Blogs from Kalaw, Mandalay Region, Burma, Asia

In perhaps any other country, being swindled out of $100 (and almost another $100 further) on your very first day in a new country may set an early tone for an unpleasant stay, but then Burma isn’t just any other country... After a short stay in Yangon, a frigid bus ride later we were abandoned roadside in the icy chill of Kalaw, a former hill station retreat made popular by the conquering British Empire in the late 19th century. Today Kalaw exists as a peaceful town, centred around a market where locals from surrounding villages make daily visits to buy food for their families and partake in some neighbourhood gossip. For foreigners, Kalaw exists as a starting point for treks to those surrounding villages hidden away in the hills or for the more ambitious trekker, for ... read more

Next day I caught a taxi to the bus station about 45 minutes from the city so I could catch my overnight bus to Kalaw. The taxi driver sped through the traffic and overtook on both sides which I was a bit worried about initially but soon got used to it. The bus trip started off pretty good with a good highway and with very little traffic we seemed to be doing about 90km per hour. Right after we left Yangon you could see ricefields, bullocks pulling carts, and huts where the people lived – very rural. We had been travelling for about 4 hours when we went through the capital Nay Pyi Taw. Talking about a contrast to the rest of Myanmar, very expensive hotels that were lit up like xmas trees, very large new ... read more

The bus from Nyuang U to Kalaw was an old creaking metal beast, the insides of which had clearly been refitted by someone that had never sat down in their lives. The legroom wasn’t suitable for even a midget and the seat-back was positioned at a 95 degree angle. This ensured that my bum was always uncomfortably perched on the edge of the uncomfortably upholstered seat whilst my body tilted forwards uncontrollably for 10 hours. I was up at 3.30am with my Italian friends and the bus departed at 4am but sleep was expectedly elusive considering the seating arrangements. The dusty road continued through small towns and villages, picking up more people each time we stopped. We paused at Meiktila and Thazi, passing long military convoys comprising of large bottle green trucks and artillery surrounded by ... read more

We had "filet mignon" for dinner the night before at Unique restaurant and Connor got sick and threw up during the night, we think it must be the rubbery meat that had done the deed, but it's all suspicion as we had a few snacks here and there while doing the Inle lake boat trip, after breakfast at the rooftop of the Remember Inn GH we talked to our guide Than Htay(Dante to make it easier) if we can postpone departure for an hour to see if Connor will get better if not may postpone for another day, Dante bought some powdered electrolyte power drink for Connor to drink, nice of him, so while Connor went to sleep for an hour to see if he feels better, I went reading. he got up and feels perfect ... read more

Mère Nature nous a préparé un spectacle matinal flamboyant (comme c’est souvent le cas dans cette région désertique). Une boule de feu se lève à l’horizon promettant chaleur et beau temps pour la journée. Pour le moment, nous observons l'éveil de la vie par la fenêtre de notre bus. Devant leur modeste demeure de bambou, les villageois sont accroupis autour d’un petit feu de fortune. Les poules et leur petits s’activent et courent dans tous les sens, probablement effrayés par le grondement de cette autobus qui fonce a toute allure dans la campagne birmane. Les représentants du monde canin sont comme toujours sur le bord de la route semblant défier la carcasse métallique qui avance vers eux. Les pieds nus, les travailleurs de la voirie birmane casse à coup de masse les pierres gigantesques qui deviendront ... read more