Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
The train journey to Hsipaw (pronounced see-paw) was one that you don't come by very often in Myanmar. It was relaxing, scenic and best of all, punctual. Crawling along the tracks in between rice fields, squeezing through the crevasse of an oncoming rock face and chugging across a rickety bridge. It made for a pleasant journey.
Once in Hsipaw we soon arranged somewhere to stay and transport to Yee Shin hostel. After settling at the hostel, with no time to waste, we started the walk to sunset hill. With a bit of luck (we wouldn't have made it otherwise) the pickup truck from the hostel took us the rest of the way, and back down again. Another beautiful sunset bites the dust.
Before coming to Hsipaw we had heard from numerous other travellers about Mr Shake. An institution and a legend in his own right. We thought it sacrilege not to go and with no extra
charge for rum in any of shakes we settled in our seats for the night, readying ourselves for the long trek the morning after.
Pre trek breakfast was full of pleasantries, an omelette, fresh fruit and coffee. Fuel for our voyage.
The hike there was scenic and thought provoking, (mostly uphill means nobody really wants to talk, exhausted and blowing out of their arse) mainly ruminating over lunch If I know anything about this crew I'm with.
After 5 hours of exhausting our legs and appetites, we stop in a small village for lunch, which will also be our resting ground for the night.
Post lunch we look take a look around our new abode. The village is small, well kept and self preserving. The food that is grown and reared is either eaten themselves, or used as a negotiating tool to trade with others. Seasonal and local food is the only thing on the menu here.
That evening we ate as a family and played some games around the table. With a second day of trekking looming, we get some shut eye.
The second day was much of the same as the day before. But thankfully for us the terrain was a little more forgiving on the leg muscles. We arrive at another village just in time for another delicious lunch. As we are creatures of habit, that night entails more games and more laughs.
The last day of the trek was mostly downhill, the final saga to our voyage. As we descend the mountain passing through tea plantations and fields lined with banana trees, subsequently, we were met with a towering waterfall and wasted no time in stripping off and bathing in the cool azure water.
The final part of our trip ended us in a school. There, we were groomed until being hastily thrown into some last minute English teaching. With each of us assigned to our own group, we sat encircled by students waiting to be taught. The harsh reality of it was though none of us really had any idea what to do, how to teach, or barely speak our mother tongue for that matter. Anyway we gave it a good go and after half an hour we decided to teach some English.....football.
Goodbyes, thanks and some photographs later we headed back to base to have a well deserved shower. That night we discovered rum pong, (previously known as beer pong) I think enough is said on that matter.
That morning with heads sore and the intention, that never materialised, to go to Shan palace, we instead spent the day feeling sorry for ourselves and waiting for our bus to take us to Inle lake. The final chapter in our Myanmar monologues.
- comments