Caught an early bus from Mandalay to Hsipaw. Once I got there, someone laughed and said I was on the cargo bus, which would explain the cheaper but pretty uncomfortable seats on a run down old school bus full of lumber and pipes and things on the aisle. The drive was pretty through mountain winding roads, passing motorbikes with baskets full of flowers heading for the Mandalay flower market. But treacherous, as the driver goes very fast. The driver also closes his eyes to pray when we pass temples, and there are only about a bagazillion temples here. Now I'm not one to judge anyone's driving, since I can't drive, but pretty sure you should try to keep your eyes open! But arrived safely and checked in to Mr. Charles' Guesthouse, one of the only guesthouses in town for tourists.
Walked around the small town (told the total population is around 10,000). Saw the noodle factory and stopped for these fried batter things made with coconut milk, scallions, and a small chickpea bean in the center and topped with chopped peanuts and a tamarind and fish sweet and sour sauce from a roadside stand for four for 10 cents. Met a French guy who was here in 1997 and in 2006. Interesting to hear how it has changed. He also had a local friend with him from Mandalay who had interesting conversation about the country and tips on where to stay and where there was a free shuttle to the airport once I return to Mandalay. We all had a delicious dinner at a roadside stop I had found exploring the town earlier. The local man said I found a good place where the food tasted like his mother's cooking. There are lots of fresh fruits and vegetables grown in this area that are delicious to try. I think my favorite is the dragon fruit that is bright magenta, even on the inside (stains your fingers with the color), that has way more flavor than the typical white ones. Topped off the evening with local rum made in town and fruit juice.
Took a two day trek through the mountains to a little tribal village with two really nice Italian guys and a local guide. The first day was really rainy, so it was slow going as everything was really slippery (passed the Scottish ER nurse coming down who said one tourist had already broken her leg and they had to splint it with bamboo). But the scenery was so green and beautiful and I love seeing the rice fields and water buffalo. We reached our home stay at a small village of about 900 people to a wonderful home cooked lunch. We all just talked into the night, listening to the rain fall.
In the morning, we woke up early and headed next door to the monastery. Instead of other towns I have been in where the monk processions go around town collecting alms, all of the village women come with flowers and food and the monk comes out and they all put their offerings in a basket. Sadly, I didn't get many photos because my camera lens was foggy inside the camera from all the moisture. I was afraid I would have to buy a new one in Bangkok, but my awesome guide had a great idea to put it in a bag of rice. It drew the water out in a half hour as we ate breakfast, and good as new! Later we walked trough the town. We all took photos, mainly of the cute kids who love seeing their picture in the camera.
Hiked back down the mountain to Hsipaw and tried to wash all the red mud off myself and my clothes and said goodbye to my new Italian friends who caught the night bus. Ran into the French guy again and we went back to the same restaurant, and the family was happy to see us. They took us out back to the garden and let me try all different kinds of fruit from their trees. They made us a special plant an root drink that was suppose to be good for high blood pressure and vision. They invited us into their home next to the restaurant and we had a lovely chat, even with the language barrier. The woman was 62 and her husband was in his 70s and was a retired police officer. We headed back to the hotel to bring the woman some French perfume that the French guy brought and ran into the Scottish woman and a woman from Holland and brought them back to the restaurant for the delicious traditional Myanmar fish soup. The family sat with us, gave us treats, and then put the anica face paint on all of us (and ground some as a present for the Scottish girl who wondered where to buy it). We took a picture and said goodbye, and they said we were family and that we must come back to visit.
The next morning, we all were on the same bus to Mandalay. The tour guide from Mandalay booked a shared room for Sarah, the Scottish girl and I at the good hotel, Royal City. He is so kind and is always treating us to things, even though we both would rather pay. Mandalay is really hot! Sarah and I wandered the city looking for yummy street food. We visited the Mahamuni Temple, a gold pounders shop where they make the gold foil that people rub on the temples, a workshop where they weave the silk traditional clothing, and a working Monastery where many monks come to learn to be monks. Sarah laughs when she sees how many do the "What are you?" stare or walk up to me and speak to me in Burmese (a monk at the monastery actually stopped in the middle of his prayer studies to ask where I came from). We ended with a trip to U Thein bridge, an old teak bridge over the river and relaxed, watching the wooden boats pass, kids jumping into the river, and many people walking the bridge as the sun set. We tried more street food, including the fried crab that I had wanted to try.
After our sightseeing, we rang our new tour guide friend and he met us for dinner. I ran into an older French couple I had met at Hsipaw who had also been helped by the tour guide and we all enjoyed dinner together for my last night in Myanmar (lamb and potato curry, tamarind relish, green beans with crushed peanuts, bamboo shoots, and lentil soup). Sarah, our guide friend and I jumped on the back of his motorbike to go get coconut ice cream. We drove past the entrance to the Royal Palace which was lit up with lights, making it almost look like Christmas.
This morning, I eat my last Shan noodle soup for breakfast and head to the airport. I am really quite sad to have to leave this wonderful country. It is definitely on my top 3 countries I love, and maybe even top 2 (Colombia, here, and Botswana). But Laos adventures await, and I fly from Mandalay to Bangkok and then to Vientiane tonight. I hope to visit Myanmar again someday and see how it changes over time. I really hope that it stays as full of friendly, honest, genuine, and kind-hearted people as I did this trip.
Myanmar trip photos are online or you can view them as a slideshow.
Love,
Betsy
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