Blogs from Hsipaw, Mandalay Region, Burma, Asia

Hallo again!! The next destination from Mandaly by bus was Hsipaw in Northern Shan State. Already on the way there with the bus we drove along totally naked hills, first impression - depressing. A lot of fires where there in action and the road to there was in some parts under construction. In Hsipaw itsself we didn't see much trees either!! After asking arround we got different explanations from teak wood for the neighbouring countries to burning down for hunting, getting rid of snakes, and for getting new fields for agriculture!! I have seen this a lot but not in this extreme. To give you an image, it was hard to breathe in a city in mountainous area in the countryside because of the smog. Around Hsipaw we found a gaspipeline to china under construction and ... read more

January, 29 – February, 5 / 2012 ...continued: We met at their hotel and they walked us to the small village called Naloy, where they teach. They explained how their small class had started the whole way there. In 2008 the now founder of the class, Hope, had come to Myanmar in the hopes of helping the underprivileged village kids by teaching them English, and some Chinese. Aptly named, Hope is a teacher at home in Taiwan, but had always been interested in teaching English overseas. She was walking around the small villages that surround Hsipaw when she noticed the same phenomenon we had witnessed at the school near Ms. Popcorn's Cafe. All the kids ran up to her waving good-bye's in place of hellos. She later learned that they had been taught some English in ... read more

30/11/2010 - 03/12/2010 I took the bus up north to Hsiphaw, a good place to do some trekking and visiting local villages with Shan or Palaung people. I decided to go on a 2 day trekking with overnight in a homestay in a small Palaung village. It was a good change coming from the cities; now enjoying the beautiful myanmar mountain landscape. But what it really made memorable was my guide, Mr Bean (cause he also sells beans in the market) . Though he had several nicknames, the most appropiate one was Mr Lust as he liked to say! We would joke and laugh 2 days long, mainly about the opposite sex.... We left at 9 am and arrived around 4 pm in the mountain village where the host family welcomed us with an extensive late ... read more

Il fait encore noir, lorsque nous pénétrons dans le bus vers Hsipaw, un petit patelin qui nous interpele après la visite de Mandalay dans sa poussière éternelle, son béton brulant et sa congestion assourdissante… qualificatifs de toutes grandes villes. Une fois de plus, nous sommes les uniques touristes à bord du bus local qui, à prime abord, dégage une odeur infecte ressemblant à un heureux mélange de moisissure, de chien mouillé et de nourritures avariées! Deuxièmement, le bus est encombré de mille et une caisses de vivres (essentiellement tomates et citrouilles) dispersées dans l’allée et sous les sièges. À tour de rôle, les passagers piétinent les caisses de tomates, le dos arqués pour rejoindre leur siège respectif. Perplexes, à nous de marcher sur les tomates fraiches pour trouver les bancs 21 et 22, mais drôlement les ... read more

In Namhsan angekommen verfolgten mich viele neugierige Blicke, als ich langsam durchs Dorf fahre. Am Ende fuehren Stufen auf eine Pagode, die zusammen mit einem Kloster das Dorf und die Taeler ueberblicken. Kids fangen mich auf den Stufen ab, es kommen nicht sehr viele Touris hierher. Zumindest nicht allein und auf einem Motorcycle. Die Nachricht von einem Touri auf der Pagode verbreitet sich schnell und schon habe ich einen Guide, Shandi, der mich die naechsten zwei Tage begleiten sollte. Die Moenche im Kloster laden mich zu einem Tee ein, und schliesslich auch dazu, die Nacht im Kloster zu verbringen. Das kommt mir sehr gelegen, da ich nicht im einzigen Guesthouse am Ort schlafen will. Es gehoert der Regierung. Normalerweise revanchiert man sich fuer sowas mit einer kleinen Spende. Nach dem Abendessen schauen die Moenche fern, CNN. ... read more