My Journal: Myanmar - Kalaw

We picked Myanmar as a choice for trekking as we had read many good reviews about the safety, the experience and weather in Myanmar. Plus, we had gone to Vietnam, Indonesia for our trekking tours so we wanted to pick somewhere different and less travelled.

We booked our trekking trip with an agency online - http://www.reisen-myanmar.net. First time i had to go through a transaction using TT and using Euro because of US sanctions. I was really surprised the sanctions were still there (reminds me i have to read up even more on the political progress between Myanmar and US). We decided to trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake, which later proved to be a good choice as it would be a gradual descent and more suitable for infrequent trekkers like me.

Day1: We reached Yangon city via Jetstar at about noon time. Initially we were worried that we won't be able to find a trustworthy money changer at the airport. To our pleasant surprise, the money changers were alright and USD, EUR and SGD were the major exchange currencies. Just had to be careful to avoid some of the locals there who were following us everywhere to help us change money the moment we exited the arrival gate. It just felt right to head straight to the official taxi counter where the service staff helped us to get a taxi which costs us only 7000 Kyat. I bet it would be much more expensive if we were to engage the taxis from elsewhere.

We headed straight to the Shwedagon Pagoda as we had no idea where else to go. To enter the Pagoda, there are four entrances, we just entered whichever that was convenient. Shoes and socks have to be taken off before they allow you to enter the pagoda.

The Pagoda was easy to go around so basically we just walked one round and took pictures. Halfway round, we were stopped by the staff there to pay 8000 kyat for the entrance fee.

It is interesting to note that there are many statues and symbols in the whole area. As we had no guide, I actually was not able to appreciate fully the intent and meaning of the symbols. Sad to say, it was not a very educational or meaningful visit for me here.

Monks in Myanmar is a common sight. Be respectful to them.

Our hunger was getting into us and we had to leave for lunch. There were no decent eateries nearby, all were street stalls which we were reluctant to try due to fear of food poisoning. As usual, after hearing from friends about food causing diarhoea, we were afraid to try the street stalls.

We had a very full lunch at the Sule Cafe at Shangri-La hotel at downtown Yangon. An important point to note is to have fold-free, crease-free US dollars for payment. I gave them a note with a fold at the corner and it was rejected.

Headed straight to the Aung Mingalar bus station right after lunch (we had a super long lunch though) as it was too comfortable to rest at the hotel. We booked a 6pm coach ride via JJ Express and it was quoted as the most comfortable coach service in Yangon. Having to travel 10 hours from city to Kalaw, we reckon it would be better to booked a premier coach service. Anyway, it was really good coach with comfortable seats, cool aircon, with water and snacks provided. Aung Mingalar bus station was only a 30 min taxi ride from downtown Yangon (disclaimer: this depends on how good the traffic is, we were lucky to have no jam).

We had a comfortable bus ride from Aung Mingalar to Kalaw. We arrived at the Winner hotel in Kalaw at about 4am. The hotel staff were kind to let us into the hotel at the odd hours. The hotel was good enough for us to rest for the next few hours before our guide fetch us at 8am.

Thida, our lovely guide.

Day 2: Our guide Thida came to see us at 8am sharp on the arranged day. Well, it was indeed a surprise to see a very young and petite girl to be our guide. Both me and my travel mate had the same thought, " would she be able to protect us from rogues or wild animals?" But our worries were proven unnecessary. Despite being young and small, Thida is a very experienced guide and is familiar with the trails and villagers. She certainly made us feel comfortable throughout the trip.

We met these boys at the beginning of our trek. They were so excited to see us that they ran towards us, shouting"where are you from?". We replied "Singapore" and they reiterated "Singapore" with joy. Such lovely kids and even posed for us to take photo.

The guide ensured the walk was slow paced and comfortable for us. We spent our time looking at the scenery, admiring the greenery, learning about the plants, fruits and birds around us. It was like soaking ourselves in the nature and enjoying every single moment of sights and sounds.

Rice paddies, fruits are common crops grown.

Along the way, we also interacted with some local villagers and rested at their huts. They shared with us some tea and snacks. We bought some scarves and shawls that were hand-woven by them for 4000 kyat each.

At noon time, we reached a village where we were going to tucked ourselves into a sumptuous local lunch.

The lunch was prepared by our cook who bought the ingredients from a market in Kalaw and carried with him to cook in the villager's house. The cook is a good friend of Thida, his name is Nyi Nyi.

Our cook prepared the famous Shan noodles, which is similar to the rice noodles we have in Singapore. The texture is slightly different though, tasted very dense but it was refreshing. The minced chicken was very tasty and the sauce was an excellent complement to the noodles. The rest were fruits and some curry sauce with tofu. Very interesting lunch indeed.

After some rest, we resumed the trek. This time all the way to another village which we were going to spend the night.

Our cook with the owner of the house who is a grandmother. They welcomed us warmly with smiles and gestures. Language does not become a barrier with such friendly and kind people who so willingly hosted us at their home.

Nyi Nyi was preparing the noodles and soup in the kitchen, at the same time chatting with the grandmother while doing his cooking. The soup was nice, just a pinch of salt, ginger and boiled with the noodles. Such simplicity can actually result in a wonderful and wholesome lunch.

We arrived at the next village in the next few hours where we met a few other fellow trekkers from Germany. They were all enjoying chilled beer at the coffeeshop situated at the centre of the village.

The village which we stayed overnight at. This is the view from our house.

Our bedroom. Bear in mind this is really simple living with no telco service, no wifi, no heater... Water was from the well but we brought our own mineral water as we were afraid that our tummies might not be able to adapt to the water the locals use. The night was pitch dark with no street lamps and it was absolute silence.

Day 2: We woke up at 630am. Thida wanted to start early so that we can reach the next destination which is Inle Lake by noon time for our lunch. Nyi Nyi prepared breakfast which was comprising fried rice, bread, eggs and coffee. They took really good care of us.

We walked much faster than yesterday as we wanted to reach Inle Lake early as well. Anyway, most of the sights were similar so we made less rest stops. By 1230pm, we reached Inle Lake.

The Agave which is commonly used for making Tequila.

Village near Inle Lake which we break for lunch.

This is a new guesthouse which we saw along the way to Inle Lake. It will be completed by 2016. Looks cool right?

I know the lake doesn't look that clean... That is because the surrounding are all rice paddies...

Evening scene at the Inle Lake town.

We managed to catch the evening coach back to Yangon City.

We spend our remaining time from the trip in Yangon city, walking around the streets. We visited the Jade market and bought some stuff there. It is hustling and bustling with activities with lots of tourists trying to get good bargains.