy palm tree. We left school supplies in both villages. This brings up a great story. Part of the supplies we brought from the States was a hand turn pencil sharpener to fasten on a wall. When we entered Myanmar and went through security, the officers stopped Kathy's suitcase. They pulled out the pencil sharpener and handed it to 3 different levels of supervisers, not knowing what it was or whether it should be allowed. Finally Kathy pulled out a pencil and shoved in the hole and turned the handle to show them what it did. Everyone had a good laugh about that. It was not a weapon afterall.
Three afternoons during the cruise, talks were given by our guides about Buddhism, Myanmar history and finally Myanmar's current political situation. We can share more if anyone is interested.
The next day we had a full day tour to Hpowindaung Caves. There were about 1000 niches and caves carved into a sandstone hill, with Buddha statues in each of them. Dating back to the 13h century, many retained their original color. We also went to the Thanboddhay Pagoda, famous for its nearly 600,000 Buddhas--you have to have been there.
The following day we visited two small villages. The first village made clay pots that are used throughout the nation to hold drinking water. The villagers make 2000 a day by hand. The second village was much smaller (maybe 200 people) and made a brown sugar from the sap of the toddy palm tree. We left school supplies in both villages. This brings up a great story. Part of the supplies we brought from the States was a hand turn pencil sharpener to fasten on a wall. When we entered Myanmar and went through security, the officers stopped Kathy's suitcase. They pulled out the pencil sharpener and handed it to 3 different levels of supervisers, not knowing what it was or whether it should be allowed. Finally Kathy pulled out a pencil and shoved in the hole and turned the handle to show them what it did. Everyone had a good laugh about that. It was not a weapon afterall.
Three afternoons during the cruise, talks were given by our guides about Buddhism, Myanmar history and finally Myanmar's current political situation. We can share more if anyone is interested.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Myanmar (Burma)
It has been 12 days since our last blog. Some people have asked if we dropped off the earth. Perhaps! We apologize for the silence. During this time we took a 10 day cruise down the Irrawaddy and had no WiFi access. This was particularly annoying because I hadn't checked our checking account prior to boarding the cruise and had no idea if we had enough money in it to cover autopay payments.
Our stay in Burma began with a tour of the city of Mandalay, initially on our own and then with the cruise company's assistance. On our own we visited the old royal palace, a center piece of the city. We ate Indian food at a vegetarian restaurant and saw a marionette show (a popular form of entertainment here) at our hotel. Burma opened to tourism just four years ago. It's lower-priced hotels (still quite expensive by SE Asian standards) are often not in the cleanest or best neighborhoods. Ours was no exception. However, the hotel rooms and staff were very nice and we had no fear walking around the neighborhood.
Kathy got sick just as the cruise tour of Mandalay began, so she missed it. But Roger saw the pagoda (a Buddhist complex of solid shaped structures called stupas (picture a huge Hershey kiss) and temples which usually have Buddha statues inside) atop Mandalay Hill, a marble carving district, a wood carving area, and the oldest teak monastery in Mandalay. He then boarded the ship for the start of our downstream voyage. Kathy joined him there for lunch. In the afternoon, Roger had an excursion to Amarapura, where he took a sanpan on the lake to watch the sunset over the longest teak bridge in the world. It is about 3/4 mile long. That evening, Roger saw a beautiful Burmese dancing performance by students from the cultural university.
Our ship, the Irrawaddy Explorer, was brand new. It's first sailing was in September. It had 27 spacious cabins with a window wall out to the river and the best king size bed and pillows we have experienced so far on our travels. We were served beautful breakfast and lunch buffets and a sit-down dinner each day. And we normally had morning and afternoon on shore excursions. More detail on our next blog.
Our stay in Burma began with a tour of the city of Mandalay, initially on our own and then with the cruise company's assistance. On our own we visited the old royal palace, a center piece of the city. We ate Indian food at a vegetarian restaurant and saw a marionette show (a popular form of entertainment here) at our hotel. Burma opened to tourism just four years ago. It's lower-priced hotels (still quite expensive by SE Asian standards) are often not in the cleanest or best neighborhoods. Ours was no exception. However, the hotel rooms and staff were very nice and we had no fear walking around the neighborhood.
Kathy got sick just as the cruise tour of Mandalay began, so she missed it. But Roger saw the pagoda (a Buddhist complex of solid shaped structures called stupas (picture a huge Hershey kiss) and temples which usually have Buddha statues inside) atop Mandalay Hill, a marble carving district, a wood carving area, and the oldest teak monastery in Mandalay. He then boarded the ship for the start of our downstream voyage. Kathy joined him there for lunch. In the afternoon, Roger had an excursion to Amarapura, where he took a sanpan on the lake to watch the sunset over the longest teak bridge in the world. It is about 3/4 mile long. That evening, Roger saw a beautiful Burmese dancing performance by students from the cultural university.
Our ship, the Irrawaddy Explorer, was brand new. It's first sailing was in September. It had 27 spacious cabins with a window wall out to the river and the best king size bed and pillows we have experienced so far on our travels. We were served beautful breakfast and lunch buffets and a sit-down dinner each day. And we normally had morning and afternoon on shore excursions. More detail on our next blog.
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