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)
No comments:
Post a Comment