Last 'Old Burma Road' post

I arrived safely home last Monday week, October 20th . I was not well and struggled to do the necessaties before going to Perth last Thursday. I had a lovely relaxing time there and enjoyed John's elder brother's wedding. I have recently been reminded by several people that I have made no comments on the last days of my trip - so here goes.

From Dali we drove north to Lijiang through more mountains and river valleys, always with something new to see. Lijiang is another city built around an ancient old town with winding narrow cobbled streets, wooden buildings with interconnecting roofs and people living their lives being gawked at by tourists - at least there were far fewer tourists in the mornings. We visited the Mu Chieftain's house - lots of interconnected buildings, courtyards, gardens etc - quiet and peaceful. The highlight of Lijiang was the outdoor show we went to which I have written about previously.

We drove north from Lijiang, going higher and higher. The road was quite spectacular. We stopped on the side of the Yangtze and walked 2 1/2 km into Tiger Leaping gorge along man-made paths with other tourists, but not too many. After walking back to the bus we had lunch at a nearby cafe on the edge of the river with spectacular views. ( I had hoped to have some photos organised - maybe in a week or so)We drove on , higher and higher, to Zhong Xiang ( or Shangri La) in Tibet . As soon as we got onto the plateau the farmhouses changed - the Tibetan style is quite different. There were yaks and more pigs.

Our hotel at Zhong Xiang was quite atmospheric. There were 2 storeys of rooms and corridors around a central enclosed area with tables and a fireplace. Lots of wall hangings and old furniture and colourfully dressed staff. The heating was 'off' - so we wore all our clothes but the rooms had very cosy doonas. There was a party of Chinese tourists who were very noisy in waking each other up at 5.30 one morning. They were none too carefeful in which door they knocked on! Once again, there is an old town which is being extended to form a new 'old town'. It was in this extension of the old town that we found the cafe that I posted from before. While we were in Zhong Xiang we visited the Songstam Monastery - one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the area. Currently 800 monks live there. We had to climb quite a few steps. Half way up I was puffing, but that was the only indication I had that I was at about 3500m. Some others on our trip felt a bit off, so I was lucky. We visited a local Tibetan house and tried some cheese made from yak milk (quite nice) , some roasted barley seeds ( quite nice) and yak milk tea (not a taste I have any intention of acquiring) .

The flight from Zhong Xiang to Kunming over the mountains was quite spectacular. ( I think I have used that word before!) We had 1 1/2 days in Kunming, the capital on Yunnan, to do what we wanted. Apparently the museum that some of our group went to was excellent. I was not well so only ventured from the hotel to buy a book to read and spent the rest of the time watching TV and sleeping. Our flights home - Kunming to Singapore, Singapore to Sydney, Sydney to Canberra were ok.

I will try and post some photos in a week or so.

previously visited :Dali 11 Oct to 13 Oct

Dali – new lake, windy town. A large ‘new town’ built over the past 10 years or so and an ‘old town’ and , adjacent to the ‘old town’ a ‘new old town’ The local minority group are the I million Bai people. The women usually wear white with colourfully embroidered waist bands . There is a significant group of Moslems. Dali is the main place is China where marble is quarried.

We visited some markets and an old house of a Bai chieftain – 2 storey ( people lived downstairs, things stored upstairs) built around a central courtyard with bits added on. Now home of 8 families.

We visited a place where there are 3 pillar like pagodas.

We have usually been eating as a group and Ross decides what we will eat. Ordering food in most of the places is difficult. You either point to what you want from the made up dishes or you point to the array of fresh vegetables and , sometimes, fish or meat. On one day a group of 5 of us went to a local place and pointed to the vegetables we wanted. We had no idea how they were to be cooked. We had a delicious meal!

Previously visited : Tenchong to Dali

Long day of driving through forests and more farming ( yet more bananas, bamboo, corn and rice ; some tea on higher slopes) land. Up and down. Spectacular scenery . New road – spectacular engineering feat. Crossed the Nujang River ( Salween in Myanmar) and Mekong River. As we approached Dali, the farmhouses became more prosperous looking. Our hotel in Dali was an interesting restored building in traditional style.

Previously visited - Tengchong 9 Oct to 11 Oct

Tenchong is a fairly remote city in SW China. The hotel we stayed in was fairly new, had grotty carpets, very odd English translations, had the word ‘Airport’ in its full name – the airport is yet to be built – was clean but noone spoke any English.

We visited the old walled village of Herschwin – narrow alleyways, interesting houses, the home of Ai Siqi – famous Chinese philosopher. It also had an interesting museum of Yunnan/Myanmar’s battle against the Japanese in the early 1940’s (?) and a large old library.
There were a group of people filming a movie called The Jade Phoenix with, according to our guide, 2 famous Chinese actors. We saw a group of actors dresses as Japanese soldiers waiting. ‘Action’ is a universal word.

We visited a peaceful war cemetery and attached museum and nearby waterfall

Previously visited : Ruili to Tengchong 10th October

We drove for a large part of the day through farming country with mountains quite close. The scenery was great. Lots of corn and rice. The rice on the flat parts looks yellowish and is being harvested and the rice on the slopes is still green. The terraces and flats make nice checkerboard patterns of different colours.

In this area of Yunnan there are many Dai people, quite a few of whom still wear their traditional clothes. We stopped at a Dai chieftain’s house. He was the magistrate, lawmaker and enforcer until the 1940’s and his house was a nice rambling conglomeration of many rooms for different purposes ( private and official) all linked together with nice courtyards here and there, ornately carved wooden screens, stone walls, really old bonsai trees etc.

Shangri La

I am sitting in a cafe with a wireless connection in a new 'old style' Tibetan house with a few others. We went for a walk and stumbled on a place with an Italian coffee maker. It has been adjusted due to the altitude - 3300m

The drive here was stunning - far better than anything else we've seen.

I will try and post again tomorrow.

Lijiang

We arrived here yesterday. The old town is a mass of stone and wood houses and narrow alleyways and wall to wall tourists and some locals . We walked up a hill and looked over the interconnected roofs. This morning we went to a nearby town, similarly old buildings but no tourists.

The highlight of the trip so far was a show we have just been to. In an outdoor stadium like thing (at 3100m) with the backdrop of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain ( 5500 m) we saw a performance of Impression Lijiang directed by the guy who did the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony. There were over 500 'actors' - many young men having a good time, not trained actors - from 10 ethnic groups, 100 local mountain horses. For 1 1/2 hours they told stories of the people and their history with dancing, singing, horseriding, drum banging, terrific music, elaborate costumes - but just their traditional clothes. Apart from 2 Germans we were the only non Chinese.

I am about to battle the hordes in order to walk to the postoffice. Please donot hold your breathe waiting for a postcard. It has been hard to find postcards, hard to find time to write in them, harder still to find stamps so I have only written a few.

Lashio to Ruili in China 8 OCt to 9 Oct

This part of Myanmar - the northern Shan states – until the 1990’s was the heart of the poppy growing industry. Now there are acres and acres of castor plants which are used mainly for bio diesel to power generators in the many parts of this state that have no electricity.

We saw lots of bananas, corn, rice and bamboo. The highway – a 2 lane sealed road had many toll gates. There were many bullock drawn carts, converted tractors ( front half tractor, back half truck) and converted motor bikes all piled high with people and/or produce. We were gradually climbing.

There were several checkpoints before border. The guide and Ross would disappear for 30 minutes or so armed with sheets of papers. It took a while to get through actual border post. I ( and others) had made a mistake on our arrival form and they would not accept a form with anything crossed out. So we filled out a new form. Then we were told black pen only – there was nothing written ( in English anyway) to that effect on the form. Several of us had used blue pens.


Ruili, a town right on the border, was quite a contrast to anything in Myanmar. Everything seemed to scream ‘consumerism’ at me. The foyer was gaudy and tacky, rooms were nice on the surface but the paint was peeling off the walls inside the clothes cupboard and the hot water took ages to come through. There were large numbers of Chinese staying in the hotel but no one we saw who does not sound Chinese. I had boiled rice, a banana,and some grapes for breakfast.

Pwin Oo Lwin to Lashio 7 Oct to 8 Oct

We rode for 4 ½ hours in an old rickety train with open windows, hard seats, but with many colourful locals. Local woman and kids sold prepared food, snacks and dubious water to the passengers at the stations we stopped at. I bought 2 guavas for the equivalent of 5 cents. We crossed the famous (to bridge enthusiasts) Gokteik Bridge built in 1900 by the Pennsylvania Steel Company. The train crept over the bridge and we could all look down into the spectacular gorge.

We then spent another 3 hours on the bus. We did stop at a very typical roadside stall for tea and sat on the very typical plastic chairs quite close to the ground.

Lashio was, for us, just an overnight stop. It seemed a typical frontier sort of town. The hotel reflected this, though the sheets were clean. It was our least salubrious accommodation

Pyin Oo Lwin 5 Oct to 7 Oct

This town 100 km NE of Mandalay was a former British hill station. It has an interesting architectural mix of old British style houses, modern Burmese style houses and everything in between. We had fairly easy day, starting with a ride in a horse drawn cart to the markets. This is quite a common method of transport for the locals. We wandered around the markets looking at the fruit and vegetables. Our guide explained many of them. In the afternoon walked around the very well established botanical gardens, established in 1915 by a botanist from Kew Gardens. It was quite peaceful.

Mandalay 4 Oct to 5 Oct

There is a new ‘international’ airport at Mandalay built with the hoped for influx of tourists in mind which was opened last year. No international flights come as yet. Mandalay does not have the crumbly, decayed feeling of Yangon. It is dry dusty, filled with bicycles, but the pavements are still a major hazard for unsuspecting walkers. There is a hill overlooking the town that we went up. It had wonderful views of Mandalay and the nearby Ayeyarwady ( otherwise known as Irrawaddy) river. We visited the shanty town that springs up on the banks where boats are unloaded. We watched large barrels of molasses being carried off boats and up the bank and onto waiting trucks, pigs being manhandled from the larger boats, through the shallow water, up the bank and onto a truck etc. Kids played happily with their kites made from plastic bags amidst the trucks and mud.

We visited Amarapura, the capital before Mandalay, in order to visit the Mahagandayon Monastery. This was a very interesting place. There are currently 1300 monks living and studying there. We arrived just as they were lining up for their 2nd ( and last) meal of the day at 10 am. There were in neat rows, including the boys between 5 and about 10 years old in their white robes, then the novices from about 10 to 20 and then monks all in orange. We met about 4 senior monks – elderly gentlemen who oozed calm and contentment. We met some of a group of about 200 people who had travelled from somewhere in the north by train and bus for a day and a half to bring food for the monks as their annual offering..

Lake Inlay 2 Oct to 4 Oct

Lake Inlay is about 300 km NE of Yangon. It is about 22km by 11 km and surrounded by hills. It is very pretty. There are 17 villages on stilts around the edges. The local tribes grow many different fruit and vegetables on sort of mud islands. It is weird being driven in a long skinny boat through rows of tomato plants and seeing villagers in boats tending them and other crops. There are also many fishermen who have an interesting technique of tending their fishing net with both hands while standing and propelling their small boat with a leg wrapped around 1 oar. We stayed in one of the several fancy resorts that were built a few years ago when Burmese tourism looked like it might take off. Unfortunately it hasnot and the resorts looked mostly empty. I had a lovely room looking out onto a lush garden on the edge of the lake. The meals we had were really delicious – using the local ingredients in interesting ways.

Our local guide was Marlar, a member of the 1 million Pa-O people who live mainly in the hills around the lake. The Pa-O have a cooperative who own and run one of the resorts that we had a meal at. They put the profits back into their community – eg sealing roads to their villages. We visited a market – sloshed our way through mud up and down rows of unusual fruit and veggies, dodging colourfully dressed people in their tribal costumes. At one end were the bamboo merchants – about 10 wagons loaded with really long bamboo poles and at the other end were buffalo, cows and a pig. Apparently the buffalo are for hire.

We visited several villages and an orphanage with delightful children who sang some songs for us. All the travel, from village to village was by boat, sometimes at sunset or quite early and the different lights on the always still water were lovely.

A highlight of our time there was seeing the annual festival of Phaung Daw Do. 5 imges of Buddha are normally kept in the biggest of the areas pagodas. Once a year 4 of them ( 1 has to stay there in case the barge carrying the other 4 sinks) are taken around the lake to visit other Pagodas. The very fancily decorated main barge is towed by about 50 long boats being paddled by about 80 to 100 males between about 12 and 70 in age. Each boat is paddled – standing with 1 oar each - by members of one village and all the villages have a slightly different costume. Each boat is accompanied by what appears to be a tender carrying relief rowers and several often apparently overcrowded boats filled by the women of the village. Some of the accompanying boats hold small family groups with a little altar.
The timing of this festival depends on the moon and is linked with the end of the Buddhist lent. A slight downside for us, linked to the end of lent was the amplified chanting of a monk from a nearby pagoda. From 5am to 10pm he told us of Buddha’s teachings – but the monks speak a different language that other people do not routinely learn, let alone foreign tourists. So what was the point? ( Many of the local people only speak the language of their tribe, and only learn Burmese when ( and if) they go to school)

Yangon 30 Sept to 2 Oct

The airport at Yangon is brand new, despite the fact that the capital was moved about 3 years ago to Nay Pui Daw

Our local guide, Sno, pointed out many places on the way from the airport to the hotel that had been damaged by the cyclone. We stayed in the Strand hotel – to Yangon what Raffles is to Singapore – a restored old colonial building. It appears to be one of the few restored places. It has a lovely opulent feel – many staff, huge rooms, someone playing either a traditional harp like instrument or a zylaphone like instrument in the communal entrance / sitting area but with antiquated IT facilities.

Many of the streets are wide, tree lined, but with large old colonial buildings in a sad state of disrepair, often empty and overgrown with vegetation. Some are deserted government buildings.
The footpaths are appalling – large chunks of concrete missing or out of place. I went for a walk at dusk on our first night here but prudently cut it short. I found it impossible in the rapidly fading light to concentrate on where I was walking, dodge the many families who had come onto the footpath to cook their evening meal, keep a track of where I was on the map ( the numbering, naming system of streets seemed to change at intersections) and be vaguely aware of who was walking near me. Having said that, the people seem very friendly. There are only 2 or 3 postcard sellers outside our hotel. One walked a block with me. I stopped walking and said to her I would rather walk on my own and would buy a postcard before I left from her. She said ‘OK’ and left me.

About 80% of the people – men, women and children, wear the traditional longhi ( ankle length sarong like garment). All school children wear the same dark green colour , as do teachers!

People drive on the right hand side of the road but in mostly second hand cars from Japan with the driver on the right of the car.

We visited the Shwedagon Pagoda – a huge complex of many smaller shrines, temples, pavilions and statues around a large bell-shaped, gold leaf covered stupa. It is the most sacred of Buddhist sites in Myanmar. Many people ( men, women and kids of all ages and family groups) wander around or sit and quietly contemplate. The place as a whole had a very peaceful atmosphere. The only non local people that we saw were some people from other Asian countries visiting and a Spanish couple.

Dali, Sunday 12 October

We arrived in Dali yesterday. There are more tourists here than anywhere else so far. Most are Chinese. I have just sat down at a cafe with a wireless connection and will post , retrospectively, some of my observatipons of cities we have visited up to now.

Ruili, China

This afternoon we arrived in China after a really interesting time in Myanmar. I have some long posts composed on my laptop, but there is no wireless here. I am well.

Yangon

I have been here for 2 days. The internet connection is very dodgy and when I get to Yunan I will put a longer post.

Some impressions in no particular order :

Old crumbling colonial buildings, overgrown with vegetation or cyclone damaged
Intermittent , variable power supply
Opulent restored old hotel we are staying in
Extremely hazardous footpaths
Very friendly people
Schwedagon pagoda - peaceful huge complex of buildings around the central stupa . many people walking around quietly
People cooking on crumbling footpaths

Very humid
People on trip friendly

Leaving Singapore

I am in the departure lounge waiting for my flight to Burma. I am well. More later.

Old Burma Road

I leave next Monday, 29 September on a trip to Burma and Yunnan.

For the itinerary, see http://www.gparts.com.au/itinerary_iframes/OldBurma/Old_Burma_itinerary.html

3 days old

Lainie has long fingers and feet,






but is not always ready to wake up.










Wendy , Lach and Isla are planning on bringing Lainie home tomorrow so I am going back to my home.

2 days old

She does have eyes.













Lainie quite enjoyed her first bath.









Isla supervising from a safe distance.









Isla in a 'new' playground.

1 day old

Much the same as yesterday - I still havenot seen her eyes.













Introduction of Claudi Cat - the next favourite after Puppy










Maybe my baby sister is OK.

Lainie May

Lainie May was born at 2.30pm this afternoon - Wednesday. She is well - apparently she was exercising her lungs before even her feet were out. Isla was initially unsure - she and I arived an hour after Lainie was born. She preferred to watch TV sitting on Lach's lap. Isla brought Puppy with her and several times Puppy was interesed in Lainie. Isla and I went out for some food at 5 ish and she talked about Lainie a lot of the time. We left there at 6.30 ish got back here and Isla went straight to sleep after a bath.

Wendy and Lach are both happy and well.

Sydney

I am in Sydney looking after my first granddaughter ( picture taken a few weeks ago) while my daughter and son-in-law are at the hospital giving birth to my second granddaughter! I hope later on today to put some photos here - an easier way than sending many attachments - but I wanted to remind myself of the necessary passwords, so this is a test.