Post n°33, Hong Kong part 2/2
It’s 7:40pm and we board the ferry to go back to our island. The sky is darkening and some girlies are taking their nap therefore missing the beautiful light show of our arrival in the bay.
For dinner we go to this night market I had read about - it is so-so because not so charming but I had been warned by my friend C. Yet the food is good and I am so happy to have one of my fave dishes every: congeeeee
The third and last day together as a group, we have plans to have lunch in the most famous restaurant of Hong Kong that has recently opened an already clustered and always busy branch in Singapore: Tim Ho Wan. They have a pretty limited menu but all items are legendary. We order quite a number of dishes and I am very satisfied. I wouldn’t say it’s a major world revolution for my palate but it is very good enjoyable food and interesting consistences and tastes. Happy and well-fed. Thank god - after walking 2 hours in the sun and waiting 30min on the sidewalk to have a seat (not understanding the Chinese spoken by the woman at the entrance who shouts your number when there is a table ready for you…).
Laura has to leave but we still decide to take a bus to Stanley, the fancy marina located at the extreme south of the island. The bus crosses the island quite slowly which makes us late - so we have no choice than to stay in the bus and see the place from the inside of the vehicle. Still worth it! Islands off the coast, vegetation, a humongous snake seen on the side of the road (arrrghhhhhh), Disneyland in the distance, a beautiful light and a seaside atmosphere. It’s a marina where people get secondary houses or go to spend a holiday-like weekend.
We escort Laura to her bus. Next time I’ll see her we will be in Paris. ‘till next time! As for the three of us remaining we decide to take a stroll in SoHo the more hipster place of this city. The roads go up and down, there are organic restaurants and foreign cuisine.
Sona leaves in the middle of the night and Laurie and me are left to enjoy our last day in the city together. We have read there is a super cool Ghibli Studio exhibition on the outskirts of town. WEEHEE ! We embark on a trip to my childhood’s crazy colorful fun yet comforting memories of Spirited Away, Princesse Mononoke and more recently Ponyo sur la Falaise etc. It’s terribly fun and interesting, the drawings of the different directors are exposed compared with the actual movies made using these very sketches and directions. We learn about animation movies. Super cool. This takes us quite some time so we barely have time to go back in town, grab a pita bread raw organic sandwich (yeah this is just a juxtaposition of words that make this sound like a super hipster healthy meal - that’s what it was) and a yummy juice, get back to the micro hotel and take the bus to the airport.
I really enjoyed Hong Kong; in my opinion it is somehow a midway between Singapore and it’s cleanliness and super organization clear-cut aspects and Beijing, the dirty and so enjoyable hustle and bustle, the profusion of buildings etc. and as a midway, it fulfilled many of my expectations. I think I can imagine myself spending some time there.
Post n°32, Hong Kong part ½
I arrive pretty late with my friend Constance who lives in HK and who came to Singapore to visit me. It’s dark, thank god she is here to guide me to the right bus - the one heading to the city centre. We get into town and stop at a pretty random place because this is a super long avenue and I do not know at what level my hotel is. Big mistake. We get lost and it is all my fault. Stupid me was convinced the number was 873 when it was 378 (or a similar confusion… but you get the picture). We walk. Take a cab. A stupid cab. A pretending to be stupid cab who turns and turns and makes mistakes blablabla I REACH at around midnight. I get into the establishment I had booked a 4 people bedroom in: MicroHotel. You heard (read) me MICROhotel. It is literally micro, super tiny tiny and lost on the 4th floor of a super random building on this very long and wide avenue (Nathan Road) known to be home to a lot of cheap hostels. The place is actually fine; and it is even better because this is where I find my best friends waiting for me! We are over the moon and go out for some grilled foods and beer. We also buy ourselves some cheap wine and drink it while Sona falls asleep…
The first day, we head out a bit late there is a drizzle and we bargain some low quality umbrellas on the street. I have already noted down a nice dim sum restaurant that is not very far. On our way there, we find a market, buy some fruits, admire the profusion of Hong Kong. There are many things catching the eye. I know I’m liking this place.
Our meal is succulent; seriously I love this type of food more than anything. I have always loved it and I am SO content that I get to eat it so often and of such high quality here in Asia. It’s basically different types of dim sums, steamed and fried (HK is known for having quite a lot of fried dumplings, it’s sort of their thing) and some simple green veggies.
We resume our walk and cross a nice a quaint park where some elderly are practicing some kind of martial art under a Chinese roof that says « Chinese Garden » (i.e. the name of our metro stop in Singapore wouh so crazy…or not so crazy).
We then get to the more hype part of Hong Kong though we are still on Kowloon, the northern part, that is less cosmopolitan and « cool » than the southern part where Central is located. We find a pop-up Marimekko truck (a lounge on the go decorated with the Finnish textile brand’s iconic designs) that is parked to welcome people passing by inside to take pictures and have sweets, take a look at their magazines… They are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their best-loved print: the UNIKKO - poppy flower! We have fun with it, take pics, laugh around and walk out. It’s a fun break.
As we walk some more we finally arrive at the worldly famous view of the Hong Kong bay. Sadly it is slightly foggy but still impressive to see. We hop on a ferry and cross the bay to reach the southern part of the metropole. It’s time to take a ride on the old fashioned tramway. Almost crossing the whole peninsula from west to east. We are tired and some of us are giving in the to the afternoon nap that is seductively calling them. Taking it down a notch we sit in a Starbucks and order some delicious green tea red been frozen drinks.
Before the night settles in on Hong Kong we want to get to Victoria Peak. This mountain top where you can see the whole city and its beautiful light shows. We take a bus that climbs the winding roads of the mountain, still seeing the city so close to us yet so deep in luxuriant vegetation already. We cannot afford the price of the super fancy place and cannot afford to spend 3 hours in a queue so we find an alternative view point and stay there to take the usual touristy pics. Once we have taken our maximum quota of pictures we are starving and deserve our dinner. There are some demands for pizza. The girls have lived in Beijing for a year and are pretty excited to have some good western food - that is not so easy to find at a reasonable price in mainland China. Fulfill our stomachs and our hearts with a lovely italian dinner.
Party night in LKF (Lan Kwai Fong) or THE party scene of Hong Kong located on a set of small hilly roads where numerous bars hold parties every night and where people gather in and out the establishments to drink shots in syringes and dance. There is an amazing hustle and bustle.
Second day we want to explore other parts and enjoy the very beautiful sights of Hong Kong that has some seriously breathtaking views mixing nature and culture, freedom and civilization. We take a 40 minutes ferry to Lamma Island. The whole day is spent there walking the scenery walks close to the cliffs ending on a beach where we a refreshing ourselves; simple, intense pleasures. I have an organic watermelon iced sorbet. We see some impressive massive pig graffiti (cf. the photos above). I love it because it so wild yet in the middle there are scattered old buildings that are very simple, rare houses that are not very charming in themselves but that give this place the very special feel it has. Adding to this, the electricity central with its two huge chimneys, makes this island remind me of the set of a Hayao Miyazaki movie.
Post n°31, Bali part 2
The fifth day Miles and Jenna leave in the morning so the first part of the day is happily dedicated to chilling at the villa’s pool and enjoying the heavenly atmosphere.
Ines, Flore and I still want to get a better massage experience - after all it’s Bali! so we go downtown to one of the places recommended by Marie and François (Cool Spa) and get more than one hour of treatment each for less than 20 euros… Service is awesome and the venue is nice and designed to make you feel relaxed.
It is then time for sunset at beautiful Ku De Ta. We arrive early enough to get nice spots. A French couple gives us their beds and we are queens of the place. We drink cocktails and play cards. This is perfect.
Once the sun has disappeared for good we go home to shower and change and go for dinner at this place I had read about on the Internet that is inside an old colonial style building with a courtyard where they have free traditional Balinese dance shows every once in a while.
We have delicious Balinese food and watch the dances.
Sixth day we want to go on the peninsula south east of the island.
Another Dewa is driving us and we start with the fish market in Jimbaran. We have been told we could buy fresh fish and then have it cooked on a big fire by the see. We buy fish and shrimps for a really good price but cannot find the little hut on the beach.
A restaurant accepts to cook our fish and shrimp with Indonesian recipes so we accept. It’s delicious and way too plentiful so we share with Dewa who is only too happy to partake in our meal and take pictures of us to give us memories of this moment !
The weather is boiling hot and as we walk back to the car the whiffs of fish and garbage heated by the sun are making us feel nauseous (have to include details of discomfort too or you guys will think I am way too blessed!)
I have read about a heavenly beach - something we have not really seen yet here in Bali - and I want to try it. It is inside a resort called the Semara hotel. A fee is to be paid to have access to this little jewel. We are escorted down in an elevator that goes down what we could call a hill/cliff. It is super green and we can see the turquoise sea awaiting us.
The place keeps its promises; the water is clear, the sand is white and fine. The beach is small and surrounded by impressive densely green mountains.
We do not want to leave but our last sunset has to be seen from Uluwatu temple, located on a hill on the peninsula, near Jimbaran. It is the temple of monkeys where every day at dawn there is a dance show. We miss it because we are late because we didn’t want to leave to beach…but still see the end of the sunset with the cliffs as background and surrounded by playfully scary monkeys.
We head back to Seminyak to have dinner with Marie and her friend. They bring us to this nice restaurant café I had seen a few days before that looked pretty. It is called Cafe Bali, held by a French man who is rather young (all these young successful entrepreneurs!). I have satay that is super yummy and a glass of wine. The shared dessert of toblerone crepes is to die for.
It is our lost evening and we decide to test the famous Potato Head, haut lieu for parties and DJs in Bali. There is a pool that is lit at night and beds to drink your cocktails on. The decoration and the architecture is impressive and the atmosphere is pleasant and relaxed as in a lot of places in Bali. The cocktails are extremely good and once again for a last time we feel like we are in paradise.
The morning after it is already time to pack and leave. It will remain a memorable stay. We are so privileged.
NAMASTE !
Post n°30, Bali part 1
Arrival in Bali negotiation for taxi
Centra Taum Resort Seminyak Bali; installation, bites and drinks
go out to dinner at trendy restaurant Mama San
Second day buffet breakfast at the hotel by the pool birds chirping
take the shuttle to Petitenget beach in Seminyak
rent sun-beds for the day at 8$
swim in the very agitated sea; get shaken like a puppet inside the huge waves
have lunch a bit further on the beach, fried noodles, fresh lassis
walk back to our beds, bathe again closer to the shore, tan
buy beers to a guy sleeping under his umbrella
dinner at Motel Mexicola, cocktails and tacos
Buy ice cream and drinks and go on the beach to play games and drink under the stars before we can go and enjoy high-end Ku De Ta (bar club by the beach, same group as the one found on top of the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore)
When in Ku De Ta I have a single very tasty and expensive cocktail and the ambiance is truly pleasant. Lounge music, large sun-beds, good service
Third day, we transfer to the De Bruyne’s beautiful house in Jalan Drupadi
it is idyllic and they are so welcoming
chill until end of the day we go sunset watching at the beach
cocktails at the famous La Plancha (first on the plastic seats on the side, then on the real deal’s terrace)
dinner with the De Bruyne and friends at hispanic place with tapas and delicious caipirinhas !
Fourth day is exploration day we rent a car out with driver Dewa
we drive in the van to the more inland parts of the island
Temple Goa Gajah (elephant temple) both Hindu and Buddhist, full of surprises, sacred caves then walk in the forest, encounter a guy with a rifle - we get super scared and quickly walk back to the more touristy populated area.
Monkey forest, home to thousands of monkeys and beautiful gigantic trees
lunch on the rice terraces, breathtaking view on the rice paddies and their specific architecture
head to Ubud, the center of Bali, the more cultural part of the island
visit Pura Taman Saraswati (lotus temple) on the water, sneak inside to see workers paint and decorate dragons for an upcoming festival
Walk in the market, eat gelato and bargain for shorts and souvenirs
Hurry to Thana Lot temple for the legendary sunset viewing. It is so incredibly crowded with tourists and locals alike, we are desperate to find a quite place to enjoy this special moment. We cannot find the spot our friends recommended but we do spot a way up the cliff and find a cafe where we order beers and watch the sunset.
On our way back we are stuck in traffic because that day was one of the many days of festivity in Bali. There is a large procession of people in white that walks past us. Amongst them women that seem to be possessed by some spirits are held by men who are guiding them.
Dewa drops us for dinner in this restaurant by the road.
Grab a taxi back home
We want to get a massage but all the good places are closed because it’s late so we settle for a much more ‘humble’ parlor; it is at best a weird experience. At worst a very uncomfortable one.
To forget about that, we go for drinks at colorful and funky Motel Mexicola
Post n°29, DAY 9
Yangon.
It is our last day in Burma. Sona and I want to visit two temples we haven’t seen yet and that are apparently not as popular with tourists yet. We find a bus after asking many locals to help us and head to Chaukhtatgyi Paya and Ngahtatgyi. The first one has one of the longest lying Buddha statues in the world. We also fin a little sick kitty there; I am mesmerized as you would expect if you know me well enough…! And I try to « save » the kitty by carrying it towards another (sick) cat etc. I later realized looking at photos that this cat looked really sick and dirty but oh well I washed my hands and still felt happy about it.
The second temple is also very charming because it is not very crowded and there are nice wooden designs behind the huge sitting Buddha around which the pagoda was built. There are also metal patterns in the place of windows.
We have time left before we have to leave to the airport so we hop on the circular line. It is a 3 hour long train ride that takes us around Yangon and its suburbs. Some parts are pretty, some parts display extreme poverty and poor resources management (gray waters and stenches…). We take turns falling asleep because it is so long and we are passive but it is an interesting experience. One of the best moments is when we pass by a market that is happening on the platform of the station. There is so much hustle and bustle and our windows are wide open; people buy goods through the windows, some vendors board the train to go sell their things in the city… And Sona is sound asleep. too bad !
After 3 long hours we are back in the city. We have enough time to exchange some money back to dollars (the rates on the ‘black’ market are so much better than at the airport) and have a quick lunch in famous teahouse Thone Pan Hla where we order different types of noodles and iced tea.
It is already time to take the taxi. We are denied the right to shower by the hostel but clean briefly with wipes and whatever we have, take a cab and head out to the airport.
I am not sad to leave; the experience was wonderful, full of beautiful landscapes, teachings and interesting people but I am also somewhat eager to get some of my « comfort » back. I know I will be back someday. So long, Burma!
Miscellaneous notes on the trip:
Challenge of tourism and managing waste related to increased consumerism
Pottery jugs of drinking water with tin cups at every corner and every temple for locals to have cold fresh water everyday all day long
Contrasts are blatant
Interesting conceptions of gender roles and relation to nature
Happiness of “simple” life - in general there is good on people’s faces, children have fun with very little and never show mistrust towards anyone (because they don’t have to)
Politics - I asked Luang and Pai Pai after saying a thing or two about government whether they liked the old or the new situation better. They said they liked the new better even though they make mistakes too and that they want democracy. I was surprised to see so many photos of Aung San Suu Kyi everywhere she is truly the mother of this country. I even saw a sign for the national league for democracy on a house in Inwa !
Post n°28 Burma, DAYS 7 and 8
Day 7
Arrive very early in Yangon. We take a taxi shared with 4 other people (a person is in the trunk). We are exhausted and keep falling asleep. We arrive at city center near the park where elderly are exercising and where our hostel is located but there is no room ready for us. We share a bed in the dormitory until 9am when our room is ready - but gross. I need to be insistent for them to give us clean sheets…
We shower and go out for lunch at Aung Mingalar Shan noodle shop. Then head back to wait for Arthur and Sona, who arrive 2h+ later. In the meantime we have had the time to chat with a French guy who is backpacking Asia and South America and an older Chilean man who is doing the same. We all go grab a beer and the others leave to the airport in a shared taxi.
Sona and I are so tired so we just go after wifi and grab dinner at nearby delicious biryani restaurant. Succulent ! 😗
Day 8
TWANTE + YANGON
Sona and I woke up with the intention of going on a day trip out of Yangon and chose Twante, a bit further and a bit less touristic that the village of Dalah.
Breakfast at the hotel and departure at 7am from the quay on the very very crowded ferry where we were the only tourists in sight :-)
once there we take a mini van for 1$ that will take us to the village - crazy coincidence on that bus is a woman who I had asked for help in Mandalay. She is from Twante, works in Singapore and was on holiday in Mandalay with her aunt. Once again, thousands of km away she helps us and once arrived in Twante directs us to trishaws that she negotiates for us
The two men take us to 5 different sight-worthy places including a pottery making hut, a weaving center, a pagoda built on the model of Shwedagon, and a beautiful market.
After a 1 hour ride back in the mini van in which I fell asleep (probably mouth wide opened) on a stranger (…) and taking the super crowded ferry across the river, we are back in the city much earlier than planned. It’s an opportunity to grab lunch in one of the renowned tea houses of the capital. We head to Lucky Seven for a yummy local favorite: the mohinga (soup of thin rice noodles and fish broth) accompanied by a truly divine sprite (yeah. It was super hot out there. And we walked like 30 minutes in the scorching sun to reach this culinary heaven). We then hopped on a bus to the hotel to take a rest from the sun, shower and nap.
When the sun goes down and the city lights up we go to Shwedagon Paya, only THE most famous pagoda in all of Burma. It is massive, gilded, full of lights and people. We are amazed AND we have avoided the payment booth for tourists. Once we are inside we turn around the central pagoda and find…a free wifi spot. What?! #welcometothe21stcentury where you have crappy wifi in the hostel but a perfect connection in the temple… Anyways we use the connection to Skype our dear Ines who is stuck back in Singapore for a few minutes and send photos to our beloved family and friends of the lovely place.
When the guard mysteriously finds us to ask about our tickets, we get ousted from the temple without having to pay (yeah savvy travelers) and find a bus to go back to the center, fighting against the invading swarm of taxis wanting to drive us there.
It is a bit late but we want to eat local for our last dinner; taking a chance, we walk to the nearby restaurant Danuphyu Daw Saw Yee Myanmar where you point at the curry and the veggies you want and they serve it to you with the traditional accompanying dishes (sour vegetable soup, dip and parboiled vegetables etc.). It’s good. We’re the last customers and eat at the same time as the staff having the leftovers from the kitchen.
We go home and crash.
Post n°27 Burma, DAY 6
Bagan.
The alarm rings at 5am, we leave by 6am
Once again the perfect spot is hard to find for our not-so-awake brains
We end up seeing a half sunset at Buledi but at least we are alone and we enjoy for about 30min.
Go back to hotel for breakfast in the sun; eggs and toast and tea
Chat with an Australian couple in their 60s and we share experiences
Shower and back on our bikes (that we negotiated after Jenna’s broke down the day before after 5min use…)
I have a whole itinerary planned but we get lost in what literally feels like the desert. It is close to noon and we are desperate for shelter
We realize we have reached a village that is quite far out of our way and locals help us find the main road. Sun allergy starts and we are determined to reach New Bagan for lunch. After a little bit of difficulty we do reach new Bagan’s river shore Restaurant where I have a chicken dish. We stay until we feel energetic enough to get back on our ‘temple run’. On the road to old Bagan we visit a couple temples I had preselected the day before. One of them has to be opened for us by the keeper. It’s mysterious, the frescoes are beautiful
Go back to Nyaung Oo and stroll around beautiful Shwezigon Paya. There are child nuns also visiting and performing some sort of ceremony of golden Buddhas statues. Interesting
Continue to reach the little town where we make a stop at the Thanaka museum where there are guinea pigs and monkeys (and Thanaka history… 😜 - thanaka is the yellow paste locals use of their faces everyday, men women and children, to protect their skin from the sun but also to embellish their features somehow. It has an aesthetic aspect to it too.)
We make a pit stop at a local draught beer place under the trees with beers for a 60cts mug of beer. In these moments, a beer can be so heavenly.
Back to hostel we can shower and are picked up to go to bus station. The middle seats await us.
We insist to be put in front claiming we have car sickness and that our condition requires us to be in front. The seats are literally toddler sized there is no space. It’s… A unique experience. Almost no sleep, I cannot rest my head anywhere so the co-driver has me sit on the step with him next to the driver🚍. It’s a long night but I like it. I feel like I’m living the experience and getting a real connection with my friend the driver who doesn’t speak a word of English. They sing soft songs all night to keep each other awake, it’s a special moment.
Post n°26 Burma, DAYS 4 and 5
… end of Day 4
We finish the ride to the base of the hill and ride the bikes to Inwa (Ava). Inwa, another ancient capital, is much more rural and very pleasant. There are farmers, cows, fields of rice and other amazing landscapes. We visit a few ruins and in particular a deserted one that makes us feel we are queens of this world. Once again soso comes with us inside the maze in the ruins and looks after us.
As we ride back to the city to see the famous U Bein bridge we have a glimpse of the beautiful wooden monastery of Bagaya. But time is running out and we need to see the sunset on U Bein Bridge
We walk the bridge snap a few photos; I am scared because there are no fences and a lot of people coming and going! You can tell some parts of the bridge have collapsed and have been consolidated with more recent materials like concrete. There are even some missing pieces and you can look directly at the water beneath your feet.
We go back to Mandalay city to see the Mustache brothers famous for their vaudevilles in which they critique the authoritarian government. Buy tickets to the French fluent daughter and wait at the nearby thai restaurant.
There is only one brother left Lu Maw. He is dynamic and funny and very dedicated. The show is fun, only tourists can attend (political context doesn’t allow for locals to watch) but it’s interesting. Jenna and I are exhausted and start falling asleep at the first row so we take motorbikes to go home to sleeeeeep. Return home on motorbikes with nephews of Par Par Lay. Despite of being a city that sleeps very early we see fires burning to grill food, teenagers playing guitar and singing on the sidewalk, women showering outdoors, babies in hammocks Etc.
Day 5
Morning bus to Bagan, Jenna and I not sitting together but thanks to that I meet Puda very kind 17 year old local who gives me sweets and helps me order at lunch stop on the way.
Arrive around 2pm in Bagan and walk to our hostel - New Park hostel. We put our things down, rent e-bikes and set out to buy our tickets back to Yangon for the day after. Arrived at bus station there are NO SEATS whatsoever and Jenna has to take a plane two days later… Jenna’s bike dies on us but we have no choice. A young man helps us and takes us to the market where we an find more companies. He pushes the bike for her.
We end up booking “middle seats” i.e. the baby stools they put in the corridor and on which you ride if there are no real seats available…
Change e-bikes and proceed to look for the sunset.. A must do in Bagan where it is too hot in the middle of the day to do anything. We cannot find our way properly and see temples on the side that are splendid but not that ONE sunset spot. We stop a youngster on the road who takes us to his own “favorite” spot. And shows us his “handmade” sand paintings as we descend from the pagoda… At the base we meet Puda again!! We chat and he explains how to get to real sunset spot Shesandaw Paya. We arrive when the sun has set already but give it a quick look. It’s an impressive massive structure and there is a huuuuge lying Buddha in a very tight room with no lights. Kids harass us to buy their stuff and display an impressive variety in French vocabulary “moins cher que chez Leclerc!”
We take the bikes and ride to our town of Nyaung Oo where we have dinner at Indian vegetarian restaurant called “Aroma 2” - I have paneer and potatoes curry. Yum
Sleep and set the alarm very early for sunrise...
Post n°25 Burma, DAY 4
Arrive at 3:40am-4:00am
Find taxi and drop by Mahamuni Paya to see the Buddha face washing session - chants and gongs, photos by nights, it’s almost mystical
We find our rooms at Golden Mandalay bungalows and get breakfast at dawn while reading the guide and settling our minds on the fact that we are in Mandalay, a new city for us to see.
Hire JiuJiu and Soso on their scooters for day trip after negotiations in price and what to do.
We start out with Shwe In Bin Kyaung (a lovely monastery, so peaceful, with a space under temple to relax in the shade for hot days like this one). Our guides pray in front of us and I think it is worth noticing. Because in our hemisphere of the world, most of the time religion is something that creates communities and when it is taken to an extreme communitarianism and cleavages. The Buddhist tradition (that cannot really be qualified as a religion precisely because there is not this community aspect, this linking component of the word “religion” coming from the Latin root ligare “bind, connect) does not encourage displaying of the religion as an identity therefore possibly creating conflicts between groups but as a very individual thing, an intimate YET unembarrassing and completely assumed part of the life of its adepts. These are the thoughts seeing this inspired me. There was nothing awkward about them practicing their religion in front of us.
After this, we rode our scooters to Amarapura touristic monastery with the hordes of tourists that come to witness the monks’ lunch. It’s interesting in a way because you get to see insensitive tourists (mostly Caucasian and East Asian) make fools of themselves and ruin the atmosphere by acting like visitors at a zoo. This raises the question of how to conceive photography when you are visiting a foreign culture. I wanted to take pictures too - and I did. But there is an attitude to it that makes it either ok and actually positive because you find their culture beautiful and want to show that through photos and another way to do it that is just dehumanizing the whole process.
Move to the Ayeyarwady river shore and visit Shwe-kyet-Kay (golden chicken) and chat with our guides’ spiritual leader, an old monk teacher who has to his responsibility a group of young monks. They are the ones having the watermelon on the picture. It was a lovely moment. The old monk half-jokingly asked me to adopt a kid. He gives us food and drinks. A cat brushes our legs while we are talking about our respective cultures.
Proceed with our tour and cross the bridge to reach Sagaging Hill; climb stairs for 30min it’s hardcore we are dripping in sweat but the view and the temple are rewarding. Walk around about 6 times, our guide Soso has fallen asleep with his music (he’s always singing on the scooter, in the temple, he tells us he wants to be a singer)
We wake him and walk to the adjourning cave temple where 50 Buddhas are aligned in one gallery. Jenna starts feeling dizzy and nauseous so we pause there for a bit - it’s an opportunity to chat with Soso. He’s a university student for who it is the last day of holiday. I give him my email so he can send me music and vice versa. He hasn’t done so yet…
We try to find a way to bring Jenna down by car and not have to walk all the way. Soso stops a pick up of Burmese tourists (a family from 5 to 85 years old) who welcome us aboard. They don’t speak a word of English but we communicate as we can. I visit a temple with them and they are so excited - we take photos we run everywhere they show me the caves and laugh a lot. Really good times. This is a photo with the girls of the family on the temple’s terrace. They hadn’t never taken a selfie before. (oh how this puts things in perspective!)
… read the second half of this very heavy 4th day in Burma in the next post
Post n°24 Burma, DAY 3
We wake up at 6am to find our friend from the day before who is going to take us on the lake with his boat. At our greatest surprise we find Sona and co. sleeping in the lobby! When we get to the lake, the old man actually hands us over to his 19 year old son.
Early morning views on the lake - fishers using various techniques to catch fish. Floating gardens, market (vendor with impressive French negotiating skills she learnt from all the French tourists she has met), weaving center where I get a longyi (traditional Burmese wear for men and women, worn every day) made for myself, we visit different villages on the lake from our Boat. We fall asleep despite the loud roaring of the engine.
Stop at “Nice” restaurant for lunch.
Then boat making village, pagoda with Buddhas that have become unrecognizable blobs because of all the gold leaves that were stuck onto them. Another immobile boat headed by bird holding a pearl in its beak
Padaung ladies with long necks weaving in the back room of a souvenir shop. Try to be humane about it contrary to Spanish tourist who do not even say hello and just pose next to them like objects…
Kid tries to move our boat while water is up to his hips. He has a beautiful smile
Girls gives us water Lilly and waits for money by not letting go of our boat - “lake smart”!
Monastery market with a really beautiful view over the floating gardens. Thai women take photos of us
Wet ride home
5pm meet the others
Say goodbye to Marion and leave 7:00pm take bus to Mandalay (VIP so nice)