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pat@silkroad.co.nz
continues her story
of The Road To Mandalay
For the first part of the story
- click here
From Muse our route traverses the Shan hills to Bhamo via the Ledo-Muse
Road, infamous as the ìman a mile roadî after those who died during
construction in the later stages of WWII. Not much has changed save
that we tackle the jungle choked track in a 70's vintage Toyota
Corolla wagon with beefed up rear suspension. The air is filled
with huge butterflies and exotic scents. We stop often at police
checkpoints and restore circulation by occasionally walking ahead
amongst the butterflies until the car catches up. Our colleague
TunKoKo is apologetic for the heavy police presence, he tells us
that the area is completely safe for travellers but increasingly
less hospitable for smugglers. The infamous Green, White and Black
road backdoor route into China along with its illicit trade in jade,
opium and guns is being choked off by vigilant police along the
frontier.
It takes about 7 hours to reach the historic trading post of Bhamo
on the Ayeyarwaddy River where we are to board the scheduled river
boat service down to Mandalay. The town seems to crouch on the south
bank of the river, just above flood level yet submerged in magnificent
avenues of spreading trees. In the leafy shadows there is a new
guesthouse with sporadic electricity for foreign travellers and
the riverbank boasts a barbecue restaurant that serves chilled handles
of Yangon Larger for NZ$0.50 a pint. Next morning as day breaks
we join a cast of hundreds on the river bank for a ìCirque de Soleilesqueî
performance as the Inland Water Transport Company vessel loads passengers
and freight for the 30 hour run down to Mandalay.
Our cabin is a simple but comfortable 2 berth affair a deck above
the throng of local passengers and the bales of Chinese consumables
that were manhandled onto the vessel under conditions that would
definitely not pass muster with OSH. Two blasts of the horn signal
the end of the captainís patience with enterprising longshoremen
who are trying to sneak cargo aboard even as the lines are cast
off. Departure is a celebration rather than a farewell, particularly
for the co-conspirators on board who have secreted away at least
12 bales of illicit freight before the crew could toss it overboard.
On the river our floating village slips gracefully through the
sandbanks, glides past villages, stops occasionally at towns and
overtakes the ageing maritime relics of the historic Irrawaddy Flotilla
Company. Toward the end of our second day on board, Mandalay Hill
appears on the horizon. Itís too soon for us but clearly not soon
enough for our Burmese travelling companions who have anticipated
the end of the trip since early morning. All are dressed for the
occasion of arrival in best Longyi, the traditional unisex sarong
like tube of cloth wrapped around the waist and the faces of women
and children are freshly daubed with yellow Thanaka bark paste.
 Mandalay
emerges from the jungle as a dazzle of golden spires and white pagodas
that seem to float above this low-rise city; the cultural centre
of Myanmar and last capital of Royal Myanmar prior to the British
invasion in 1886. The city was also trashed during the Second World
War but time and reconstruction has revived this 'Golden City' of
Buddhist teaching so that it has regained much of its former glory.
Our programme takes us around the city to the Aladdinís cave-like
National Handicrafts Centre, to the spectacularly photogenic U-Bein
bridge, the artisan quarter to see gold leaf beating and marble
Buddha carving and finally up Mandalay Hill for the sunset over
the Ayeyarwaddy River.
We are reluctant to leave Mandalay to make the short flight Southwest
to Bagan, however ancient Pagan is the goal of our journey down
the Southeast Asia Silk Road from Yunnan and we are keen to see
what brought Marco Polo here in 1235. From the moment I get a glimpse
of Bagan Archaeological Zone through the window of the French turbo
prop I realize that there is no possible way to describe the place
adequately. It is said that some 13,000 temples and pagodas were
built on the Bagan Plain over a period of just 200 years prior to
the Mongol invasion. The 2000 that remain today are a spectacular
legacy to Myanmarís era of temple builders and a World Heritage
as significant as the Pyramids of Egypt or Chinaís Great Wall.
At Bagan you can do as much or as little exploring as you want
although a relaxed approach generally takes two days along with
a bit of retail therapy at the lacquer ware workshops and some excursions
to Shwesandaw pagoda for the mind blowing sunset.
After an early start to greet the sunrise over Baganísìpagoda fields
we leave for the airport enroute to Heho, gateway for Inle lake
and 30 minutes flying time away in Southern Shan State. Our hotel
on the lake shore is a 'floating pavilion' of traditional design
and construction nestled on stilts in the crystal clear water of
a shallow lake that I imagine must contain every drop of clean water
in Southeast Asia. Inle is the home of the famous Intha leg rowers
and their floating gardens and stilt villages so they have a vested
interest in water quality, a matter celebrated in extravagant style
at the Phaung Daw U festival each September. Our arrival coincides
with the festival of Shin-Pyu, the day each year when young boys
are initiated into the order of monks. At the nearby monastery the
party rages all night, decibels amplified to a point that raises
the lake surface into a chop.
From Inle Lake it's off to Yangon, an hour and a leap into the
tropics away by air. Its hot and definitely steamy at the latitude
of Burmaís old colonial capital Rangoon where we have a short programme
that includes the spectacular gold Shwedagon pagoda of Rudyard Kiplingís
ìLetters from the Eastî fame before flying out to Bangkok. Yangon
may be a faded dowager amongst Southeast Asian capitals but it has
retained sufficient character to ensure that western influences
remain subservient to the indigenous culture. We exit via Yangonís
humble international departure terminal with the fervent hope that
the consumer culture of the west won't drown the intriguing atmosphere
of Myanmar any time soon.
FACT FILE An Ethical Question
Forty years ago Burma pulled down the shutters on the west to follow
General Ne Winís 'Burmese Road to Socialis'î. It was a path that
would ultimately lead to decades of martial law and a shocking record
of socio-economic failures and human rights abuses. Now after two
decades of sustained international pressure reform is underway and
much of it seems positive. As a member or ASEAN Myanmar is now under
the scrutiny of its economically powerful neighbours and this may
signal a shift towards more progressive policies.
The role of tourism as an agent for change in Burma has been a
hot topic of international debate. There are two schools of thought,
one advocates a complete boycott while the other argues that the
presence of foreign travellers may also help to curb the excesses
of the military junta. This is a pragmatic response that appeals
to informed travellers but there are compelling arguments either
way. In any event there has never been a better time to visit Myanmar,
travel restrictions have been lifted, closed areas are now open
to foreigners and private sector tourism development is underway.
Travellers who know Burma also know that the spirited people, spectacular
natural and cultural heritage and priceless atmosphere will endure
long after the present political landscape has been consigned to
history.
GETTING THERE AND AWAY
We flew from Bangkok to Kunming, capital of Chinaís Yunnan Province
with Thai International Airways. and continued overland down the
ìBurma Roadî from Dali to Ruili ñ Muse on the China / Myanmar border
and on to Mandalay.
Myanmarís principal gateways are Yangon and Mandalay. Thai International
Airways operate scheduled services between Chang-Mai and Mandalay
and Bangkok and Yangon.
ENTRY VISA
A valid Passport with entry visa is required for all visitors to
Myanmar. 30 day tourist visas are available on presentation of a
pre arranged tour invitation (of any duration) which SRA can provide.
TOURISM FACILITIES and SERVICES
At the main tourist destinations, services and infrastructure are
well developed and provide great value for money with quality joint
venture local and international hotels. Joint venture private sector
airlines Air Mandalay and Yangon Airways provide safe and efficient
domestic air travel and all tourist centres have a great selection
of restaurants serving local and international cuisine.
WHEN TO GO
It is possible to travel in Myanmar at any time however July through
September and November through January are best. In the north most
rain falls during late September and early October.
Travel arrangements were made by Silk Road Adventures
New Zealand Ltd. www.silkroad.co.nz
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