The Bagan Medical Clinic

Events of Saturday, September 22nd 2012

Saturday was my last full day in Myanmar. The ship had arranged quite an intensive and varied series of options for the Guests but Doctor Hla Tun had invited me to accompany him for part of the day so I did none of the set options. I met the Doctor at 7.45 a.m. and we were transferred ashore by one of the local boats. They are powered by a Chinese diesel engine, so starting them up requires the boatmen to crank a starting handle furiously before the engine splutters into life. There were steep steps to reach the top of the bank and I'm sure they were steeper than last year. We walked the short distance to the medical clinic.

Bagan Medical Clinic.

A number of buildings seem to have appeared since last year. There's a substantial covered, open sided, raised area which waiting patients use to sleep if they need to wait until the next day for an appointment or if they cannot return home on the day they receive treatment. There's a simple shelter with some seats which patients can use whilst waiting in the day.

The shelter for waiting patients, just before 8.00 a.m.

Some patients have been travelling up to 150 km for an appointment, often by fairly primitive and slow methods. Although the Clinic provides a free meal for waiting patients (paid for by the local Monastery), private enterprise seems to have given rise to one or two food establishments as well.

The project has been carried out by the 'Road to Mandalay' Social Contribution in conjunction with the Head Monk of the monastery at every stage. One young monk who I'd met the year before seemed to be permanently based at the clinic and another monk seemed to be in charge of making announcements on a public address system which has appeared. The Head Monk himself is a familiar figure in the Clinic. He arrived at the Clinic a few minutes after Doctor Hla Tun and I and he made another visit in the afternoon on that day. The Clinic itself has spawned a much larger awning at the front of the building and an additional lean-to awning at the side.

On Clinic days, there are normally three Doctors at work but one was away on the day I visited. Whenever possible, Doctor Hla Tun also carries out consultations working (as do all the staff) punishing hours. Of the seven support staff (not counting monks) I think there are two trained nurses. The other assistants have been trained by Doctor Hla Tun to provide professional assistance in registration, injections and dispensing.

Early each day, the Clinic starts making bookings for the day through a window marked 'Registration'. Existing patients will have a record book with details written by the doctor which the patient looks after and brings back for any further treatment. New patients are issued with a record book as necessary. As the pile of record books for waiting patients grows during registration, brief patient details are entered in a 'Daybook'.

Patient Registration at the Bagan Medical Clinic.

Normally, patients are dealt with in the order in which they register but serious conditions or other factors are used to assign a medical priority as well. On the day I visited, the pressure of patient numbers was not so high, probably because many of the country people would have been involved in bringing their harvest in. With only two doctors present to start the consulations (Doctor Hla Tun would not be able to carry out consultations until the afternoon) the day's 'List' was stopped at 270. Unsuccessful patients would either have to overnight or make a second journey on a later date.

Before the Clinic started, Linda and Ruth (two Guests on the ship and also Donors) arrived to be involved in the distribution of spectacles. The elderly in Myanmar suffer the same age-related defects of vision as we do. In the absence of an eyesight test chart, a number of out-of-date newspapers were provided, so the queue of elderly which had formed as if by magic, were issued with a pair of spectacles and a section of newsprint to check the improvement. Alternative spectacles were then tried until the best effect was achieved. A number of photographs were taken to record the event.

Spectacles being selected for issue to the waiting patients.

As the spectacle selection process continued outside the Clinic, the Doctors started their consultations and the function of the 'Announcement monk' became clear. To make sure that the right patient appears, a small public address system has been fitted and the monk with the microphone declaims the next patient. Certain monks are used to broadcasting readings from the Buddhist Scriptures using a similar Public Address system in the Monastery on special days and these monks develop a very effective speaking voice.

When I was there, two doctors shared one small consulting room and the second room, with two unpadded examination couches was allocated to the third doctor and the assistant giving injections. In addition, two chairs had been set up on the front verandah so that two of the assistants could measure and record blood pressure before the patient saw a doctor, making better use of the doctors' time.

Two Health Assistants checking the blood pressure of two monks who have travelled from a remote monastery to be seen by a doctor.

Doctor Hla Tun had arranged for us to visit two schools during the day, Htee Pu and Nga Minn May and so, at around 9.30 a.m., he had to leave the consultations to the other two Doctors and we walked to the nearby monastery to load the stationery to be distributed at the schools into the monastery car which had been hired for our transport. The visit to Htee Pu is described here and to Nga Minn May here.

Doctor Hla Tun resumes consultations in the afternoon, after our road trip.

It was late afternoon before we were back at the Bagan Medical Clinic and there were still lots of waiting patients. Doctor Hla Tun immediately returned to giving consultations and I was invited to observe.

Assistants at work in the dispensary/office area.

After an hour or two, I'm afraid I was so exhausted that I decided to return to the ship, leaving the Doctor and his colleagues (who are clearly made of 'sterner stuff') to complete the day's work.

Photographs:

Life at Bagan Medical Clinic.

[Revised 19-Oct-2012, 17-Nov-2012]

Bagan

Events of Friday, 21th September 2012

I got up at 5.30 a.m., knowing that the Captain would be sure to leave Shwe Kyet Yet River Station before the announced time of 6.30 a.m. I've commented to the Captain before that he's only happy when his ship is moving. Sure enough, shortly after six o'clock we quietly slipped away from our moorings, gently moved astern to get clear of all the barges and tugs moored upstream of us and slowly turned to starboard to face downstream. It was a bright, clear morning promising to be a hot day.

The 'Road to Mandalay' manoeuvres away from her berth at Shwe Kyet Yet before sailing downstream and passing under the new road bridge in the background.

We cleared the two bridges at Sagaing and made good speed, sailing with the current. There was time for a leisurely breakfast and a bit of 'blogging' before the Doctor gave an illustrated presentation on the 'RTM Social Initiative' in the Observation Lounge. This was very well received by an appreciative audience.

On the way to Bagan, we had another chance to admire the new long road and rail bridge that now spans the river. One of my new friends on the ship is a Civil Engineer and he commented that, with its conventional, rivetted steel truss design, the bridge looks like something built in the '30s, rather than something just completed.

Just part of the new long road and rail bridge across the Ayeyarwaddy north of Bagan.

I took buffet lunch in the quiet restaurant, although many Guests preferred to take the meal on the Top Deck under the awning. Before 3.0 p.m. we anchored midstream opposite the 'Road to Mandalay' Jetty at Bagan, ahead of schedule. Two local boats were ready to ferry the Guests ashore for an afternoon tour of Bagan.

There were just five of us in coach number 6 with our regular guide, the charming Nang. Shortly after leaving the parking area at the jetty, we passed the Bagan Medical Clinic. I'd arranged to visit the Doctor there on the way back from the tour, so we carried on to the famous Ananda Temple. Well, we got as far as looking at the outside when one of our group decided that a visit to a laquerware workshop was essential so Nang re-planned the afternoon and deferred going inside the Ananda Temple until the next day. Instead, we took some dusty by-roads and stopped next at a smaller temple I'd not previously seen.

I've now visited the Bagan Plain a number of times but I still experience a sense of awe at the sight of hundreds upon hundred of pagodas seemingly scattered at random.

A group of pagodas on the Bagan Plain.

We visited a number of groups of small pagodas, some with wonderful wall paintings, in addition to spending time at the 'Everstand' laquerware factory (where some of the staff remembered me from previous visits).

The 'Everstand' Laquerware Factory.

We finished at the 'Sunset Pagoda' where hundreds of tourists had gathered on the fifth level (the climb was even tougher than I remembered) to watch the sunset effects.

The 'Sunset Pagoda'.

By the time we arrived at the Clinic it was almost dark and I was shattered. The Doctor had a further ten patients to see so I decided to return to the ship since I would see the Clinic in daylight the following day. A quick shower, dinner with Arun, watch a traditional marionette performance in the Observation Lounge and, eventually, to bed.

The following day, Saturday, would be my last full day on the ship and all Sunday would be spent travelling, so I'm not sure when my next post will be.

Photographs:

Shwe Kyet Yet to Bagan, downstream.
Incomparable Bagan.
'Everstand' Laquerware.
Sunset in Bagan.
Marionette Show on 'Road to Mandalay'.

Mandalay

Events of Thursday, 20th September 2012

We'd spent the night anchored off Mingun. In the early morning light the mysterious, earthquake-damaged bulk of the Unfinished Pagoda looked particularly impressive. The Captain took the ship the last few miles downstream to Mandalay - perhaps one of the best-known city names in the world but probably one of the least-explored by Westerners. Part of that fame derives from Rudyard Kipling's poem 'The Road to Mandalay' which gained a new lease of life when performed as a song, originally by Oley Speakes in the United States of America. Of course 'Road to Mandalay' refers to the River Ayeyarwaddy which was the original (and perhaps still today) the best way of reaching Mandalay from the former capital of Yangon. The British linked these two cities with a metre gauge railway which, at one time, was the Pride of the East but today it is run-down and slow. Until recently, roads provided a poor alternative for long distances but there is now a dual carriageway road extending north from Yangon, although I've only travelled on a small section of it or viewed it from an aircraft. Flying is certainly the fastest way from Yangon to Mandalay, if not the most enjoyable.

After about forty minutes cruising downstream from Mingun, we passed a thriving small village constructed from bamboo right by the river on a sand bar.

A small village between Mingun and Mandalay.

At Mandalay, we once again moored mid-stream at a location usually called 'Mandalay Pier'. Our Fast Boats were moored side-by-side against the hull of a larger, unpainted ship tied up to the quay. All the Guests were, by now, quite used to being transferred ashore by our Fast Boats but this time we had the novel experience of also walking through the unpainted ship which appeared to be waiting for fitting-out. It should be an impressive craft when finished. Once again, the Guests were divided into smaller parties between a number of buses. I was in Bus 6, with the lady guide Nang.

We set off east on one of the city's main streets (26th Street, I think). Almost all the buildings are modern. The population of Mandalay is around two million but I always think it must be more because every street teems with the commerical life of Myanmar's second largest city.

Bicycles and motor bicycles in Mandalay waiting for traffic signals to change.

One of the most noticeable features of the city is the wide, square moat around the brick battlements built to protect the Royal Palace. The battlements are a nineteenth century construction on the grand scale - each side of the square is 2.2 km in length. All the original palace buildings were wooden and destroyed by bombing during the second world war but a replica has been constructed which we were to visit later. We drove north keeping the moat on our right and then turned east. At the foot of Mandalay Hill, we stopped and transferred to a pickup truck provided with a tilt cover and longitudinal seating. This type of vehicle is used as a 'local bus' and they can be seen everywhere carrying amazing numbers of passengers, looking like an attempt to enter the 'Guiness Book of Superlatives' for largest number of people carried by a four-wheeled vehicle.

Our pick-up made the hair-raising climb up the zig-zag route leading to the summit of Mandalay Hill, where there's a temple complex. In bare feet, we entered a lift (elevator) which raised us to the level of the temple. The temple commands splendid views in every direction. Of course, serious pilgrims walk from the base of the Hill. There are wide, concrete steps (about 2,000 of them), covered with 'tin' roofs for this purpose and we saw plenty of Burmese using this route. I noticed that two Army Officers who arrived to pray at the main shrine, parked their Jeep near the lift and made use of it.

View of the City from Mandalay Hill. Ignoring the modern hotel in the foreground, the Royal Palace moat and battlements can be seen nearer the camera with the reconstructed buildings of the Royal Palace peeking through the trees further away. The modern city is in the background, on the far side of the (not visible) moat on the other side of the Royal Palace.

Next, having changed back to our bus, we went to the Kuthodaw Paya which was started in 1857. It has a central, golden stupa based on the Swezigon near Bagan. The entire Tripitaka, the Buddhist canon, is engraved on 729 marble slabs, each housed in a white-painted small stupa. This has been accepted by the 'Guiness Book of Superlatives' as the "world's biggest book".

Each of the white stupas at the Kuthodaw Paya contains one of the 729 engraved marble slabs of the Tripitaka.

The Shwenandaw Kyaung, usually called the 'Golden Palace Monastery' has an interesting history. It is the only original building from the Mandalay Royal Palace to survive. It is the building where King Mindon died and his son, Thibaw, had the whole building moved to its present site in 1880 as a monastery. The building thus avoided destruction by bombing in the second world war. As we came out, a party of high school students visiting Mandalay were just having the 'Group Shot' taken, prior to going inside the building. I couldn't resist taking my own 'Group Shot' which I showed to the Group Leader and some of the students.

The Shwenandaw Kyaung (Golden Palace Monastery).

We then passed through the battlements of the Royal Palace site and drove to the reconstructed Royal Palace, spending some time exploring the mainly empty buildings and touring an interesting small museum. It was about 11.30 a.m. by the time we were back on the bus and we drove to the Sedona Hotel, reputedly the best international hotel in Mandalay. I had stayed at the Sedona during an earlier holiday ('Far East 2'). This time, we all enjoyed an excellent buffet lunch in pleasant surroundings.

After lunch, the tour was to continue to see Gold Leaf production and the famous Mahamuni Temple, finishing at Amarapura and U Bein's famous teak bridge. However, the Doctor asked if I would like to visit Taung Be Lar School and I said 'Yes, please'. I had visited the places on the afternoon tour before and, although I'd have very happily gone again, the opportunity to see Monastic School No. 21 again was irresistible. I went with the Doctor and Sammi in an air-conditioned vehicle from the Sedona Hotel to the 'Road to Mandalay' River Station at Shwe Kyet Yet. The ship was already berthed there, having travelled downstream since putting the guests ashore at Mandalay Pier earlier in the day.

In ten minutes, I managed to shower and change and then the Doctor and I returned ashore where a 'local taxi', a rather dusty 4-door saloon was waiting for us. 'Air Conditioning' in these vehicles is achieved by winding all the windows fully open - actually, this arrangement suits me. We drove over the new road bridge and continued to the foot of the Sagaing Hills. Here, we turned left onto an unmetalled, dusty road with a number of religious teaching centres left and right. The road then entered open, undulating country which could have been miles from anywhere with just a few bamboo houses scattered around. We paused at one rutted junction whilst the Doctor and the driver considered the right route. As we set off again, the Doctor explained to me "The banyan tree is the marker". It was the right route and after passing a herdsman with his animals and some small businesses which seemed to be extracting and crushing stone, we came to the school building, set on a slight rise and with good views of the river downstream of Sagaing.

Taung Be Lar School.

'Road to Mandalay' has provided renovation and other support to this school which serves a very poor rural area, but some later extensions funded by a local donor appear to have run out of budget before the work was complete. We had a look round the main school building and walked to a multi-purpose building a few hundred yards away labelled as a Voluntary Vocational Training Centre but also used by pupils from the school.

Pupils leaving the multi-purpose building at Taung Be Lar.

By the time we arrived back at the main school building, the stationery that the Doctor had brought with us had been laid out on a table by the teachers, ready for distribution. Each child was to receive two ruled exercise books, two pencils and a short plastic ruler. Doctor Hla Tun and I handed out the stationery to each child individually and gave the balance (to cover absentees and some stock) to the teachers. Some erasers and pencil sharpeners were also included in the stock left with the teachers.

Distribution of stationery at Taung Be Lar.

The event was fully recorded by our taxi driver using my camera, including 'group shots' with the pupils proudly displaying their new exercise books.

The pupils at Taung Be Lar proudly display their new exercise books.

We set off by car to return to Shwe Kyet Yet and the waiting ship. The taxi driver decided to return by a different route, which crossed the railway near a station. The Doctor said that there was time for me to take photographs, so I spent a happy half hour taking pictures around the station.

The station was called Ywa Taung and, although it's on a 'main line', a herd of cattle was grazing undisturbed up and down the station area. Just before we left, a freight train arrived, complete with a guard's brake van similar to those I'd seen in Thailand.

Ywa Taung Station. The single platform and station building are visible in the background.

Back at the ship, I was pleased to have a shower and a bit of a rest - it had been a hot, tiring but very enjoyable day. In the evening, I was included in a dinner party on the top deck with a number of my new friends before the day was rounded-off by a display of 'Tribal Costumes of Myanmar' in the Observation Lounge, modelled by students from Mandalay and introduced by San. My 'nightcap' was a cup of tea in the Piano Bar and then I retired, to recharge both the camera battery and my own 'batteries', ready for the next day.

Photographs:

Arriving at Mandalay.
Mandalay Hill and the "World's Largest Book".
Shwenandaw Kyaung.
Taung Be Lar School.
Ywa Taung Station.

[Revised 19-Oct-2012]

An Elephant Experience

Events of Wednesday, 19th September 2012

A later start meant that there was time for Morning Tea in my cabin whilst I was getting ready. As always, this arrived on time, beautifully presented on a small tray. Somehow, the almost fanatical attention to detail by the Hotel Staff made the food and drink taste better.

The ship had left the overnight mooring at 'first light' and continued downstream for almost three hours to anchor midstream opposite the large village of Thabeikkyin, by which time I'd enjoyed a leisurely breakfast including porridge and poached eggs on toast.

I was in the group of Guests transferred by the second Fast Boat to the landing steps (for fairness, this alternated day by day). The landing steps were crowded with curious locals just watching the arrivals but, as always, they would readily smile and reply if greeted with a "Mingala Bar". A series of buses were drawn up at the side of the road, each bearing the 'Road to Mandalay' sign and with a printed number taped to the windscreen. The lady guide Nang directed me to Bus 5 and suggested I occupied the front, left passenger seat. As I've mentioned before, most of the vehicles remain right-hand drive, despite now driving on the right (a change introduced after General Ne Win of Myanmar had visited President Nixon in the U.S.A. some time ago). Apart from having to clamber over the engine cover to reach this seat and the fairly limited leg room, I found this position most congenial. We set off on the climbing road leaving the village with the engine straining. The road just kept on climbing, twisting around the contours of the hill we were ascending, giving continually changing views.

Although the 'road bed' was wide enough for two vehicles to pass, in common with many of Burma's roads, the 'sealed' tarmac surface is much narrower, necessitating that vehicles may have to move off the tarmac when passing. One another. This, of course, tends to break down the edge of the tarmac so that the tarmac strip becomes narrower in places. Combined with the effects of weather and lack of maintenance, the road surface is, to say the least, less than ideal. I was fascinated to watch the driver expertly position the road wheels so as to miss the worst of the pot holes. Most of the traffic coming towards us was motor bicycles and the bus just held to the tarmac strip while the drivers assistant leaned out of the open door furiously waving to approaching traffic to move out of our way. I was afraid that the 'bike rider might lose control because of the sometimes sudden steep drop moving off the tarmac onto the 'road bed', but they always seemed to make it. Being a passenger in Burma can be quite frightening - being a driver must be terrifying.

Although the 'road bed' is often wide enough for two vehicles to pass, the tarmac may be much narrower.

We were now travelling along a fairly high plateau with 'bush' extending towards the distant mountains. We passed through a number of surprisingly large villages. They don't see many foreign tourists north of Mandalay so our fleet of buses was an object of great interest and there was a lot of waving and cheering.

One village seemed to be choked solid with motor bicycles and their riders. They were all waiting for attention at the local registration office for these vehicles which deals with annual license re-registration (and, I believe, insurance) on one or two days in the year. There were hundreds upon hundreds of machines and it was clear that their owners were in for a long wait. I'd seen a similar scene in Mawlamyine at the beginning of this trip.

After driving for, perhaps, half an hour all the buses stopped and the Guests got off. We were each issued with a stout bamboo stick as a 'trekking pole' and directed along an uneven path through the bush. A trumpeting call indicated that there were elephants nearby and the path came to a large clearing where eight working elephants were lined up, with their respective 'Oozie' (called the 'mahout' in some other countries) seated on the neck of their charge, with their legs pushed behind the ears of the elephant. The name and age of each elephant had been painted on the animal's hide, in Roman characters, presumably for the visitor's benefit. To one side, a bamboo shelter had been erected for local villagers involved in the timber extraction industry to watch the proceedings. There was another shelter as a 'refreshment station', a bamboo 'table' with bananas and sugar cane for us to feed to the elephants and a tall bamboo tower (with two sets of bamboo ladders) to allow the Guests to board a 2-person 'Howdah' on the elephant's back for a short ride.

There's nothing more impressive than a line of working elephants each with their 'Oozie'. They are part of the Forestry Service and the men had smart, lightweight khaki uniforms with badges. Even today, elephants have a manoeuvrability, strength and intelligence which is hard to match with a machine. One or two guests started feeding the elephants so I picked a younger, smaller elephant and fed it for a time. At one side of the clearing, there was a steep, muddy bank down to a small river perhaps fifteen feet below. Four of the elephants descending this bank without difficulty and entered the river for washing. Elephants are fastidious creatures and require regular washing, preferably by immersion.

Oozies washing elephants.

The Oozies scrubbed away at the tough hide until it was time for a demonstration of obedience. The elephants clambered back to the clearing and, on command, all the elephants knelt.

Next, we had a demonstration of strength. Two elephants were equipped with a simple, stout harness attached to chains. The 28-year old elephant called Thit Daung Sein scooped up a large log with its tusks and held it in place with its trunk whilst dragging an even larger log by chain. The first log, estimated at just under a ton in weight, was casually tossed over the edge of the steep bank to roll into the water. The second log (about one ton in weight) was then dragged into the river. A slightly smaller elephant, Htun Chein, dragged a slightly smaller log into the river. Thit Daung Sein then amazed by climbing back up the steep slope, dragging the large log out behind.

Thit Daung Sein braces for a moment before completing the dragging out of the large log.

The second elephant, Htun Chein, was still standing in the river. First, he scooped up his log and positioned it vertically against the steep slope, ready for dragging out once the chain was attached. He then scooped up the smaller log with his tusks, locked it in place with his trunk, climbed up the bank carrying the smaller log and dragged out his log with the chain. It was an incredible demonstration.

All the elephants were then equipped with a two-person 'howdah' in the form of a double basket made from bamboo so that all the Guests could have an elephant ride, boarding from the special 'tower' I had a ride on a rather vocal 24-year old elephant called Zaw Chin Ni.

Jan enjoys an elephant ride (Photo: Dr. Hla Tun).

This trip, I bought a wooden elephant bell. They carried no stock, so the bell was taken off one of the elephants. With great reluctance, I made my way back to the waiting buses with the other Guests.

The buses then took us back to Thabeikkyin. When we passed the motor bicycle registration centre, the waiting crowds seemed even larger than before. Many had parked their motor bicycles and were taking refreshments at an adjacent cafe.

The motor bicycle registration centre, showing just some of the waiting vehicles.

The Fast Boats transferred us back to our ship which then continued its journey downstream, arriving at Mingun and anchoring overnight midstream just as it was becoming dark. I had dinner with Edward, Ulrika and Arun before going to the Observation Lounge at 9.30 p.m. for the performance of a Yamayana play.

Photographs:

An Elephant Experience.

By Train to Naba

Events of Tuesday, 18th September 2012

Sunrise on the Ayeyarwaddy, north of Katha.

Once again, I attempted a photograph of the sunrise on the Ayeyarwaddy. I was brought up on Kipling's poetic image of sunrise on what the British called the 'Irrawaddy' where he writes "The dawn comes up like thunder outa China 'cross the bay". I'm still not sure what he meant. Instead of dwelling on this, I had breakfast whilst the Captain moved the ship downstream from its overnight mooring to Katha.

By now, all the guests were getting quite used to the routine of being taken ashore by the two Fast Boats. Waiting for us this time, on our second visit to Katha, were not 'trishaws' but a line of 2-wheel horse-drawn covered 'traps' which are used as taxis. When everyone was allocated to 'trap', the procession moved off. We turned inland and then took the turn leading to Katha Railway Station. Through the diminuitive ticket window (such as stations in England once had) the almost-invisible booking clerk was handing out pasteboard tickets one at a time for the special train waiting in the single platform. The train was headed by a fairly battered diesel-hydraulic locomotive of German origin and the train comprised three 'Upper Class' corridor coaches in excellent condition, by Myanmar Railway standards, with a 'composite' coach ('Ordinary Class'/'Luggage'/'Guard') bringing up the rear.

The 'Road to Mandalay' Special Train ready to depart from Katha.

I don't think the 'Road to Mandalay' Guests would have been happier to discover that the 'Luggage' section contained re-railing jacks, spare sleepers and tools to deal with the problems if the train became derailed!

Two years before, after a bit of negotiation, I had managed to travel in the cab of the locomotive (there's a full description here, with links to pictures and the report on the return journey). This time, somebody on the railway decided it was not possible. The mechanic from my earlier journey recognised me and was very friendly. He explained to the driver (who looked very smart in a uniform with a name badge) that I also drove trains. I hadn't managed to bring any prints with me but I had loaded a few of my railway pictures into my camera and these were studied by everyone around the locomotive. The driver became very friendly and he had surprisingly good English. He allowed me into the cab and engine room to take some quick pictures but then I had to board the train. As is fairly standard practice in Burma, I left the coach door open and stood in the doorway to take pictures. Although 'Road to Mandalay' staff invited me to sit and were clearly concerned for my safety, they eventually accepted that I was intent on travelling like that, so I was able to get some technical pictures on the way to assist my understanding.

Leaving Katha, there were a lot of mainly bamboo buildings near the track and plenty of of people wanted to wave at the special train. We then passed through fields and crops, passing the tiny halts of Netyetwin and Langma. Up until this point, we had tantalising views of a cloud-covered mountain range - Gangaw Taung, I think. But now jungle closed in around us and our views were restricted. The railway has to insinuate itself through these mountains, partly by climbing and partly by twisting left and right. After about one and three quarter hours, the jungle receded and we approached Naba through more fields. To reach the platform, we had to travel right through the station, wait for the points to be switched and then reverse. By the time we were able to get off, it was about two hours after our departure from Katha, giving us an average speed of not much above 10 miles per hour. Students at the Katchin College gave the 'Road to Mandalay' Guests a performance of ethnic music and dancing on the platform and 'Road to Mandalay' staff provided refreshments. A larger audience was provided by local people who were generally happy to watch from behind the barriers which had been set up.

A performance of Kachin music and dance on the broad platform at Naba.

We then divided into groups with our various guides for a walking tour of the pretty village of Naba. As we walked through the various lanes there were (like everywhere) numerous photogenic children. A brief stop was made at a private lending library where there seemed to be an off-shoot business producing snacks.

The lending library at Naba.

We looked at the mechanics of a business producing noodles which was situated in and around a timber-built house with a colourful garden. Our route back to the station used a much-used footpath which crossed one of the sidings. A train had inconsiderately been parked in this siding, severing the footpath. Pragmatism had come to the rescue and two railway sleepers had been laid in between two of the parked wagons. One sleeper was laid from the ground on one side with the other end resting on the top of the coupling between the two wagons, the other sleeper has been similarly placed on the other side, providing a bridge in the form of an inverted, shallow 'V'. Whilst we crossed, a couple of men were on hand to assist anybody who was in difficulty.

Back at the station, there were a few minutes for me to talk with the driver and crew. The driver had his digital camera with him and insisted on getting the Mechanic to take a posed picture of he and I shaking hands.

The train driver and Jan on the platform at Naba.

Then, it was time to set off on the return journey to Katha which took around a couple of hours. I remained standing in the open doorway of the coach behind the engine for most of the journey, so I was hot and tired by the time rolled into Katha. I think the Guests enjoyed the trip but everybody was tired by the time the horse-drawn 'traps' had returned us to the landing steps and the Fast Boats had transferred us to the 'Road to Mandalay'.

I enjoyed a buffet lunch in the restaurant as the ship continued downstream. The day was still hot so a decided on a swim in the pool on the top deck. As I left the pool, dark clouds approached us, a strong wind started and within minutes there was a heavy rainstorm. I retired to my cabin until the storm blew itself out. As it became dark, we anchored midstream at Kyan Hnyat (where we'd gone ashore a few days earlier). There were some amazing cloud effects as the sun sank below the horizon. As you might expect, the clouds in the west were tinted red as the last of the sunlight was refracted. But there was sufficient light to illuminate the clouds in the east a very dramatic pink.

A dramatic sunset at Kyan Hnyat.

A tiring, but enjoyable, day was completed by a dinner comprising typical Burmese dishes.

Photographs:

Private Train to Naba.
Katha to Naba (mainly 'technical' pictures).
Naba Station (mainly 'technical' pictures)
Naba to Katha (mainly 'technical' pictures).

Monastic Noviciation Ceremony at Moe Dar

Events of Monday, 17th September 2012

The ‘Road to Mandalay’ moored mid-channel on arrival opposite Moe Dar village which is on the west bank. We could see that Moe Dar was a fairly large place, with buildings extending some distance along the river bank downstream. The monastery itself seemed quite large. One of the three regular passenger ferries was tied-up when we arrived, its deck rails lined with passengers, but it slipped away towards Bhamo as the two Fast Boats took us to the village. We arrived in a long dirt road parallel to the riverbank lined with buildings which appeared to be mainly shops. An entrance gateway and steps leading to the monastery lay on the upstream side, but we could see a procession and hear music coming towards us from the other direction. The area was crowded with Burmese anxious to watch the procession, but they made room for the ship’s Guests to watch as well.

The procession was led by a bicycle being pushed by one man. A large horn public address loudspeaker had been tied to the handlebars, a battery (probably an automotive battery) hung from the side and a mixer/amplifier was fixed to the rear carrier. A second man managed the mixer/amplifier and two long cables going to hand microphones held by male and female singers following. A group of musicians provided accompaniment (I saw cymbals, a horn and a sort of recorder). The loudspeaker was painfully loud, but I resisted the temptation to put my fingers in my ears, in case this was interpreted as disrespect. Two lady dancers, keeping pace with the bicycle, performed to the music.

Dancers, musicians and bicycle public address.

A single file of people walked behind – three men with floral banners, three ladies (two with offerings of fruit and flowers carried on the head), a number of men with fans, five ladies with offerings dressed in ‘Sunday Best’. Each of the five offerings included a piece of maroon cloth, attractively folded into a sort of flower. Finally, there were a number of young ladies, also in ‘Sunday Best’ and carrying offerings.

Five ladies and five young ladies, all with offerings.

A second procession followed. This was led by a male comic dancer dressed in longyi, black shirt and dark glasses, moving his arms, legs and body in an erratic style. Very dark skin and a gap-toothed smile added to the comic effect. I assumed that this dance was one variation on the Burmese comic male dancer tradition I had seen before. The dancer was followed by another ‘public address bicycle’, a male singer with a hand microphone and a ‘band’ with different instruments. A man came up to the dancer and pinned money to his shirt. No such encouragement was needed, possibly because of the presence of the ship’s Guests, it was some minutes of antics before the dancer could be persuaded to move on.

Money is pinned to the shirt of the male comic dancer.

Behind the musicians, a number of girls walked with offerings and the procession was completed by five bicycles being pushed, each loaded with a prayer mat wrapped around other items I couldn’t identify strapped to the rear carrier.

Two of the five bicycles in the second part of the procession are studied with interest by the watching crowd.

A third procession comprised five garlanded horses, each bearing a young boy dressed in very fine clothes with a head-dress and referred to as a ‘Prince’. Each ‘Prince’ had two men holding parasols above their head, to complete the regal effect. I concluded that the five boys (aged about 5 years and upwards) were the noviciates and that the princely attire symbolised the Lord Buddha’s origins as a prince. The noviciates each carried a bag of wrapped sweets, which they threw into the crowd, to the delight of the many children watching. Each noviciate was fairly heavily made up, to give a very pale skin colour.

The third part of the procession comprised the five 'Princes' on horseback.

The final mobile public address system was the ‘de luxe’ model, mounted on a bullock cart drawn by two animals. Another group of musicians requiring amplification this time travelled in comfort on the cart. The animals seemed quite unfazed by all the activity and noise. The music was for a final young boy dancer dressed, like the noviciates, in a colourful, princely attire, also garlanded and wearing make-up who performed a traditional dance including elegant arm and finger movements.

The bullock cart carrying musicians and public address.

It was now time for us to enter the monastery and the main hall where the noviciation ceremony would take place. Normally, family and friends of the new novices would be invited but ‘Road to Mandalay’ had arranged for their Guests to witness this important ceremony.

The Ordination Hall of the monastery was of wooden construction, lifted above the ground on tall wooden pillars. The walls were decorated with religious posters, pictures of monks (including elderly, framed photographs). One wall carried a long row of framed certificates. At one end of the hall a low stage was provided with a sort of proscenium arch, like a theatre. This arch carried was decorated with strings of LED lights. The rear of the stage area housed shrines and a multitude of venerable objects. At the front edge of the stage, six decorated, wooden chairs had been placed for the senior monks. The chair for the head monk was much wider than the others and had a microphone on a stand. Family and friends of the noviciates were seated on the floor of the Hall and ‘Road to Mandalay’ Guests either joined them, seated themselves on benches around the hall or remained standing. The musicians we’d first seen in the procession had already positioned themselves on the floor at the rear of the hall and they were playing so that the older of the two dancers could continue her slow, sinuous, almost hypnotic movements.

Four senior monks and the bespectacled head monk took their places and the five noviates, now without their princely costumes, were brought in and sat in a line facing the stage.

"Four senior monks and the bespectacled head monk took their places".

The head monk intoned for a few minutes and then the symbolic shaving of the hair commenced. Each noviciate was shaved, apparently expertly and painlessly, by a monk and the hair was carefully collected on a special tray held by the noviciate's parents or supporters whilst another man held a single parasol above the boy.

The heads of the noviciates are shaved.

Each noviciate was led away once the shaving was completed and then the offerings brought by the procession could be seen, lined up in front of the stage. The maroon cloth I’d seen folded ‘like a flower’ was now revealed as the noviciates first robe. Each noviciate, stripped to underpants, was carefully and, it appeared, tenderly dressed in the robe by an elderly monk. The noviciates then squatted in a line facing the senior monks and the head monk spoke for a while.

The noviciates are addressed by the head monk.

The ceremony was complete and the senior monks retired to a reserved area adjacent to the stage where they relaxed around a low table.

There was, apparently, an ‘official photographer’ who posed each noviciate with proud parents or guardian so that this important event could be recorded for posterity. Ruth and I were rather surprised to be asked to join some of these groups and I was reminded of a wedding photographer in my country as the friendly cameraman pushed us into the composition he wanted. I must confess that I have some misgivings about very young boys and girls becoming novices when they can’t be said to give “informed consent”. But it should be understood that such youngsters, if they are orphans, have only one parent or come from a very poor family are given better life chances under the protection of the monastery. In Burma, monastic institutions are not enclosed orders but form a vital part of the wider community. Novices cannot be ordained as monks until they reach the age of 20 and even then monks and nuns can, if they choose, return to a ‘normal’ life and marry. As Ruth and I left, there were a number of young novices relaxing and we both took the opportunity to take some more pictures.

Outside the monastery, there were still lots of villagers who’d been watching the earlier procession. The Doctor was handing out small treats to the local children. We walked down the long, dusty main street, trying to take in all the varied activity. I was particularly taken by the lady owner of a general store who had diversified by setting up one end of her shop as a ‘video arcade’. There were three domestic television sets side by side and a number of hand-held games consoles. Two young children were completely absorbed in a 2-person game.

I’d anticipated we’d have to take the long walk back to the landing steps where we’d arrived but, instead, we were directed into an elaborate modern building. It was not obvious what the business was but we walked right through the building to emerge on a sandy beach where a number of large, wooden cargo-carrying boats were moored, together with a host of small boats. Children were playing or swimming and one young married couple were standing in the muddy water carrying out their afternoon ablutions and innocently delighting in one another's company. A gangplank had been provided to one of the large wooden cargo boats and we were directed across it. We crossed the lower deck of the cargo boat on planks, noting that the entire lower deck was filled with containers of molasses being shipped for wine-making.

The lower deck of the wooden cargo boat was filled with containers of molasses.

Moored on the river side of the wooden boat were our Fasts Boats, ready to take us back to our temporary home and dinner.

Photographs:

Noviciation Ceremony at Moe Dar.

[Completely revised 5-Oct-2012 as the wrong text had been inadvertently posted whilst I was in Burma - mea culpa!]

Returning through the Second Defile and Visit to Shwe Paw Island

Events of Monday, 17th September 2012

All was quiet at Kaung Tone when I got up. The Captain weighed anchor and set off downstream while I was having breakfast. I went up on the Top Deck and discovered a slight problem. The lens of my camera was completely misted up. I decided not to panic (yet) and, within a few minutes, a hazy picture appeared on the view screen. By the time we'd passed under the New Bridge and entered the narrow Second Defile, the camera seemed to have recovered. Our passage was uneventful but pleasant. We all took some more pictures of the "Parrott's Beak" as we passed. Our two Fast Boats could seen up ahead of us.

An improbable-looking monastery in the Second Defile with Pagodas, a large golden Buddha Image and a row of statues of Monks.

Around 9.30 a.m. we arrived at Shwe Paw island, with its many pagodas and monastery buildings. The captain dropped anchor midstream (with the bow pointed upstream, of course) and our two Fast Boats busied themselves ferrying the Guests ashore. It had been agreed that, rather than go with the tour guide, Nang, I would accompany the Dr. Hla Tun, the Ship's Doctor to get a better insight into the Social Contribution the 'Road to Mandalay' makes.

We first went straight to the monastery to see the head monk. He was surprisingly young, with an open, smiling face and twinkling eyes.

The Head Monk and Doctor Hla Tun.

The Doctor had been treating the head monk and this was a final visit during which the head monk's blood pressure was taken. A number of kittens were wandering around unmolested and what I took to be the mother came to me for some 'fuss' whilst the Doctor was completing his consultation. We then went to the adjacent nunnery, where the Doctor wanted to make a small gift. The head nun, middle-aged and bespectacled, received the gift with a blessing and discussed some features of the room shrine with the Doctor before we left.

Our next stop was the local primary school, a few hundred yards away and the Doctor was concerned that the Guests would arrive there before us, so we broke into a run. The school is in an elderly wooden building building on stilts and comprises one long room in which five classes are held simultaneously. During our visit, each pupil was given and exercise book, a pencil, a pencil sharpener and an eraser. The stationary distribution had started when we arrived but I soon joined the other Guests in completing the task. The Doctor then encouraged each class in turn to sing for the visitors. All the children were well-behaved, dressed in the simple uniform of schools in Myanmar and radiated a beauty and innocence that we all found irresistible. Even in Government schools, funding for remote areas is so erratic that donations from the RTM Social Contribution are much appreciated.

Shwe Paw Island School.

We made our way quickly back to the landing steps. On the way, I was amused by a new building in course of erection. The downstairs brick walls were complete but no doors and windows had been fitted. The upstairs was only a wooden framework which supported a roof of corrugated galvanised iron (universally referred to as a 'tin roof'). Yet, even in this state of unreadiness, half of the downstairs was already in use as a general stores. I've commented before that this pragmatism seems typical of Myanmar.

Next to the landing steps, there was a rather rickety wooden structure, uncertainly held over the edge of the river, topped with a 'tin roof'. It normally served as a waiting room for passengers travelling by the various small boats which connected the island to the mainland but, when we were there, it also formed a temporary surgery for the Doctor. A number of patients were already waiting when we arrived.

Medical practitioners in Myanmar need traditional diagnostic skills largely superceded in the West by the widespread availability of blood tests, X-ray, Ultrasound, Scans and other aids. In areas like Shwe Paw, none of this is available. Even in the cities, facilities may be limited and patients from the countryside are unlikely to be able to travel to such facilities, let alone pay for them. So a doctor needs to be able to diagnose conditions from a limited number of observations available. Measurement of blood pressure (invariably using a traditional, manual instrument) becomes a vital tool. The Doctor carries a wide range of modern drugs, separated into a series of carrier bags. Of course, in conditions like this, the privacy that a patient would expect in the West is completely absent but patients appeared merely happy to be receiving free treatment.

Dr. Hla Tun checks the blood pressure of a patient on Schwe Paw Island.

A number of patients had brought fresh Pomelo fruit in payment and there was soon quite a collection of fruit. As the Doctor methodically worked away, keeping case notes for each patient and explaining to them how they were to take the medication, the one Fast Boat loaded up Guests and took them back to the ship. The first Fast Boat returned and loaded more guests, leaving the second fast boat still moored at the landing steps. Sadly, not all the patients could be seen before we had to collect up the medication (and the Pomelo) and hurry onto the waiting Fast Boat (along with some 'stragglers' amongst the Guests) and return to the ship. Guests are presented with a comprehensive selection of activities and the ship needed to leave the island on time in order to arrive at Moe Dar in time for the afternoon activity.

Photographs:

Downstream through the Second Defile.
Shwe Paw Island.
Shwe Paw Island School.
Shwe Paw Island Clinic.

[Revised 16-Sep-2012]

The Second Defile and Bhamo

Events of Sunday, 16th September 2012

Early morning tea.

After early morning tea in my cabin, I had a simple breakfast in the restaurant as the ship raised anchor and headed upstream. Around 9.00 a.m. we entered the Second Defile. 'Defile' is a rather odd word which the British used - the word 'Gorge' is perhaps more readily understood. Certainly, the scenery became more rugged and the river became narrower. It was also distinctly cooler. Jungle covered mountains lay left and right, falling steeply towards the river. There were frequent small villages on both sides with a few houses constructed of bamboo. Sometimes, there were isolated dwellings. Always, there were boats both powered and un-powered, for there are very limited roads here. The larger clusters of houses might have a pagoda nearby, sometimes we saw small pagodas isolated near the river. We passed Wei-Ma Elephant Camp on the east bank, but we only saw one elephant.

Three Men in a Boat and One Elephant at the Wei-Ma Elephant Camp.

In places there were sheer rock walls, rather reminiscent of the Mekong River passing through the northern part of Laos. Trees and shrubs tenaciously eked out an existence even in these rocky sections. On the west bank, there's a small outcrop of rock known as the "Parrot's Beak". It protrudes from the face of the rock just above the waterline. Somebody with a good imagination once decided it looked like the head and beak of a parrot. It's now painted in bright colours to make the resemblance more obvious.

The Parrot's Beak.

Recently, there had been quite a lot of rain so we saw a number of small waterfalls cascading down the rock walls.

One of the fast boats was visible ahead, moored at a small sandy spit. The Captain said that they had stopped to clear weeds which were fouling the propeller. When we came abeam, the boats crew of five men (two with hard hats) were all standing in shallow water dealing with the problem. The Fast Boats, in common with many of the larger boats on the Ayeyarwaddy, have the propellor mounted on a substantial welded steel outrigger extending from the stern of the boat and driven through additional propellor shafts including some form of Ackerman flexible joints. This outrigger can be raised or lowered by altering the effective length of an angled supporting shaft leading to the stern of the hull by turning an adjustment wheel. The outrigger had been raised so that the propellor was half out of the water. The weeds must have been pretty tough because one boatman was belabouring the rearmost propellor shaft with a large hammer.

The crew of the Fast Boat attending to the propellor.

They succeeded with the repairs and caught up with us in Bhamo. Our ship only makes four trips up to Bhamo each year so we attracted quite a lot of attention from the people who live near the river banks. Most of them would wave as we passed and, of course, we reciprocated.

The river is much narrower in the Second Defile, so it runs much deeper to drain the headwater. The Captain invited us to inspect the Echo Sounder screen - the depth was typically 150 to 160 feet when we looked. The underwater rocks disturb the water flow, creating vortices of rotating water which appear as whirlpools on the surface. The Captain explained that there are often two contra-rotating whirlpools abreast and the helmsman will aim for the 'slack water' in between them. Because of the skill of those on the bridge, our ship made stately progress apparently oblivious to all the turbulent water.

Troubled Waters in the Second Defile.

The river became wider and the hills more gentle as the approached Bhamo. On the east bank there was a logging camp for conveying timber away by water. Huge teak logs were stockpiled awaiting shipment. There were a couple of the traditional rafts, where the logs are suspended by ropes from massive pontoons These rafts are then towed by a powerful tug boat. But there were also a couple of massive steel barges, already loaded with logs cut to the width of the barge. In this case, the tug boat often lashes the barge alongside and they proceed 'two abreast'.

We passed under the New Bridge which appears almost complete. There are eight steel truss spans but only the one we used was marked for river traffic. There were 'traffic lights' on the bridge piers but they were not lit. The bridge carried a lane for road traffic (equipped with lighting standards), a single track metre gauge railway and a pedestrian lane. On either side of the bridge spans, there are reinforced concrete approaches. I was told that the railway track will be connected to the new triangular junction I saw two years previously at Katha in one direction and extend to Bhamo in the other direction.

Fairly soon, the important town of Bhamo was clearly visible on the east bank in the afternoon sun. The first Fast Boat was waiting for us at an island on our left and the Captain pointed out the that the second Fast Boat had almost caught up with us after stopping for repairs.

One of the smart twin-funnelled modern ferry boats was berthed at the waterfront on our right. The Captain told me that there are three of these in service between Mandalay and Bhamo, calling at various places on the way. Between them, they provide a daily service on the river. The Captain dropped anchor mid-stream and, as usual, the two Fast Boats ferried the passengers ashore.

This year, activities in Bhamo have been restricted because of the security situation involving dissaffected tribesmen. The population of Myanmar is made up of over one hundred ethnic groupings who do not always co-exist peacefully. In the hot sun, we had a walk around the central part of the town, looking at the bewildering range of items on offer in the huge market (similar to Katha but even larger) and street after street of shop premises.

Refreshments had been provided for us at the modern building of 'The Bakery', overlooking the dual carriageway road. However, the carriageway nearer the river was almost entirely taken over by an open-air market and their customers so the odd vehicle on that side made only slow progress. Then, we all walked by to the landing steps where the two Fast Boats were waiting to take us make to the ship. Once we were all aboard, the Captain started downstream to Kaung Tone where he anchored for the night.

The open-air market on the carriageway nearer the river at Bhamo.

In the evening, a group of Kachin dancers in ethnic costume entertained us on the top deck with a number of traditional dances.

Photographs:

Through the Second Defile to Bhamo.
Bhamo.
Kachin Dancers.

[Revised 16-Oct-2012]