Newsletter 2: Feb. 09

February 2009

Organising the Myanmar tour was dogged with political upheavals and the uncertainty of the previous year, and then the cyclone brought devastation and yet more uncertainty for us. Fortunately things calmed down and we were assured that we would not be affected when we were planning to go. But at the last minute, Air Mandalay, which had been flying between Chiangmai and Mandalay, ceased operations at the last minute before we started the tour, and we had to re-route from Chiangmai to Bangkok and then on to Yangon. When we arrived in Yangon, it was clear how much damage had been done from the number of large trees which had been blown down. These are now being carved or used for building purposes.

But here we were in Myanmar, everything had settled down nicely, and everyone in the group was overwhelmed at how stunningly beautiful and peaceful Myanmar was. Being in Myanmar was like stepping back fifty years in time.

We started the tour in Mandalay, where we explored the old capitals of Ava, Mingun, Sagaing and Amarapura, the capital before Mandalay. These old cities were simply delightful. We explored Ava in horse-drawn wooden carts, as these were the only form of transport available. The highlights for the textile enthusiasts was to see the unique weaving technique, employing luntaya (“one hundred shuttles”) over and under the warp thread to create the weft acheiq (“wavy pattern”). We met a weaver and her young daughter, who were using over 200 shuttles on their loom as they wove together. The weaving is very time-consuming; only three inches a day can be achieved even by an experienced weaver, which makes the cloth expensive. People wear luntaya acheiq only on special occasions such as weddings or graduation ceremonies. Cheaper silk with simpler designs can be bought easily in the markets. One of the delights of Mandalay is that people still wear traditional clothes.

To reach Mingun, we chartered our own boat, and sailed blissfully up the Irrawaddy, watching life on and along the river. Suddenly Mingun Pagoda appeared, guarded by the figures of two enormous lions. These, sadly, were split and almost toppled into the river by the earthquake of 1838. The pagoda, too, is enormous, but remains unfinished. It was also badly damaged by the same earth quake, and splits can be seen from top to bottom, which adds a certain charm to the site. My favourite site, and the favourite of others was the Hsinbyume Paya, whose seven whitewashed wavy terraces were built by King Bodamepaya in memory of his senior wife, the Hsinbyume Princess.

As roads in Myanmar are in poor condition, the most sensible form of transport for visitors like us, local businessmen and many locals is flying. Most flights take no more than half an hour, and are very pleasant and efficient: planes hardly take more than 15 minutes for passengers to disembark and new passengers to embark before taking off again.

We spent three lovely nights in a charming small hotel in Bagan – my favourite place. The Bagan Archaeologcal Zone is a massive area of 42 Km² on the banks of the Irrawaddy. It is the plain where most of the temples and stupas are situated – over 13000 of them. Temples and stupas here are not restricted to walled enclosures as elsewhere.

The most common form of transport here is the horse-drawn cart. We visited a lovely little village totally off the beaten track where villagers only weave cotton, and it was fascinating to see their way of life. We were served the traditional snack of pickled tea leaves with roasted peanuts and ginger, all in a little local hand-pressed peanut oil. We also saw how palm toddy and jaggary (palm sugar) were made. Back we came with small bottles of palm toddy and jaggary cakes, to last us the rest of the journey.

The other textile unique to Myanmar, and woven only in Inle Lake, is the cloth woven from lotus stem filaments. It was discovered about 90 years ago by a devout Buddhist, who wove a robe for her abbot from lotus yarn. In Inle we stayed in lovely cottages run by the Pa O people. Inle Lake itself is 22 Km long and some 11 Km wide. Surrounded by high peaks on every side, the surface of the lake is so smooth that it looks like a vast mirror. On the lake shore, and on the lake islands, the Intha people live in houses on stilts built over the lake. The lake doesn’t have a shore that you can go around, or paths you can walk along, so we travelled everywhere by boat. The way the Intha row their flat-bottomed boats is unique: they stand at the stern and row with one leg wrapped round the oar, leaving their hands free to fish. They also grow flowers, but their main crop is tomatoes, which feed the whole of Myanmar. The crops are grown on floating man-made islands, combining marsh, soil and water weeds. These form a solid fertile mass which is anchored to the lake bed with bamboo poles – a wonderful sight.

The lake is shallow and so clean that you can see the fish swimming. Among the many birds that you see swooping over the lake are cormorants and different types of egret. We watched the sun set from the balconies of our cottages on stilts every evening, a scene that made the perfect end to the day.

Yangon was our last stop, though next time we go we shall start the tour in Yangon and make Inle Lake our last stop. We were among the few visitors who did the three-hour train ride on the Yangon circle line, which cost us just one dollar. This was a wonderful experience, and gave us a quick overview of the sprawling capital, and some insight into how people around Yangon live their lives. Passengers and railway staff are most helpful. The other noteworthy sight of our stay in Yangon was the stunningly beautiful Shwe Dagon, the most sacred of Buddhist sites for the people of Myanmar, and situated just a short walk from our hotel.

Having read the newspapers outside Myanmar, one expects poverty, but though there certainly is poverty, as in many other countries, there are also well-stocked markets and plentiful supplies. In Yangon there are wide avenues and many parks, a legacy of the colonial past.

I must say that the tour was a success. Everyone came back with a positive view of Myanmar and its people. For nearly two weeks we travelled round the country freely. As one of our senior guides put it, the military government, based in the new capital Nypidaw, and the people live separately from one another. People get on with their daily lives and do their best to survive and be happy. We met both farmers and well-educated people, we shared our experiences and learned from one another. Time and time again, people thanked us for coming to Myanmar.

Many people, individuals and organisations have continued to debate the pros and cons of the tourist issue. Europe and the United States have imposed sanctions on Myanmar, while other countries, notably China, have continued to trade, and all that sanctions have achieved, it seems to me, is to do more harm to ordinary people.

The tour has certainly opened our eyes about the country and the political and human rights issues. I feel that people should go to Myanmar, as long as we are aware of the country’s conflicts and complexities. We used locally owned services and hotels, which are now possible and available, to minimise the amount of money that finds its way to the government. Travelling individually or in small organised groups is an ideal way to avoid using government-owned hotels and companies.

There’s so much more to be said, which I cannot put in this short space. All that I can say is that before you decide whether or not to go to Myanmar, I suggest that you read a few books about recent events and talk to people who have been to Myanmar, and look further into the arguments pro and con. I and many who have been to Myanmar would agree that visiting Myanmar is a wonderful and inspiring experience.

I am organising and leading a tour to Myanmar at the end of October 2009. If you are interested, please let me know; places are limited.

Siripan

www.siripankidd.com

Text and images © Siripan Kidd 2009