After breakfast Tuesday, we climbed aboard a roomy mini-van for our 8 hour drive to Kalaw. I was glad we had the extra room, as the road conditions were horrible. The tree cover was not so unlike a balding head. This sparseness was due more to the need for wood and fuel than it was to the climate. The bodhi trees are left untouched. Half way through the journey, the road turned to mountain switch backs, with local labor cracking rock with sledge hammers under the mid day sun. Unlike the constant smile of the Thais, the Burmese face stays curiously blank until I initiate their smile with my own.
We arrived in Kalaw a few hours before sundown, pleased to find a guesthouse with hot water and a few hours of electricity. We made arrangements for the two day hike to Inle Lake. Trekking is the main attraction here, as many other more northern destinations are off limits to foreigner. From my guide book, I had identified a Catholic church just outside of town, and decided that this would be a good place to leave the medication that I had brought for the orphanage near Mandalay. After asking around for some time, Peit and I finally found pleasant Fr Paul. He was Burmesem, maybe in his 60s, and happy to receive visitors. He invited us inside his home near the church, explaining to us in better detail how things work in Myanmar. He said there used to be nuns there running the school, but they were all expelled from the country many years ago. All schools are Buddhist now. I'm still not really sure why he was allowed to stay. He did open our eyes to some problems facing the people. I think the limited route and accessibility mandated for tourists has blinded us a bit to some of the harsh realities.
We invited the solo Israli Shei to join us for dinner and on our trek as well. Had to return to hotel because there was no hot water after 10 pm; no electric after 7 pm. We showered by candlelite. This is common with most hotel, although some will have generators.
Next morning, we sent our bags on ahead and took a truck to our beginning point for the trek. Hiked for about 3 hours through what resembled KY pasture land and broke for lunch in a small thatch village, taking a break from the heat. Rice paddies, ox carts, and local starring and waving at us in amazement. We kinda took turns hanging out with one another, conversing about whatever one might converse about strolling through the back hills of eastern Myanmar. They agreed that I, as the American, would make the best hostage. I told them I would tell everyone that they were Danish (prophet cartoon). In the mini-bus we took here, I had considered splitting up from the group and going off on my own. I'm glad now that I did not. We made a pretty good troop. I think that Shei was glad to be traveling with us as well. He was a nice addition to the group. Hiking another 3 hours across fields and rivers, we made it to an old Buddhist monastery where we would stay the night. Dinner by candle was curries, greens, okra, rice and sesame cookies. Invited a Frenchman to join us for candlelite UNO card game. As we returned to the main building, several young monk novices stared at us wide eyed as they warmed themselves on the porch around a bucket of hot coals. Went to bed about 9 pm on the floor, in a curtained off area of the monastery under several heavy blankets. Good thing for those blankets; it had dropped below 50 degrees.
Thursday came early as we were awaken by the young monks only meters away, practicing their morning chants before sunrise. I think they were extra loud on purpose and I wouldn't have had it any other way. It was a very peaceful morning. The buckets of cold water behind the stone wall did not seem too enticing in the morning's briskness, so we opted to eat and get moving. Passing through several modest villages on stilts, the setting dropped to more that of a canyon, with trenches cut within to handle the wets that came with the rainy season. Large sparse trees looked created from contests to invent the fork. I spent most of that day walking with our guide KT. We talked of politics, sex, divorce, family, religion, and business within modern Myanmar's conservative culture.
Arriving at the western rim of Inle Lake amid the tourist stalls, we boarded a long boat for the hour or so journey to the other side. Ann and Peit stayed at an upscale place built on stilts in the middle of the lake. Seemed a little expensive and isolated for Elie and I, so we continued on to Nyaungshwe. We found a reasonable place in this unimpressive village and went out for a pizza and talked politics. America may not be popular with the majority of Europeans, but you find that most who travel have an open mind.
Next day, I let Elie meet Ann & Peit for a lake tour without me. The weather was not good, my throat was sore, and I was pretty unimpressed with the previous day's journey across the lake. I asked our hotel owner the all too familiar question, "Are we going to have electricity today?" He replied, "I don't know. Maybe around 3 pm?" I also got some laundry done. Amazed that it was only ~250 kryts ($0.25), until I noticed several days later that half of it was missing. Elie assured me that I had missed nothing from the days tour.
I got up at 6:30 am Saturday to catch my 1 hour ride to the airport in a dilapidated taxi. Elie was staying behind to catch a 20 hour bus. We had electricity and hot water and there was much rejoicing. The early morning ride to the airport was incredibly scenic and put me in great spirits. Arriving at the airport, I had a slight tinge of anxiety. Yangon Air? Isn't that the government airline with the worst safety record in the world? The one other Myanmar travel agents had said, "Oooh, you don't want to fly them. They are different." Other airlines use slogans like "Dependable service. And safe too." as a back handed slap at their communist competitor. Referring to my guide book, I was relieved to discover that I was not on the bad one. After my bag went through the WWII era scanner, I was escorted through a curtain which was closed behind me. "Bod shek, bod shek..." the guy inside said. All passengers were body checked since they had no metal detectors. There was no gate; no announcements. Good thing I was paying attention. My flight left 45 minutes EARLY!
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