And so we have returned to Yangon from our 14 hour bus ride (each way) to and from Kalaw. Our rickety bus, manned by two local Myanmar drivers led us on our journey and they served us well. We arrived back in Rangoon, safe and sound, thanks to their ability to weave the highways of no rules, the country of no roads, and the villages of no English. The bus, that creaked and moaned all the way, (buses in Myanmar aren't in the best condition, and this one, amongst other things, needed new shock absorbers), slowly climbed the mountain to the Shan States. The country road was poorly paved here and there and had rock and dirt in other areas. To sum it up, the ride was bumpy, all the way. We all faced the motion sickness with strength!
Kalaw is at about 4,800 feet above sea level and I didn't know what was to be faced as we ascended the mountain. We passed by sights that transported me back in time. I saw water buffalo pulling wooden carts full of straw. I saw ladies with their faces covered with thanaka (a paste that is extracted from the bark of the Sandal Wood tree - you just rub the piece of bark against a course stone and add a touch of water, this creates a paste. The women put it on their faces to protect against the sun. It also works as a mask.). I saw these ladies in traditional dress, a long skirt and blouse (longyi aingy) and carrying a basket full of items on their head. These baskets were large and heavy, and they walked with ease and steadiness. I saw army trucks still surviving from war time, packed to the brim with goods and people - the people are on the hood of the car and pouring from the back of the trucks. I saw huts made of straw, weaved mats and sticks. I saw men bathing outside with buckets of water. I saw women at the road side breastfeeding. I saw wild animals, sometimes pets, sometimes not. These included pigs, roosters, water buffalo, cows, and even an elephant. I also saw the most beautiful fields of yellow sunflowers, the sky filled with the brightest orange glow as the sun was setting, and as it set, the orange settled to a pale pink and spread across the horizon. I saw mango trees, avocado trees, eucalyptus trees and through the air was the scent of pine, from the pine trees. My family knew they had returned to their home, when the the scent of pine filled the air. I saw happy children playing in the streets, flying their kites.
I saw endless natural beauty as we traveled to Kalaw. And then we arrived to our Hilltop Resort and this is where my sensations of wonder, inspiration, awe and sometimes sadness, were overtaken by sensations of desperation for basic necessities. These included heat and hot water. Not basic for the people of Myanmar, but basic for me. What I didn't realize was that Kalaw was cold. Very cold - at night, and in the morning. When the sun sets and before the sun rises, one will freeze in Kalaw. It is a place of drastic changes, and not only in weather. During the day it is hot, over 25 degrees Celsius and then at sun set, it quickly decreases, to less than 5 degrees Celsius. There is no heat in the rooms. And then, no hot water. So, what I (we) felt at these times, was shivers, when you are cold to the core, and unstoppable chattering of teeth. And when I experienced the cold shower, with little water, well, I'll let you imagine how I screamed my way through it.
More to come on the sights of sounds of Kalaw.
kyae zuu tin par thi (thank you in Burmese)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
So much to say, so little time
A touch of Thailand came and went like a breeze. Still so much to say, but here we are in Myanmar and I am overwhelmed with the sights, sounds and smells. We are leaving in half an hour to travel up country on a 14 hour bus ride to Kalaw and so I will try to record some of what was observed yesterday.
Our first day in Rangoon (Yangon) was incredible. I have words of beauty, disappointment and sadness floating through my mind. The phrase that comes to my mind, to express to you what I observed is "the land that once was". There is such hidden and forgotten wonder in the streets and the buildings. But if you look closely, it's there. The solid bones of columns and brick are crumbling, but still holding on, for change. The hanging iron gates, faded and stained colours, and overgrown landscapes are begging to be seen once again.
But, my family, they see it. They know what Myanmar used to be and they still see it in their hearts. My families former homes and places of business that we visited yesterday became filled with sounds of shock and sadness that poured from us as we toured through. And then the van ride after - it was silent. As many reflected. And dealt with the reality of what is now and what was then.
Our first day in Rangoon (Yangon) was incredible. I have words of beauty, disappointment and sadness floating through my mind. The phrase that comes to my mind, to express to you what I observed is "the land that once was". There is such hidden and forgotten wonder in the streets and the buildings. But if you look closely, it's there. The solid bones of columns and brick are crumbling, but still holding on, for change. The hanging iron gates, faded and stained colours, and overgrown landscapes are begging to be seen once again.
But, my family, they see it. They know what Myanmar used to be and they still see it in their hearts. My families former homes and places of business that we visited yesterday became filled with sounds of shock and sadness that poured from us as we toured through. And then the van ride after - it was silent. As many reflected. And dealt with the reality of what is now and what was then.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Let's Recap Some of Bangkok
A few days, a few sights and lots of laughs.
Picture 9 family members caravaning through Bangkok. Our ages range from the freshness of 23 to the wiseness of 87. How does this grouping work? My theory is that we are all on this journey for our own personal reasons and they seem to be, for now, complimentary. Some may be simply sight seeing and adding yet another country to their travel repertoire. Others may be doing it for the company - consistent togetherness may be placed as a priority at a certain time in one's life for reflection and enjoyment. We may be travelling to far off, foreign places but, for some, what better way to remember, than to return to where you started and be with those you love. And still others are expanding from the inside, viewing other ways of life, deepening their understanding of the world and therefore, themselves. Whatever reason it may be, here is how we spent our days, together.
Let's be more specific on how we traveled to and fro the sites of Bangkok. We opted to use the Tuk Tuk service. A Tuk Tuk is a three wheeler scooter that has a seat in the back for two (sometimes more) passengers. The Tuk Tuk follows no rules on the road and weaves in and out of traffic as it pleases, including driving straight into on-coming cars, trucks, buses, and fellow Tuk Tuk drivers. As we brushed death a few times, our outbursts of screams and laughter poured from this open air, fume protruding, mode of transportation. As we were 9, we were split between two Tuk Tuk's and watching the other group of 3 -4 squeezed in and holding on for dear life was hysterical as they whizzed by or vice versa. And so the Tuk Tuk took us to the Golden Palace, the Golden Statue, and we were blinded by the bling bling here, there and everywhere. Excuse my lack of enthusiasm, but personally, commercial sight seeing isn't my cup of tea. Nonetheless, the observation of the city, the people and the way of life was fulfilling. I received more than enough of this to feel satisfied.
As we were driving from one sight to the next, our Tuk Tuk driver would say, "I take you fashion, you look five minute." "I take you jewelery, very nice." Great, we wanted to shop, let's go! We arrive at a tailor shop. We walk in and there are approximately 10 blue suited sales people ready to take your measurements and sell you some "real thai silk" and guarantee that "it be ready tonight". Our party of 9 got out of there fast and furious. After a few of these not so impressive shopping excursions, we caught on to the trick. Our sweet, non-english speaking drivers get a commission of some sort when they bring customers to certain stores. Our driver got free gas. Happy we could be of service.
Now let's go do some real shopping.
Picture 9 family members caravaning through Bangkok. Our ages range from the freshness of 23 to the wiseness of 87. How does this grouping work? My theory is that we are all on this journey for our own personal reasons and they seem to be, for now, complimentary. Some may be simply sight seeing and adding yet another country to their travel repertoire. Others may be doing it for the company - consistent togetherness may be placed as a priority at a certain time in one's life for reflection and enjoyment. We may be travelling to far off, foreign places but, for some, what better way to remember, than to return to where you started and be with those you love. And still others are expanding from the inside, viewing other ways of life, deepening their understanding of the world and therefore, themselves. Whatever reason it may be, here is how we spent our days, together.
Let's be more specific on how we traveled to and fro the sites of Bangkok. We opted to use the Tuk Tuk service. A Tuk Tuk is a three wheeler scooter that has a seat in the back for two (sometimes more) passengers. The Tuk Tuk follows no rules on the road and weaves in and out of traffic as it pleases, including driving straight into on-coming cars, trucks, buses, and fellow Tuk Tuk drivers. As we brushed death a few times, our outbursts of screams and laughter poured from this open air, fume protruding, mode of transportation. As we were 9, we were split between two Tuk Tuk's and watching the other group of 3 -4 squeezed in and holding on for dear life was hysterical as they whizzed by or vice versa. And so the Tuk Tuk took us to the Golden Palace, the Golden Statue, and we were blinded by the bling bling here, there and everywhere. Excuse my lack of enthusiasm, but personally, commercial sight seeing isn't my cup of tea. Nonetheless, the observation of the city, the people and the way of life was fulfilling. I received more than enough of this to feel satisfied.
As we were driving from one sight to the next, our Tuk Tuk driver would say, "I take you fashion, you look five minute." "I take you jewelery, very nice." Great, we wanted to shop, let's go! We arrive at a tailor shop. We walk in and there are approximately 10 blue suited sales people ready to take your measurements and sell you some "real thai silk" and guarantee that "it be ready tonight". Our party of 9 got out of there fast and furious. After a few of these not so impressive shopping excursions, we caught on to the trick. Our sweet, non-english speaking drivers get a commission of some sort when they bring customers to certain stores. Our driver got free gas. Happy we could be of service.
Now let's go do some real shopping.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Sit or Squat
On the way to Bangkok, this is what I encountered.
We had a 9 hour lay over in Beijing and since I refuse to use the bathrooms in planes (after all, I am my father's daughter), the first thing I did upon entry to the immaculate Beijing airport, was scope out the closest ladies room. We spotted one. My sister and I ran in, but stopped abruptly in our tracks when my sister caught a glimpse of the inside of the stall. Her hand was still holding the door handle when she turned to look at me. I saw the most horrified expression on her face; it was unlike any other I had seen on her. It was gnarled into some nasty, twisted form and I heard, "Oh my god, we have to squat?" She merely whispered it so no one else could hear the voices of shocked naivety on two ignorant foreigners. Yet, I swear she yelled it because of how she emphasized the words with the movements of her eyes and mouth. When I heard the word squat, my heart started beating a little faster, and I think a few trickles of sweat broke out on my upper lip. I knew this was coming, but I was not yet mentally prepared. These things take a little self-coaching for me, I'm not a natural of the unknown. And being caught by surprise, my innate instinct is to freeze. What the hell do you see down there? Not that I was going to look. Do you plug your nose? I mean, rationally speaking, I think you would have to wear a skirt to use such inventions. After already being on the plane for 10 hours, what's 10 more? It was no big deal. At least not compared to the challenge that I was facing here in front of me.
The panic subsided when I realized "to squat" was an option. One may choose their preference of sitting or squatting. And would I like to sit or place my rear on the black hole to abyss?
Sit, thank you.
We had a 9 hour lay over in Beijing and since I refuse to use the bathrooms in planes (after all, I am my father's daughter), the first thing I did upon entry to the immaculate Beijing airport, was scope out the closest ladies room. We spotted one. My sister and I ran in, but stopped abruptly in our tracks when my sister caught a glimpse of the inside of the stall. Her hand was still holding the door handle when she turned to look at me. I saw the most horrified expression on her face; it was unlike any other I had seen on her. It was gnarled into some nasty, twisted form and I heard, "Oh my god, we have to squat?" She merely whispered it so no one else could hear the voices of shocked naivety on two ignorant foreigners. Yet, I swear she yelled it because of how she emphasized the words with the movements of her eyes and mouth. When I heard the word squat, my heart started beating a little faster, and I think a few trickles of sweat broke out on my upper lip. I knew this was coming, but I was not yet mentally prepared. These things take a little self-coaching for me, I'm not a natural of the unknown. And being caught by surprise, my innate instinct is to freeze. What the hell do you see down there? Not that I was going to look. Do you plug your nose? I mean, rationally speaking, I think you would have to wear a skirt to use such inventions. After already being on the plane for 10 hours, what's 10 more? It was no big deal. At least not compared to the challenge that I was facing here in front of me.
The panic subsided when I realized "to squat" was an option. One may choose their preference of sitting or squatting. And would I like to sit or place my rear on the black hole to abyss?
Sit, thank you.
Three Countries in 26 Days - Thailand, Burma & Pakistan
My family of four will be traveling together for 26 days. We could either learn new and enlightening things about each other or we may simply re-establish what we have always known about each other - that we are each so different from the other. As we fill our eyes and minds with the sights of a country that neither one of us has seen before and re-visit places and memories that were created over 30 years ago, connections of common values, outlooks on life and core values may be formed between the four of us. Or they may not. Of the two scenarios, the differences have already spoken loud and clear. And so the adventure started like so.
We headed to the airport on January 10 at 10:30 pm after continuous coaxing and prodding to my obsessive-compulsive father that it was okay if he didn't iron his pyjamas before putting them into his suitcase. He had already spent the entire day ironing. But alas, we were ready and on the way to the airport, so let's rejoice in that. All was good. Nope, all was not good. I wish I had a premonition of what was to come, a sign, a feeling, but no, nothing. I was definitely not prepared for this one. Our family of four was heartbreakingly reduced to a family of two when the check-in lady at the check-in counter of Air China decided to put a spoke in our happy little family trip. It turned out that my Dad's passport expired on June 20, 2011 which meant that it was not valid for six months for entry into Thailand. As she was spitting out those words, my head was already in fast forward. How can I fix this? Walking from counter to counter, discussing option after option, the final resort was that we split up. My sister and I will go on as planned, while my parents stay back to correct the unforgivable lack in travel preparation. Air China was relentless and they were not going to be liable for allowing someone to fly to Thailand without the appropriate validity of their passport. I looked at my family. My dad was standing, head down, speechless and uttering the words, "you guys just go without me". My mom was quiet, eyes welling with tears, as she was watching me talk, discuss, and solve. And my sister? Well, she was watching the luggage. This was not going to happen. We will still enjoy this trip, together. And although my sister and I said our good-byes and proceeded to our gate, all was not lost. We had a plan. I downloaded the steps to my mom and emailed our travel agent the same steps. Now, my mom just had to execute. I knew she would. As different as we are, she gets things done. I can count on her for that. However, a portion of our solution was out of our hands - would the passport office issue a 24 hour emergency rush passport to my Dad? Was there an available flight for the next day to get my parents to Bangkok? The answer is yes and yes.
We are all reunited in Bangkok as of 3 am this morning. And we had the most exciting day today riding in Tuk Tuks and visiting the Grand Palace.
After breathing far too much fire and frustration, there are nothing but butterflies swirling in my belly now.
We headed to the airport on January 10 at 10:30 pm after continuous coaxing and prodding to my obsessive-compulsive father that it was okay if he didn't iron his pyjamas before putting them into his suitcase. He had already spent the entire day ironing. But alas, we were ready and on the way to the airport, so let's rejoice in that. All was good. Nope, all was not good. I wish I had a premonition of what was to come, a sign, a feeling, but no, nothing. I was definitely not prepared for this one. Our family of four was heartbreakingly reduced to a family of two when the check-in lady at the check-in counter of Air China decided to put a spoke in our happy little family trip. It turned out that my Dad's passport expired on June 20, 2011 which meant that it was not valid for six months for entry into Thailand. As she was spitting out those words, my head was already in fast forward. How can I fix this? Walking from counter to counter, discussing option after option, the final resort was that we split up. My sister and I will go on as planned, while my parents stay back to correct the unforgivable lack in travel preparation. Air China was relentless and they were not going to be liable for allowing someone to fly to Thailand without the appropriate validity of their passport. I looked at my family. My dad was standing, head down, speechless and uttering the words, "you guys just go without me". My mom was quiet, eyes welling with tears, as she was watching me talk, discuss, and solve. And my sister? Well, she was watching the luggage. This was not going to happen. We will still enjoy this trip, together. And although my sister and I said our good-byes and proceeded to our gate, all was not lost. We had a plan. I downloaded the steps to my mom and emailed our travel agent the same steps. Now, my mom just had to execute. I knew she would. As different as we are, she gets things done. I can count on her for that. However, a portion of our solution was out of our hands - would the passport office issue a 24 hour emergency rush passport to my Dad? Was there an available flight for the next day to get my parents to Bangkok? The answer is yes and yes.
We are all reunited in Bangkok as of 3 am this morning. And we had the most exciting day today riding in Tuk Tuks and visiting the Grand Palace.
After breathing far too much fire and frustration, there are nothing but butterflies swirling in my belly now.
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