The next morning in Mt Kyaiktiyo was the most beautiful I'd seen in my life. Just beyond the white shutters of our room was a thick carpet of clouds so opaque you could be tempted to lie in it. The sun was a vibrant orange so brilliant it shined an orange layer of light above the clouds.
We leisurely gathered our things for checking out, had a few minutes of wifi and ate a delicious Myanmar breakfast of eggs and fried rice. We complimented the hotel manager on the way out and thanked him for their gracious hospitality.
"Where do you go next?" he asked.
"We'll take the truck down the mountain to catch a 12:00 bus back to Yangon." Chis told him.
"You can not ride this truck. It is only for locals. No foreigners."
WHAT?!!! We explained that we arrived on that very same truck just yesterday. His response, "You were lucky they took you. Only for locals."
The only other way down is by foot which typically takes 4 hours. It was 10:00 and our bus to Yangon was leaving in 2 hours from the bottom of the mountain! Hearts pumping, minds racing, Chris and I looked at each other in complete shock!
Peering over his laptop, a gentleman looking very much like a local said to us in an undeniable Australian accent, "You can take the truck. Just go back to where they dropped you and they will let you on. "
Even with a disbelieving hotel manager shaking his head, we dropped our shoulders and thanked the man profusely!
The ride down was somewhat of a disappointment. As wild and dangerous as the uphill climb was, we were ready for more of the same and looking forward to it. The driver was much more cautious this time and we made it to the bottom barely having the urge to hoot or holler.
We reached the Kaung San Restaurant, our accommodations/eatery from the day before, and were warmly greeted by the ladies who shooed us down the ride that early morning. They fed us lunch and took pictures with us. Ben shared a bag of M&Ms that we had in our snack stash eventually handing over the bag to one girl who seemed to enjoy them the most. The boys spent the rest of the time waiting for the bus playing Myanmar hacky sack in an alley behind the restaurant. We've figured out that sports breaks just about any language barrier.
We prepared ourselves for another 4 hour ride back to Yangon entertained by the same popular music videos. But this time, we were headed back home. Nothing could be finer ; )
The bus stopped soon after we boarded and everyone filed off for an early pit stop...I thought. The conductor told us we could go visit the temple just across the road and the bus would leave in 20 minutes. It was a small temple out in the middle of nowhere which housed a very large reclining Buddha. It was not the largest reclining Buddha, that many flock to see, but it was pretty darned big.
Back on the bus we came to another stop just 30 minutes down the road. What's this? Another temple?! It appeared that we had purchased the "Temple Tour" as our return trip to Yangon. So instead of the 4 hour express bus we had prepared ourselves for, we had to endure the SEVEN hour tour! As Jeremy out pit it and with no disrespect intended, we were just plain "templed out"! We had to play the part though. Although we would have preferred to stay on the bus at the temples, we didn't want to appear rude.
We got back to the ship just after the dinner hour. I could have stayed in the shower for hours if we were not rationing our water. We can not use any of the ocean water until we get to Mauritius on March 18. Still, it was so nice to be home.
Our last day in Myanmar, we went on a service trip to the Suhtupan Parahita Monastic Center and Orphanage. SAS donates money to these facilities and in return, sends a bus of passengers to visit with the children.
The facilities were better than I expected but probably exactly what is expected in this part of the world. They had only what they needed and not any more. The buildings seemed sturdy but run down and in need of some repair here and there. Cleanliness is not high on the priority list if it is on it at all. Volunteers seemed plentiful as were the stray dogs that lived on the property.
Packed into one of the classrooms, it was slow going at first trying to get to know the kids and understand them. We used simple games like "Ring Around The Rosie" or "The Hokie Pokie" that some of the younger kids enjoyed. Jeremy and Ben attracted a group of boys around the ages of 8-10 that really weren't interested in the preschool games although they were a good way to learn English. They ended up arm wrestling, thumb wrestling, making paper airplanes, taking pictures of each other, playing paper football and just laughing most of the time. My boys couldn't seem to get enough.
We passed out school supplies which the kids really got excited about, played a little soccer and finished the day serving their lunch. Our visit seemed to make them happy. It surely put smiles on our faces.
We left Yangon just before dinner. I have much to say about Myanmar that i can not fully put into words here. But it was my favorite country thus far. I feel sorry for this reclusive country and the people who live here but at the same time I feel envious of their fortitude. "Myanmar" means, "Strong first" which completely explains their unwavering belief in total self reliance, why they have kept themselves closed off from the rest of the world for all these years and why most of them continue to be truly happy in what we would consider a poverty stricken country.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Journey to Mt Kyaiktiyo - The Golden Rock
Wake up call at 4:30am. The bus-cars to the top of the mountain start out at 6am. The proprietor wanted us cleaned up, refreshed and well fed before we left.
Surprisingly, I had a pretty good power nap on the hard wooden floor. While catching my shut-eye, Ben was having difficulty getting comfortable. Chris told me he was up for hours with Ben who just couldn't get over where we were laying our head for the night. Sounds of the street, the ladies making last minute food preparations for breakfast the next morning, the smell of cigarette smoke and other odors (amomas) unfamiliar to our noses, a cat that decided to share our floor space and lizards escaping the heat. The boys teased me that my Asian-ness kicked in and seemed to feel right at home sleeping through all that excitement. I like to think that I just adapt well ; )
For those of you who know me, I was not so easy to adapt to the bathroom facilities. It took everything out of me to use the eastern style toilet which I unintentionally stopped up with toilet paper which they prefer you put in the waste basket for just that reason. I had purchased a package of "bathing wipes" from the ship before we disembarked. My intention was for the boys if they needed cleaning up during the day. But they ended up being my saving grace, using them to removed most of the daily grime I collected.
Our plan, after much discussion, was that Ben and Chris would take the bus-car to the top of the mountain with all of our gear. Jeremy and I decided to take it halfway up and hike the remaining 4 (or so) hours even though we were told that almost no one hikes the steep trail anymore. We were instructed by hand signals to find the bus-car down the road and to the right. It was still dark out and we seemed to be the only guests venturing from the restaurant. We found one bus-car but were quickly directed to another. We started to feel uneasy. I asked another store owner just opening up shop where to get the truck to the top of the mountain. Again directed further down the road. Finally, we started to see signs for the "truck station". As we approached we heard sounds of people. Getting increasingly louder the closer we got, we reached the open area where boarding the trucks was in progress.
Standing at a wheeled set of stairs, passengers lined up waiting for a truck to pull up. As soon as one did, there was a mad scramble for a piece of wooden bench that would eventually be shared by no less that 5 other rear ends. Baggage and boxes and anything you were carrying got taken and slung into the back cargo area. Pushing and shoving, it was every man for himself. Our survival instincts kicked in and we secured 4 seats together at the back of the truck. As we rolled out, it became clear that this was going to be a ride only rivaled by the best that Six Flags has to offer!
Our ascent up the 4500 foot incline took everything out of our open air 4x4, hauling cargo and approximately 70 passengers. At every chance he got, the driver floored the machine to gain the required momentum to get us up the next incline, taking every curve for granted. Maybe packing us in like sardines helped the swaying of passengers which in turn helped the swaying of the truck. There were many times when it felt as though the truck could flip...either sideways or from front to back or the outside passengers could be thrown from the truck. The only thing missing from this adventure ride was screaming passengers flailing their arms in excitement. But our truck companions were on their religious pilgrimage. It was a solemn ride up the mountain to reach a sacred place of worship. It was a SLALOM ride for us to reach the top of the mountain in one piece!
An hour and a half later and a handful of missing heartbeats, we reached the top of the mountain not understanding where Jeremy and I could have gotten off to hike the last part of the journey. I guess that with such an exciting ride up in the bus-car, no one sees the need or has the desire to trek by foot anymore. And riding the bus-car with all its close calls, rounding hairpin turns, overlooking scenic drop off ravines is surely putting your faith out in a limb anyway. What's the saying? "It's not the destination. It's the journey. " I know I got that wrong but you know what I mean ; )
We strolled an easy 5 minutes though the village lined with souvenir shops, restaurants and food markets and found the oasis of all oasis'...The Mountain Top Hotel! It was only 7:30 in the morning but we checked to see if our rooms were ready anyway. It was a beautiful hotel with friendly staff and a view of the valley that made it obvious why the Buddhist chose this spot, however inconvenient to reach, to build a pagoda and to worship their god amid all the splendor.
We showered as soon as we reached our room. So happy to have "normal" accommodations again ; ) We were all exhausted and ended up sleeping until noon.
Chris and I sat at a table in the outside deck overlooking the small town and enjoyed a cool Myranmar lager. Most of you know that I'm not a big beer drinker but in trying to avoid the local water and ice in some of these places, sometimes a beer is a safe alternative. And surely the alcohol kills some bacteria?
There were monks if all ages, locals selling their wares and offering services like rides on a bamboo lounge chair made mobile by 4 men carrying each corner on a shoulder. There were others carrying tall bamboo baskets on their backs that they used to haul supplies from the arriving bus-cars. They even offered the service to hundreds of daily visitors of the pagoda as many of them arrived with necessities for their families for one night's stay. Most did not check into a hotel like we did, but camped out around the pagoda to wake with the sunrise. Ladies carrying bowls of vegetables and meats in steel bowls on top of their heads, dogs running around like they owned the place and children playing in the street. Chris and I got a little concerned when we saw a little boy, maybe 3 years old, howling and holding his privates. Did he need to relieve himself? Was he sick? Did he get bitten by a dog? A few sharp words from his mother and he pulled from between his legs the small plastic horse he was "riding" ; )
We ventured out to visit Mt Kyaiktiyo, also known as The Golden Rock. The approach to this shrine which is giant boulder precariously balanced on the edge of a cliff high above the clouds makes you instantly believe the folklore. Supposedly, the rock is balanced because of a single strand of hair from Buddha, himself, is enshrined in the stupa which sits on top of the boulder. There is no logical explanation, therefore making this place holy among the Buddhists.
Women are only allowed to view the shrine from a distance. Ben felt sorry for me that I could not actually touch it and get the full experience. He bought a sheet of gold leaf and rubbed it onto the surface of the huge rock. This is the thing to do and over the centuries, the boulder is now covered entirely in gold leaf. A prayer is to be said as the ritual is performed. Ben said his prayer was for me. Hmm...I think I just got the full experience : )
Surprisingly, I had a pretty good power nap on the hard wooden floor. While catching my shut-eye, Ben was having difficulty getting comfortable. Chris told me he was up for hours with Ben who just couldn't get over where we were laying our head for the night. Sounds of the street, the ladies making last minute food preparations for breakfast the next morning, the smell of cigarette smoke and other odors (amomas) unfamiliar to our noses, a cat that decided to share our floor space and lizards escaping the heat. The boys teased me that my Asian-ness kicked in and seemed to feel right at home sleeping through all that excitement. I like to think that I just adapt well ; )
For those of you who know me, I was not so easy to adapt to the bathroom facilities. It took everything out of me to use the eastern style toilet which I unintentionally stopped up with toilet paper which they prefer you put in the waste basket for just that reason. I had purchased a package of "bathing wipes" from the ship before we disembarked. My intention was for the boys if they needed cleaning up during the day. But they ended up being my saving grace, using them to removed most of the daily grime I collected.
Our plan, after much discussion, was that Ben and Chris would take the bus-car to the top of the mountain with all of our gear. Jeremy and I decided to take it halfway up and hike the remaining 4 (or so) hours even though we were told that almost no one hikes the steep trail anymore. We were instructed by hand signals to find the bus-car down the road and to the right. It was still dark out and we seemed to be the only guests venturing from the restaurant. We found one bus-car but were quickly directed to another. We started to feel uneasy. I asked another store owner just opening up shop where to get the truck to the top of the mountain. Again directed further down the road. Finally, we started to see signs for the "truck station". As we approached we heard sounds of people. Getting increasingly louder the closer we got, we reached the open area where boarding the trucks was in progress.
Standing at a wheeled set of stairs, passengers lined up waiting for a truck to pull up. As soon as one did, there was a mad scramble for a piece of wooden bench that would eventually be shared by no less that 5 other rear ends. Baggage and boxes and anything you were carrying got taken and slung into the back cargo area. Pushing and shoving, it was every man for himself. Our survival instincts kicked in and we secured 4 seats together at the back of the truck. As we rolled out, it became clear that this was going to be a ride only rivaled by the best that Six Flags has to offer!
Our ascent up the 4500 foot incline took everything out of our open air 4x4, hauling cargo and approximately 70 passengers. At every chance he got, the driver floored the machine to gain the required momentum to get us up the next incline, taking every curve for granted. Maybe packing us in like sardines helped the swaying of passengers which in turn helped the swaying of the truck. There were many times when it felt as though the truck could flip...either sideways or from front to back or the outside passengers could be thrown from the truck. The only thing missing from this adventure ride was screaming passengers flailing their arms in excitement. But our truck companions were on their religious pilgrimage. It was a solemn ride up the mountain to reach a sacred place of worship. It was a SLALOM ride for us to reach the top of the mountain in one piece!
An hour and a half later and a handful of missing heartbeats, we reached the top of the mountain not understanding where Jeremy and I could have gotten off to hike the last part of the journey. I guess that with such an exciting ride up in the bus-car, no one sees the need or has the desire to trek by foot anymore. And riding the bus-car with all its close calls, rounding hairpin turns, overlooking scenic drop off ravines is surely putting your faith out in a limb anyway. What's the saying? "It's not the destination. It's the journey. " I know I got that wrong but you know what I mean ; )
We strolled an easy 5 minutes though the village lined with souvenir shops, restaurants and food markets and found the oasis of all oasis'...The Mountain Top Hotel! It was only 7:30 in the morning but we checked to see if our rooms were ready anyway. It was a beautiful hotel with friendly staff and a view of the valley that made it obvious why the Buddhist chose this spot, however inconvenient to reach, to build a pagoda and to worship their god amid all the splendor.
We showered as soon as we reached our room. So happy to have "normal" accommodations again ; ) We were all exhausted and ended up sleeping until noon.
Chris and I sat at a table in the outside deck overlooking the small town and enjoyed a cool Myranmar lager. Most of you know that I'm not a big beer drinker but in trying to avoid the local water and ice in some of these places, sometimes a beer is a safe alternative. And surely the alcohol kills some bacteria?
There were monks if all ages, locals selling their wares and offering services like rides on a bamboo lounge chair made mobile by 4 men carrying each corner on a shoulder. There were others carrying tall bamboo baskets on their backs that they used to haul supplies from the arriving bus-cars. They even offered the service to hundreds of daily visitors of the pagoda as many of them arrived with necessities for their families for one night's stay. Most did not check into a hotel like we did, but camped out around the pagoda to wake with the sunrise. Ladies carrying bowls of vegetables and meats in steel bowls on top of their heads, dogs running around like they owned the place and children playing in the street. Chris and I got a little concerned when we saw a little boy, maybe 3 years old, howling and holding his privates. Did he need to relieve himself? Was he sick? Did he get bitten by a dog? A few sharp words from his mother and he pulled from between his legs the small plastic horse he was "riding" ; )
We ventured out to visit Mt Kyaiktiyo, also known as The Golden Rock. The approach to this shrine which is giant boulder precariously balanced on the edge of a cliff high above the clouds makes you instantly believe the folklore. Supposedly, the rock is balanced because of a single strand of hair from Buddha, himself, is enshrined in the stupa which sits on top of the boulder. There is no logical explanation, therefore making this place holy among the Buddhists.
Women are only allowed to view the shrine from a distance. Ben felt sorry for me that I could not actually touch it and get the full experience. He bought a sheet of gold leaf and rubbed it onto the surface of the huge rock. This is the thing to do and over the centuries, the boulder is now covered entirely in gold leaf. A prayer is to be said as the ritual is performed. Ben said his prayer was for me. Hmm...I think I just got the full experience : )
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Yangon
We had a leisurely morning and took advantage of the hotel buffet. Breakfast food in Asia is so different from what we're used to in America. It has everything from cold cereal to congee to curried meats and stir fried vegetables. It's everything but...the kitchen sink. And it's ALL delicious!
We caught a taxi just outside the hotel and got lucky...air conditioning and our driver, Joe, spoke English pretty well.
First on our list of things to do was to buy bus tickets to Mt K... As discussed with Jeremy, our trip non-leader...we would head in the direction of the Golden Rock today so that we at least had a goal to achieve. Aimless wondering just wasn't going to cut it for me!
Just as we pulled up to the bus ticket desk (it was literally a desk on the sidewalk) we ran into some SAS girls in search of a bus to their chosen destination, a good 12 hours away. That's actually how we chose The Golden Rock. We heard it was only a 7 hour bus ride and I could barely get my head around that!
We missed the early bus so we had to settle for the next departure time...8pm. You've got to be kidding me! Plus 7 hours would get us to the base of the mountain by 3am! Because the sun is not up that early, hiking and trucks to the top of the mountain don't start until 6 am. We asked Joe and the bus ticket guy what there was to do at the base of the mountain at that time and the answer was "nothing". We made a decision to forge ahead. If worse came to worse, we could sleep a couple of hours in the bus station on the other end.
Second on the agenda...arrange for a hotel at the mountain. Joe tried to hide a laugh when he realized we didn't have a hotel reservation already! Payment in advance was required so Joe took us to the hotel management company to secure our rooms at The Mountain Top Hotel.
Here's an interesting fact: Most businesses here do not accept credit cards but they do accept USD. But it's still not as easy as it sounds. Because of counterfeiting, they will only take USD dated after 2006, clean, crisp bills only and will absolutely decline any bills from the "C" Series. We traded out bill after bill for several minutes until everyone was happy.
With all that done, we set out to enjoy the rest of the day! A trip to the local market, Bogo Market, for local souvenirs. The boys were longing for a longi. It's a skirt! It's a long skirt for men! Everyone wears them here because of the heat and it was HOT that day! We found a kiosk that had plenty to choose from and the ladies enjoyed the boys' reaction when they realized just how comfortable a skirt is ; ) Ben was the only one man enough to actually wear it that day. And his determination was real! It is a tricky thing tying the perfect knot so Ben tied and untied for most of the day. Seriously! And throughout the day, no less that 15 people stopped to help Ben keep his longi on ; )
The Shwe Dagon Paya is a stupa in Yangon. It was built 2500 years ago and is considered, by the Buddhists as a place of pilgrimage. All devote Buddhist make a promise to visit this stupa at least once in their lifetime.
The Buddhist have gone all out and adorned the tip of the Shwe Dagon Paya in precious jewels including 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies topping off the the stupa with a 76 carat diamond!
We made the mistake of asking a stranger to take our picture. The next thing we knew, he became our uninvited tour guide. But before it got too involved Chris handed him some money and we said our good byes. "Young man, have you ever seen a jade Buddha? Come, let me show you. " There were several hundred Buddhas in the stupa, unfortunately for him we caught onto his game early this time had an uncomfortable good bye.
We arrived early for our bus so we hung out with Joe, who came to pick us up...his last fare of the day. We stood on the dusty roadside and watched the nightlife of Yangon. Still hot and humid and feeling the exhaustion from the day, the waiting tried our patience. 15 minutes after, Joe checked the last bus in line. It was ours and they had been waiting for us!
It was a comfortable bus. Since it was the overnight bus, the seats reclined, there was air conditioning and it had a tv. We were the circus on the bus, hauling bags and arriving late. We were also the only foreigners on the bus. The conductor seemed to speak enough English and got us settled in our seats.
We picked up passengers for the first hour of the trip all the while watching a loop of Myranmar's Top 40 music videos. The people here can sleep through much more tv volume than I can. It was a restless ride. At one point, he conductor, with microphone in hand, rattled off what im sure were instructions for the ride but it was in his native tongue. The boys were asleep and I was too lazy to ask for a translation. Plus, we were "winging it" ; )
We stopped a couple of times for the restroom and once for a snack. They have full on rest stops here with restrooms and a restaurant. The locals sat down and had a full meal around 11:30pm. We had sodas and the local potato chips.
At around 1:30 we stopped again. This time I was actually asleep. Another rest stop it seemed. But as we watched all the other passengers file off, it appeared they were carrying all their belongings. The conductor stopped me and asked, "Are you sleepy?" "Yes, a little." And quickly checked to see if I had drool on my face. We walked into the rest stop and was greeted by the proprietor...I think. "Are you sleepy?" Wow. Was it that obvious? Did I have bus head or something?
"You sleep here, 5000 kyat." as she pointed up a sketchy flight of wooden stairs.
"You sleep here, free." As she pointed to large wooden platforms at the back of the restaurant. "
Confused, we turned to the conductor who we found lugging all our belongings off the bus. Chris and I concluded that we had reached our destination much earlier than expected. We had not two hours to kill but five before we could go up the mountain!
I checked out the upstairs, all the while getting stares and giggles from the locals. It was basically a big treehouse divided into several rooms. 10x10 with a rattan mat. I made the family decision to stay downstairs in the back of the restaurant. It was open and Chris and I can get a little claustrophobic at times. I feared this was one of those times.
We headed over to find an empty platform...about 3 feet off the dirt floor and lined with lanolium. We soon realized that Ben's camera was left on the bus which was no where in sight. I tried to explain our situation to the conductor who all of a sudden didn't speak English as well as I first thought. I rustled through the translation book as Chris and Ben ran down the road to find the bus.
"I left my camera on the bus."
With a nod of acknowledgment, the proprietor replied, "Yes, bus car 6 o'clock. "
They had explained to us earlier that the "bus car" to the top of the mountain began running at 6. " She wasn't getting my meaning.
"I lost my camera. It is on the bus."
"Ahh, camera. Yes, yes, bus car 6 o'clock. "
Oh, God help me...
Just then, the driver came running up with Ben's camera. Thank goodness for honestly!!
We situated ourselves on our platform. I was so filthy, sticky and exhausted that I fell fast asleep using my back pack as a pillow and swating insects all night. I woke up at one point and saw Chris and Ben in the restaurant watching TV with a monk. I reached for my camera but was too tired and committed the image to memory instead.
We caught a taxi just outside the hotel and got lucky...air conditioning and our driver, Joe, spoke English pretty well.
First on our list of things to do was to buy bus tickets to Mt K... As discussed with Jeremy, our trip non-leader...we would head in the direction of the Golden Rock today so that we at least had a goal to achieve. Aimless wondering just wasn't going to cut it for me!
Just as we pulled up to the bus ticket desk (it was literally a desk on the sidewalk) we ran into some SAS girls in search of a bus to their chosen destination, a good 12 hours away. That's actually how we chose The Golden Rock. We heard it was only a 7 hour bus ride and I could barely get my head around that!
We missed the early bus so we had to settle for the next departure time...8pm. You've got to be kidding me! Plus 7 hours would get us to the base of the mountain by 3am! Because the sun is not up that early, hiking and trucks to the top of the mountain don't start until 6 am. We asked Joe and the bus ticket guy what there was to do at the base of the mountain at that time and the answer was "nothing". We made a decision to forge ahead. If worse came to worse, we could sleep a couple of hours in the bus station on the other end.
Second on the agenda...arrange for a hotel at the mountain. Joe tried to hide a laugh when he realized we didn't have a hotel reservation already! Payment in advance was required so Joe took us to the hotel management company to secure our rooms at The Mountain Top Hotel.
Here's an interesting fact: Most businesses here do not accept credit cards but they do accept USD. But it's still not as easy as it sounds. Because of counterfeiting, they will only take USD dated after 2006, clean, crisp bills only and will absolutely decline any bills from the "C" Series. We traded out bill after bill for several minutes until everyone was happy.
With all that done, we set out to enjoy the rest of the day! A trip to the local market, Bogo Market, for local souvenirs. The boys were longing for a longi. It's a skirt! It's a long skirt for men! Everyone wears them here because of the heat and it was HOT that day! We found a kiosk that had plenty to choose from and the ladies enjoyed the boys' reaction when they realized just how comfortable a skirt is ; ) Ben was the only one man enough to actually wear it that day. And his determination was real! It is a tricky thing tying the perfect knot so Ben tied and untied for most of the day. Seriously! And throughout the day, no less that 15 people stopped to help Ben keep his longi on ; )
The Shwe Dagon Paya is a stupa in Yangon. It was built 2500 years ago and is considered, by the Buddhists as a place of pilgrimage. All devote Buddhist make a promise to visit this stupa at least once in their lifetime.
The Buddhist have gone all out and adorned the tip of the Shwe Dagon Paya in precious jewels including 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies topping off the the stupa with a 76 carat diamond!
We made the mistake of asking a stranger to take our picture. The next thing we knew, he became our uninvited tour guide. But before it got too involved Chris handed him some money and we said our good byes. "Young man, have you ever seen a jade Buddha? Come, let me show you. " There were several hundred Buddhas in the stupa, unfortunately for him we caught onto his game early this time had an uncomfortable good bye.
We arrived early for our bus so we hung out with Joe, who came to pick us up...his last fare of the day. We stood on the dusty roadside and watched the nightlife of Yangon. Still hot and humid and feeling the exhaustion from the day, the waiting tried our patience. 15 minutes after, Joe checked the last bus in line. It was ours and they had been waiting for us!
It was a comfortable bus. Since it was the overnight bus, the seats reclined, there was air conditioning and it had a tv. We were the circus on the bus, hauling bags and arriving late. We were also the only foreigners on the bus. The conductor seemed to speak enough English and got us settled in our seats.
We picked up passengers for the first hour of the trip all the while watching a loop of Myranmar's Top 40 music videos. The people here can sleep through much more tv volume than I can. It was a restless ride. At one point, he conductor, with microphone in hand, rattled off what im sure were instructions for the ride but it was in his native tongue. The boys were asleep and I was too lazy to ask for a translation. Plus, we were "winging it" ; )
We stopped a couple of times for the restroom and once for a snack. They have full on rest stops here with restrooms and a restaurant. The locals sat down and had a full meal around 11:30pm. We had sodas and the local potato chips.
At around 1:30 we stopped again. This time I was actually asleep. Another rest stop it seemed. But as we watched all the other passengers file off, it appeared they were carrying all their belongings. The conductor stopped me and asked, "Are you sleepy?" "Yes, a little." And quickly checked to see if I had drool on my face. We walked into the rest stop and was greeted by the proprietor...I think. "Are you sleepy?" Wow. Was it that obvious? Did I have bus head or something?
"You sleep here, 5000 kyat." as she pointed up a sketchy flight of wooden stairs.
"You sleep here, free." As she pointed to large wooden platforms at the back of the restaurant. "
Confused, we turned to the conductor who we found lugging all our belongings off the bus. Chris and I concluded that we had reached our destination much earlier than expected. We had not two hours to kill but five before we could go up the mountain!
I checked out the upstairs, all the while getting stares and giggles from the locals. It was basically a big treehouse divided into several rooms. 10x10 with a rattan mat. I made the family decision to stay downstairs in the back of the restaurant. It was open and Chris and I can get a little claustrophobic at times. I feared this was one of those times.
We headed over to find an empty platform...about 3 feet off the dirt floor and lined with lanolium. We soon realized that Ben's camera was left on the bus which was no where in sight. I tried to explain our situation to the conductor who all of a sudden didn't speak English as well as I first thought. I rustled through the translation book as Chris and Ben ran down the road to find the bus.
"I left my camera on the bus."
With a nod of acknowledgment, the proprietor replied, "Yes, bus car 6 o'clock. "
They had explained to us earlier that the "bus car" to the top of the mountain began running at 6. " She wasn't getting my meaning.
"I lost my camera. It is on the bus."
"Ahh, camera. Yes, yes, bus car 6 o'clock. "
Oh, God help me...
Just then, the driver came running up with Ben's camera. Thank goodness for honestly!!
We situated ourselves on our platform. I was so filthy, sticky and exhausted that I fell fast asleep using my back pack as a pillow and swating insects all night. I woke up at one point and saw Chris and Ben in the restaurant watching TV with a monk. I reached for my camera but was too tired and committed the image to memory instead.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Myanmar: On A Wing And A Prayer
Our latest start yet off of the ship. I hear it had something to do with the tides as we came up the Andaman Sea
Against their wishes, I had the boys do a couple of hours of school work since we were not expected to leave the ship until after 4pm. They moaned and groaned but will thank me later! They got enough work done that they hung out with their friends for hours before we were allowed off the ship. They even hunted down our inter-port student from Myanmar and wrangled some face cream off of her. It supposedly helps cool the skin in the extreme heat of this country. It's so popular that the unique designs made on the face have become all the rage for everyone who use it.
Finally got the "all clear" from Myranmar immigration around 7pm and we caught one of the last shuttles into Yangon about 90 minutes away.
My first impression as we maneuvered the narrow, unlit roadside was that this is a vastly different country than we have ever encountered!
Along the way we passed at least 4 small pagodas all lit up and glistening in gold leaf. The small communities we drove through had several restaurants and stores and open air homes that were so busy with activity that it was as though there was a party going on and we were not invited : (
Some roads were paved, some were gravel and the one where we almost hit a water buffalo was dirt. There were all kinds of transportation...cars, buses bicycles. The ones that caught my attention most were the trishaws (a large tricycle that is decked out with a side car which carries 2 people, one sitting forward, another backward). And then there were these pickup truck type vehicles. The back end was open but had a roof with a clearing of about 6 feet. A wooden bench lined the inside perimeter. We saw these trucks spilling over with passengers. Some hanging off the sides and others even riding on the roof!
I learned that Myanmar was once the 2nd richest country in Asia. Probably during the years they were a British colony. 1968 brought independence and government turmoil. A couple of actions put into motion quickly to practice their separation from the British...vehicle traffic moved to the right side of the road and all English schools were closed.
The language barrier is greater here than in any other country we have visited but it's is still manageable for the most part.
The shuttle bus dropped us off in front of city hall around 9:30 pm. The tour company that is in charge of many of the SAS trips had a liaison there to field the thousands of questions of hundreds of SAS passengers. To help ease the confusion, Chris simply asked if he could borrow his phone to call a hotel.
Most of us are "playing it by ear". We have places in mind that we want to visit but only the really smart people made arrangements in advance. We are not in the smart category. We have 4 days in Myanmar and we allowed Jeremy, who has been aching for more "independent travel", a glimpse into that reality.
Only armed with info on where we "might" go during our Myanmar Odyssey, we headed off to the first hotel that took our reservation...the Summit Parkview.
Situated high and to the left, our upgraded deluxe room overlooked The Shwe Dagon Paya, which is at its most brilliant at night. We were ecstatic about our hotel "find". It was a suite complete with living room bedroom and kitchenette but the steep price was much more than we expected. First lesson in "seat of your pants" traveling...all surprises, especially the ones that can break your budget are possible at any time! Set reasonable expectations and enjoy the ride ; )
Against their wishes, I had the boys do a couple of hours of school work since we were not expected to leave the ship until after 4pm. They moaned and groaned but will thank me later! They got enough work done that they hung out with their friends for hours before we were allowed off the ship. They even hunted down our inter-port student from Myanmar and wrangled some face cream off of her. It supposedly helps cool the skin in the extreme heat of this country. It's so popular that the unique designs made on the face have become all the rage for everyone who use it.
Finally got the "all clear" from Myranmar immigration around 7pm and we caught one of the last shuttles into Yangon about 90 minutes away.
My first impression as we maneuvered the narrow, unlit roadside was that this is a vastly different country than we have ever encountered!
Along the way we passed at least 4 small pagodas all lit up and glistening in gold leaf. The small communities we drove through had several restaurants and stores and open air homes that were so busy with activity that it was as though there was a party going on and we were not invited : (
Some roads were paved, some were gravel and the one where we almost hit a water buffalo was dirt. There were all kinds of transportation...cars, buses bicycles. The ones that caught my attention most were the trishaws (a large tricycle that is decked out with a side car which carries 2 people, one sitting forward, another backward). And then there were these pickup truck type vehicles. The back end was open but had a roof with a clearing of about 6 feet. A wooden bench lined the inside perimeter. We saw these trucks spilling over with passengers. Some hanging off the sides and others even riding on the roof!
I learned that Myanmar was once the 2nd richest country in Asia. Probably during the years they were a British colony. 1968 brought independence and government turmoil. A couple of actions put into motion quickly to practice their separation from the British...vehicle traffic moved to the right side of the road and all English schools were closed.
The language barrier is greater here than in any other country we have visited but it's is still manageable for the most part.
The shuttle bus dropped us off in front of city hall around 9:30 pm. The tour company that is in charge of many of the SAS trips had a liaison there to field the thousands of questions of hundreds of SAS passengers. To help ease the confusion, Chris simply asked if he could borrow his phone to call a hotel.
Most of us are "playing it by ear". We have places in mind that we want to visit but only the really smart people made arrangements in advance. We are not in the smart category. We have 4 days in Myanmar and we allowed Jeremy, who has been aching for more "independent travel", a glimpse into that reality.
Only armed with info on where we "might" go during our Myanmar Odyssey, we headed off to the first hotel that took our reservation...the Summit Parkview.
Situated high and to the left, our upgraded deluxe room overlooked The Shwe Dagon Paya, which is at its most brilliant at night. We were ecstatic about our hotel "find". It was a suite complete with living room bedroom and kitchenette but the steep price was much more than we expected. First lesson in "seat of your pants" traveling...all surprises, especially the ones that can break your budget are possible at any time! Set reasonable expectations and enjoy the ride ; )
Friday, February 22, 2013
Singapore
We arrived in Singapore (the Lion City) this past Wednesday. Another bustling city but you can't overlook it's orderliness. Even the trucks leaving the muddy dock areas were hosed off over a drain so that they would not track dirt out onto the road.
Singapore is a conglomeration of different cultures including English, Indian, Malay and Chinese to name a few. And each is allowed, if not encouraged, to maintain their heritage. That being said, Singapore was a small oasis for us, resembling any melting pot you'd find in the US. Not to mention that many tried and true fast food, convenience stores and coffee shops that we'd find ourselves frequenting in the states made Singapore a very comfortable pit stop in this adventure of ours.
We walked around the colonial area of the city which largely consisted of government and administrative buildings and a few hotels like the gorgeous Raffles Hotel, all dating back to when the Sir Stamford Raffles of England first settled here in the 1800's. All were perfect examples of colonial architecture and beautifully preserved.
We made our way to Marine Bay Sands. It is a skyscraper of a hotel that touts a rooftop infinity edge pool which bridges the 3 buildings of the hotel. Incredible! Could not wait for our dip in the pool because Singapore was beyond steamy that day. But we were given some misinformation and it turned out that only guests of the hotel could actually swim in the pool. The "day pass" that we were after only allowed us in the garden that surrounded the pool and the privilege of watching the guests swim. Pass!
So we went to Sentosa Island instead. A beautiful tropical island which is only a ferry boat or taxi or monorail or cable car away! Sentosa is Singapore's main tourist attraction. The whole island is run like a theme park. Rides and shows, souvenir shopping at every corner...even the bus rides are narrated in perfect Disney World intonation and inflection. There is actually a Universal Studios park on the island that I am so thankful the boys were not interested in visiting. We ended up, instead at The Shangri-la Rasa Hotel. We bought a day pass for the pool and beach and spent some time cooling off from the heat.
In 10 years time, the plan is to move the Singapore shipping port (which is very large and crowded) to the western side of Singapore. For Sentosa Island it should be a much welcomed change. As it stands now, the "beach" is reclaimed land, as is much of Singapore, and it faces the port! So, imagine your view as you lay on the beach, eye dodging freighters just to catch a glimpse of the horizon! And the thought of getting in the shared beach/port water was not at all inviting to us!
Fortunately the pool did the trick! After a few hours and umbrella drinks, we packed up and went back to the mainland to meet my cousin, Lillian and her kids for dinner.
On Lillian's recommendation, we went to Clark Quay, an awesome outdoor entertainment center that sits on the Singapore River. Bars, restaurants, shopping, ferry rides and even bungee type activities. We had dinner at the very popular, Jumbo Seafood to try their famous Chili Crab.
Lillian and I met when my family went to visit the Philippines in 1989 (our best guess) so the reunion was a long time coming. Although we had not had any contact since then, there is something very comforting about seeing a relative on an adventure like this. A connection to home. Jeremy and Ben were very excited to meet Sophia and Ethan, Lillian's 2 kids, and true Filipino cousins! Knowing that they still visit the Philippines often, makes it much more likely that the Smiths will find themselves vacationing there in the very near future!
The next day, we had a scheduled field trip with SAS to some historical places of worship. Because we don't have any real knowledge of Buddhism and Hinduism we all found the information on the temples and the mosque we visited to be very intriguing.
The absence of footwear while in these places is one thing they have in common. They also use smoke as symbolic significance but Buddhists use incense where Hindus just use wood. Taoists and Hindus both display many gods in their temples while Buddhist only have Buddha but there can be many Buddhas. One temple we visited had hundreds of the exact same Buddha! The Sultan's Mosque was something different all together. It was like a giant ornate living room. Large enough to accommodate hundreds of worshipers during any of the 5 mandatory daily prayer times. Very different from the places of worship that we are accustomed to.
The Cathedral Of The Good Shepherd was on the itinerary. Built in 1843, it houses a relic of St. Laurent Imbert of France, the first priest to visit the few Catholics living in Singapore in 1821. And although it was dark and dingy, the walls were cracked and peeling, the pews were worn and creaking, it was another reunion for us, another comforting connection to home.
Myanmar next!
Singapore is a conglomeration of different cultures including English, Indian, Malay and Chinese to name a few. And each is allowed, if not encouraged, to maintain their heritage. That being said, Singapore was a small oasis for us, resembling any melting pot you'd find in the US. Not to mention that many tried and true fast food, convenience stores and coffee shops that we'd find ourselves frequenting in the states made Singapore a very comfortable pit stop in this adventure of ours.
We walked around the colonial area of the city which largely consisted of government and administrative buildings and a few hotels like the gorgeous Raffles Hotel, all dating back to when the Sir Stamford Raffles of England first settled here in the 1800's. All were perfect examples of colonial architecture and beautifully preserved.
We made our way to Marine Bay Sands. It is a skyscraper of a hotel that touts a rooftop infinity edge pool which bridges the 3 buildings of the hotel. Incredible! Could not wait for our dip in the pool because Singapore was beyond steamy that day. But we were given some misinformation and it turned out that only guests of the hotel could actually swim in the pool. The "day pass" that we were after only allowed us in the garden that surrounded the pool and the privilege of watching the guests swim. Pass!
So we went to Sentosa Island instead. A beautiful tropical island which is only a ferry boat or taxi or monorail or cable car away! Sentosa is Singapore's main tourist attraction. The whole island is run like a theme park. Rides and shows, souvenir shopping at every corner...even the bus rides are narrated in perfect Disney World intonation and inflection. There is actually a Universal Studios park on the island that I am so thankful the boys were not interested in visiting. We ended up, instead at The Shangri-la Rasa Hotel. We bought a day pass for the pool and beach and spent some time cooling off from the heat.
In 10 years time, the plan is to move the Singapore shipping port (which is very large and crowded) to the western side of Singapore. For Sentosa Island it should be a much welcomed change. As it stands now, the "beach" is reclaimed land, as is much of Singapore, and it faces the port! So, imagine your view as you lay on the beach, eye dodging freighters just to catch a glimpse of the horizon! And the thought of getting in the shared beach/port water was not at all inviting to us!
Fortunately the pool did the trick! After a few hours and umbrella drinks, we packed up and went back to the mainland to meet my cousin, Lillian and her kids for dinner.
On Lillian's recommendation, we went to Clark Quay, an awesome outdoor entertainment center that sits on the Singapore River. Bars, restaurants, shopping, ferry rides and even bungee type activities. We had dinner at the very popular, Jumbo Seafood to try their famous Chili Crab.
Lillian and I met when my family went to visit the Philippines in 1989 (our best guess) so the reunion was a long time coming. Although we had not had any contact since then, there is something very comforting about seeing a relative on an adventure like this. A connection to home. Jeremy and Ben were very excited to meet Sophia and Ethan, Lillian's 2 kids, and true Filipino cousins! Knowing that they still visit the Philippines often, makes it much more likely that the Smiths will find themselves vacationing there in the very near future!
The next day, we had a scheduled field trip with SAS to some historical places of worship. Because we don't have any real knowledge of Buddhism and Hinduism we all found the information on the temples and the mosque we visited to be very intriguing.
The absence of footwear while in these places is one thing they have in common. They also use smoke as symbolic significance but Buddhists use incense where Hindus just use wood. Taoists and Hindus both display many gods in their temples while Buddhist only have Buddha but there can be many Buddhas. One temple we visited had hundreds of the exact same Buddha! The Sultan's Mosque was something different all together. It was like a giant ornate living room. Large enough to accommodate hundreds of worshipers during any of the 5 mandatory daily prayer times. Very different from the places of worship that we are accustomed to.
The Cathedral Of The Good Shepherd was on the itinerary. Built in 1843, it houses a relic of St. Laurent Imbert of France, the first priest to visit the few Catholics living in Singapore in 1821. And although it was dark and dingy, the walls were cracked and peeling, the pews were worn and creaking, it was another reunion for us, another comforting connection to home.
Myanmar next!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)