Burmese days part 2: Bagan,Kalaw, Inle lake and Yangon

My birthday began with trip to Bagan. Our hotel was equipped with a swimming pool so it  was great to be able to spend some time just relaxing. I was treated to 2 birthday cakes, one at lunchtime from some members of the group and one at dinner by the group leader, Shane. I felt very spoilt and had a lovely day.






Bagan has thousands of stupors and temples which can be viewed across the horizon. The reason for the many  temples are due to the existence of an ancient civilisation. They converted from Hinduism to Buddhism and wanted to gain merit, thus temples were built everywhere. At one time there was around 7000 temples but this is now reduced to 3000 all in the space of 40square kilometres. The temples are around the same age as Angkor Wat.

Some temples are very popular with many visitors whilst others are left to crumble. It was a UNESCO world heritage site but surprise surprise they withdrew due to arguments with the government. Bagan is a very beautiful place and it was great to mooch around the temples. We also visited a really lush veggie restaurant called love animals, the moon. Burmese salads are the country's speciality and this one did not disappoint!!!

(I think the photos more than words can show how beautiful Bagan was and they still don't quite catch it!!)






























From Bagan we headed to Kalaw with a couple of stops along the way. We  firstly stopped at a sugar palm farm where they make sweets and drinks. Toddy is illegal to drink (because the government like to own all alcohol) so it felt good to have a shot at 8am. It was awesome to see the man shimmy very high up the tree to tap for the sugar sap with no protection at all.







 We also stopped at Mount Popa. It is this crazy mountain which looks like it should feature in a children's book. Mount Popa is the home of spirit worship and "gnats." Although Buddhism is the religion of Burma, many people still believe in spirits as well so it is a retty sacred site. There are also tonnes of monkeys!!!






 

Another stop was at a parasol makers. It was fascinating to see the whole process and I was sad not to be able to buy one. I did treat myself to a book made from the same material however!



 
On our journey we also passed through the town which had recently made  international news with the fighting between Buddhists and Muslims. The Muslims are seen as illegal immigrants by the other locals and are persecuted as such. There had been deaths in the Muslim community and a Buddhist monk was killed in retaliation. This resulted in many clashes. As a result the Muslim community were forced  out of their homes into a refugee camp for their own safety and the town put under Marshall law. It was apparently a buzzing town before but when we drove through it, it was deserted apart from the refugee camp and mass of military vehicles.


 Kalaw is up very high and so is a lot cooler than the rest of Burma. This was a relief after the 44degree heat in Bagan. It was an old British outpost from the 1920's and was now a popular trekking destination. On our first evening there we headed to a Nepalese place for dinner which was delish and then headed back to the hotel in the middle of a tremendous storm. The following morning we trekked to a hill top village to visit a tribe there which was very interesting and the countryside was beautiful.












 


 


 
 In the afternoon we decided with our friends Robyn and Jenny to do some shopping and to eat a pancake. On our shopping trip we visited a fair trade shop which supported local tribal villages. We were lucky enough to meet the head of the organisation who was a fascinating man. He showed us all the works of the charity and explained he had received an university education in England. He then shared with us that he had been imprisoned in solitary confinement and tortured. He showed us the burn scars and where his Achilles tendon had been cut. We learn later that he was the head of the NLD in Kalaw. He had been tortured in his  campaign for democracy and human rights and was continuing his fight.

On our last night in Kalaw we headed to a tiny bar for a few ( far too many) rum sours and a sing song. It was a great atmosphere and we had a great time. My favorite bit was teaching a Burmese Liverpool fan, Southampton FC players. Adam said all he could hear over the music was me saying Adam Lalana.

The next day we visited a cave ful of Buddhas, whih pretty much does what it says on the tin! There was also a fairy cave in there which is always good.






 
Our next stop in Burma was Inle lake where many people live on floating villages and boat is the main form of transport. We spent a day on a boat visiting firstly some temples and then different handicraft shops. We visited a silversmith and were shown how they mould the silver ( from mines in Burma) into jewellery. I treated myself to a simple silver ring. We also visited silk spinners who wove both silk and lotus fabric using traditional wooden looms. The lotus fabric is used in monk's robes as it is seen as a holy plant.










 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 
We also visited a blacksmiths, it was crazy seeing 3 hammers coming down in perfect timing. Our last stop was to a cigarette makers who make the traditional Burmese cigarettes from leaves and tobacco. They actually taste pretty nice and you can tell that there isn't all the nasty chemicals in them.





 


 



We took a flight back to where we started, in Yangon.On our way from the airport to our hotel we had asked if we could go past Aung San Suu Kyi's house (which is also the headquarters of the NLD) Firstly we drove past the back gates which showed the NLD's sign and a portrait of the General Sung San. (ASSK's Dad and Burma's hero who managed to secure Burma's independence from the British and who was a strong supporter of democracy' he was assassinated by the fascists.)Our legend of a bus driver then took us round to the otherwise of the lake where you can get a great view of the house and where you are banned from stopping!!!







 




Our last day was spent pottering about in the markets and having a walk around. In the evening we went for a meal to a rather nice restaurant and then a few of us headed to JJ club. It was pretty grim as it was like a meatmarket With the girls on a fashion show being given flower garlands by men. At the end of the night one girl was awarded a prize of the queen.

The next morning we were up early to catch our flight to Bangkok and leave the beautiful country of Burma behind. It was an absolutely amazing experience shared with some great new friends.We both hope that with Next year's elections tha a fair democracy will finally be established and that the people's heroine, Aung San Suu Kyi can lead them to prosperity.

Burmese days- Yangon,Golden Rock and Mandalay

Sorry for the lateness of this post, we have both either been ill or glad that we aren't ill so busy!!

We had both been really looking forward to our time in Burma. Adam's Grandad had fought there in WW2 and we were both aware of the bravery of Aung San Suu Kyi. Our time in Burma turned out to be better than either of us could have imagined and we both feel far more  informed about the tragedies that have happened and continue to happen to the Burmese people. Despite these hardships the Burmese people are incredibly friendly and welcoming. The scams that are everywhere in Thailand are almost non existent and when someone comes up to say hello, they just want to know where you're from and why you decided to come to Burma.

 We started and ended our trip trip in Yangon, the former capital city of the country. We were both shattered when we got there so mainly chilled out with a nap in the hotel (I love the way you can nap whilst travelling- definitely missed nappy whilst working) we did venture out to have some Burmese tea and sticky rice in a local teashop. Teashops for the Burmese are incredibly important- it's where you go to catch up with friends and family and where many protests an political talks have started.

 
In the evening we met up with our group. Due to the difficulty of travelling around Burma we had opted to go through a tour group and as it turned out got quite a bargain!! Our tour was full and consisted of 15 people (including us) plus the tour guide, Shane.There was a nice mix of people from Germany, UK, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland and Canada. There was also a mix of ages which was good and everyone got on well. In each stage of our journey we also had a local guide who could give us a Burmese insight and answer any of the questions that we had about Burma and the the things that we saw.

Our group

Our first day was a very busy one and we headed to the holiest site in Burma, the Shwedagon Pagoda. Not only for the Burmese is it the most important pagoda because of Buddhism it is also where the National League of Democracy (NLD) has conducted many "ïllegal"  rallies for the promotion of human rights and democracy in Burma. It was very impressive and covered in gold. We went on a Sunday, which is traditionally the day for families to go together so there was plenty of children running around. We also saw children who were off to become monks so dressed very finely.















After the pagoda we headed to the Golden rock, another very holy site for the Burmese. Up the top of a mountain is a rock which is balancing off the side of a cliff and is held up by a single strand of Buddha's hair. As this rock has survived earthquakes it may well be true!! To get there we went by coach, jeep and then finally had to walk the rest. It was pretty hard going as it was very hot and up a pretty steep slope. Luckily unlike most of our group we spotted a bit of a shortcut up some steps and so were able to break up the slope with some stairs. We were confronted with the cutest child (about 2 or 3) so far on this trip. He said hello to us and we replied Mingalaba (Hello in Burmese) He jumped about 2 feet in the air and started shouting Mingalaba at us!! It was very very cute, he couldn't believe we knew how to say anything in Burmese!


 
We were both very pleased to reach the top and to be able to have a shower before going to the golden rock (we were staying right nearby on the top of the mountain.) We reached the golden rock just before sunset and looked around. It was very busy with many Buddhist monks and nuns as well as many Burmese families who had made the pilgrimage. If you live fairly locally to the sight you are expected to attend once or twice a year, quite a mission. Only men were allowed up to the rock. The idea is that men buy gold leaf and put it on the rock in tribute to Buddha. Unfortunately Adam being the tourist that he is didn't realise this and thought the idea was to take the gold off. Not only did he end up with gold on his finger it was all over his feet!!Bad Karma!









 

 
The next morning we trundled down the hill (which seemed less evil going down and in the cool temperatures of 7am) and made our way back to Yangon. On the way we stopped at Bago to visit the very large reclining Buddha. As you can see he's pretty impressive!

We then took a flight to Mandalay via Yangon airlines where we carried on our adventures...Mandalay has many Monastries and Nunneries so is seen as very holy. All Burmese men are expected to become monks at least twice in their lives, once before they turn 15 and another time in adult life. It is seen as good merit and they learn the teachings of Buddha.  It also gives poor children the opportunity to become educated which otherwise they would probably miss out on. We visited the Monastry (which has a very big waiting list like an English public school) to watch the monks go to eat together at 10am for their main meal of the day.They cannot eat after 12. Although it was a great sight there wereother westerners there who we found very disrespectful. They had their cameras in the monk's faces and were indecently dressed. I was very embarrassed at their behaviour and so ruined the beauty for me.








We visited many attractions in Mandalay including: the biggest temple; (which was destroyed so is now the biggest pile of bricks) a teak temple; (teak is Burma's biggest export) and Mandalay hill. At one of the temples we were lucky enough to see a celebration for 2 children who were becoming novices (monks). When this happens the family dress up in beautiful, grand clothes and all wear makeup. This is meant to represent how Buddha went from grandeur to nothing in order to gain understanding.

 

 


 





 One day we ventured out to the outskirts of Mandalay to the very famous teak bridge (as seen on the cover of South East Asia on a Shoestring.)As you can see from the views it was pretty stunning.









We also ventured on to the river and took a boat ride along the Irrawaddy which was really beautiful.From our boat ride you could see how important the river was to the people who used it for cleaning, work, transport, food and fun.









In the evening we headed into town to watch a comedy troupe known as the Moustache brothers. We had heard of them through our membership of Amnesty international and were very excited to see them perform. In Burma there is a traditional form of comedy where there is a compere, dancing, slapstick humour and jokes about individuals. Unfortunately the militia government do not take kindly to this form of entertainment and jokes. The Moustache brothers performed for the NLD and soon afterwards 2 of the 3 were arrested. They have been held in prison on and off for years without trial, access to lawyers or any form of justice. With the slight relaxation of the military's treatment alongside many political prisoners they have now been released. They are finally allowed to perform their show again but there are several conditions:it must be in their home (we were in their garage) and it must be performed in English so that it is inaccessible to the Burmese population.

They are still regularly spied upon and when they made more direct references to the injustices of the government there was loud music played outside. It was a great atmosphere and the show was a great family effort. We were privileged to watch these very brave men and women perform. They asked us westerners  who have unrestricted internet and free government to share there's and the other 100s of political prisoner's stories of injustice and to share pictures of their show so here they are.













 Our favourite joke of the evening was this. He went to Thailand to visit a dentist as his teeth were sore. The dentist asked why he had to go all that way to visit a dentist and weren't there any dentists in Burma. He answered, in Burma I cannot open my mouth....


*Thanks to Robyn for her photo taking skills of us on Mandalay hill*