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Saturday, 5th May 2018
Having slept well, I ventured outside just before seven, I immediately came across the Abbott, showing a Myanmar lady and her 20-year old daughter around the Clinic. The daughter spoke English, so we chatted for a minute or two.
It had been agreed that I would go to Htee Pu and make a distribution of stationery. The Doctor had ensured that the stationery was available at the Clinic so the monastery car was loaded and the driver and I set off at 8.00 a.m. on the familiar route to Htee Pu. The last couple of miles to Htee Pu village used to be a nightmare over an undulating earth road but, on my last visit, road improvements were in progress and we found that, now the work was completed, access to Htee Pu is much improved, although the last section through the village to the monastery and school remains a rutted, earth road.
Visit to Htee Pu 5th May 2018: The improved road from the main road to the village.
We were greeted by the abbot and three lady teachers. Three tables were set up in the shade of a large tree in the dirt playground and we unpacked the bulk supplies of exercise books, pencils and plastic rulers and assembled over 100 ‘kits’ comprising 5 good-quality ruled exercise books, three pencils each with a eraser tip, and a plastic ruler. I noted, with approval, that all the packaging materials were being carefully collected in a black plastic bag and a woven basket. Htee Pu school tries to inculcate a responsible attitude to litter in its pupils. In general, Myanmar people are some of the friendliest in the world but it has to be said that they are also some of the worst offenders in thoughtlessly tossing litter aside.
Visit to Htee Pu 5th May 2018: Three tables were set up in the shade of a large tree. The monastery building can be seen in the background.
Visit to Htee Pu 5th May 2018: Exercise books, pencils and plastic rulers were assembled into over 100 ‘kits.’
There was no sign of any children. It was hard to believe that over 100 excited children were waiting noiselessly in the adjacent assembly hall.
Visit to Htee Pu 5th May 2018: The Assembly Hall where the children were quietly waiting.
Once the stationery 'kits' were ready, the teachers brought out the children in single file, youngest first. Because of the good organisation, it didn't take long to present the distribution.
Distribution complete, the children quickly disappeared (this visit took place during their summer school holiday) and the abbott, teachers and I sat for a while in a decorated pavilion where refreshments had been provided.
Visit to Htee Pu 5th May 2018: Refreshments in the Pavilion.
Afterwards, the abbott took me to check the various classrooms which had been provided as part of the ‘Road to Mandalay’ Social Contribution. I'd attended the opening ceremony, back in 2010, of one of these buildings (there's a description of that opening here).
Visit to Htee Pu 5th May 2018: Current view of the building opened in 2010.
Finally, we said 'good-bye' to our friendly hosts and the driver and I returned to Bagan Medical Clinic. As usual, the main road back to Nyaung Oo had road works in progress. I think major repairs are required each year following the season of heavy rain but there is also a serious attempt to generally improve the road infrastructure in Myanmar.
Visit to Htee Pu 5th May 2018: Roadbuilding on the Nyaung Oo-Mount Popa road.
Safely back in Bagan, I spent the rest of the day either trying to write text files ready to upload to the internet once I had a connection, backing up photographs or observing in Doctor Hla Tun’s consulting room. Once again, I retired well before the Doctor.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 13th visit to Myanmar.
The post Travelling again is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link will show the post describing the next events. In this way, you may read about the trip in sequence.
Next report
Alternately, clicking on the 'All my Burma-2018 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma-2018 reports
My pictures
Bagan Medical Clinic 2nd weekend
Visit to Htee Pu 5th May 2018
All my pictures on this trip to Myanmar can be found at Burma 2018.
[Pictures linked, minor edits and pictures embedded 22-Jun-2018]
Friday, 4th May 2018
When we arrived back from Chin State on Thursday evening, 74 patients had already registered for Friday but we knew that more were on their way to the Clinic.
The Doctor’s wife was returning to Yangon on Friday so, after we had breakfast together just before 7.00 a.m., the monastery car whisked her to Nyaung Oo Airport, in time to catch the 08:20 flight to Yangon. This flight is not direct but makes calls at Mandalay and Heho, and is due Yangon 11:00.
The Doctor started consultations before eight o’clock and I observed for a while. An attractive, well-dressed lady came into the consulting room, whom the Doctor introduced to me as the Dentist.
Bagan Medical Clinic 2nd weekend: The visiting dentist observes the lunch distribution.
There’s a public address system in the compound over which a man periodically broadcasts what is, I believe, an appeal for funds. There are certainly a number of clear-sided collecting boxes around the site, of the type you find in pagodas.
Bagan Medical Clinic with two clear-sided Donation Boxes visible on the right.
When the free lunch is ready, an announcement is made over the public address which I didn’t hear on Friday but the Doctor prompted me to go and witness this inspiring event. As I walked to the distribution point, a long queue was forming and the Abbot had started handing out meals.
Bagan Medical Clinic 2nd weekend: the Abbott distributing free lunches to patients and their companions.
As soon as the Abbot saw me, he waved me across and I took over. Of course, all the work is done by the team of volunteers loading the metal plates with a generous portion of steamed rice followed by two or three other items which vary day-by-day.
Bagan Medical Clinic 2nd weekend: Plates with free lunches being made up by clinic staff and volunteers.
Sometimes, a person will collect the meal for one or two companions but somebody was on hand to prompt me if I failed to understand a request for extra meals. I’m always pleased to watch the meal distribution as it seems to represent an excellent basis for a philosophy of life and I'm humbled when asked to participate.
Although the 2-storey building had been put into use, full utilisation and completion of the adjacent 28-bed hospital recovery unit is dependent upon the receipt of donations. Building adaptions had been agreed to improve access to the upper floor of the 2-storey building and I was pleased to see builders at work on the new stairway on the river elevation of the buildingh. Although each flight of stairs has been cast on site from concrete, the final profile of each step was being defined by cementing bricks in place. Two bricklayers were working down the stairs, taking the required bricks from an adjacent small pile being kept topped-up by lady labourer.
Bagan Medical Clinic 2nd weekend. Bricklayers working on the new staircase.
What I found remarkable was that the lady, just wearing a wide-brimmed floppy, woven sun hat, was somehow balancing twelve bricks on her head, six on the left, six on the right, climbing the rough-cast stairs to where the men were working and then slowly crouching down to cautiously unload the bricks (unaided), one from the left, one from the right until another dozen bricks were safely in the pile ready for the bricklayers to use.
Bagan Medical Clinic 2nd weekend: Having transported more bricks upstairs, the labourer positions them ready for the bricklayers.
Bagan Medical Clinic 2nd weekend: River elevation of 2-storey building showing stairway extension under construction.
I was quite tired after our intensive trip to Chin State so, other than periodic strolls around the compound marvelling at all the activity, I divided my time between observing the Doctor and his team dealing with a wide variety of cases and working on my computer offline in my room.
Although I took my regular meal at 1.00 p.m., the Doctor only snacked but finally, after 8.00 p.m., he stopped briefly for an evening meal before continuing consultations until after 1.00 a.m. by which time I was sound asleep.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 13th visit to Myanmar.
The post Travelling again is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link will show the post describing the next events. In this way, you may read about the trip in sequence.
Next report
Alternately, clicking on the 'All my Burma-2018 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma-2018 reports
My pictures
Bagan Medical Clinic 2nd weekend
All my pictures on this trip to Myanmar can be found at Burma 2018.
[Pictures linked, minor edits and pictures embedded 19-Jun-2018]
Thursday, 3rd May 2018
I slept well and, at 7.00 a.m., took a light breakfast at Hotel Moe with the Doctor and his wife. The Doctor said that I could continue to work on the internet for a while whilst he arranged for our monastery car to pick us up at the hotel.
By road to Bagan 3rd May 2018: Reception at Hotel Moe, Kalay.
We set off on the long journey back to Bagan at about half past nine, in our repaired Toyota Land Cruiser Prado TZ with our original monastery driver.
At the Monk’s lunch time, we pulled in at a large tea-shop, one of a large number branded ‘DAGON STATION’ (I assume the name is intend to convey a similar meaning to ‘petrol station’), selling the products of Dagon Beverages Co. Ltd which carry the image of a lion. The Monk was very swiftly served and the rest of us agreed to eat a little later in the day.
By road to Bagan 3rd May 2018: The large roadside cafe (a 'Dagon Station') where the monk took lunch.
After continuing south for a while, we made a left turn and were back on unsealed roads of variable quality. A single track railway appeared and our road seemed to be following the railway route. We were headed towards mountains and eventually it became clear that we had some serious climbing ahead of us. But whilst I periodically lost sight of the railway as it made generous detours to ease the ruling gradient, the road (which must date from the ‘internal combustion’ era) tended to attack the climbs more head-on but, in the difficult terrain, lots of twisting and very sharp hairpin bends were still necessary.
Up in the hills, we suddenly came upon a modern petrol station looking, to me, rather out of place. Here, we took fuel.
By road to Bagan 3rd May 2018: A filling station in the mountain area.
We carried on over some difficult hill sections. I was completely disoriented by all the twisting and turning. Abruptly, we pulled up at a tea-shop where the Doctor, his wife and the writer finally took lunch whilst the monk rested. The afternoon was hot and there were flies everywhere. We ate to the accompaniment of banging from builders attaching aluminium-zinc corrugated roof sheeting to the wooden framework of an extension to the building we were in. But I found it a pleasant break from travelling on unsealed roads.
By road to Bagan 3rd May 2018: Tea shop near Diamond Mountain.
As we left the tea shop, I admired a Doosan DISD SD300N loading shovel being carefully cleaned by two men.
By road to Bagan 3rd May 2018: Doosan DISD SD300N loader being cleaned near Diamond Mountain.
Shortly afterwards, we found the way ahead completely blocked by a tipper lorry positioned across the roadway while it tipped earth at the side of the road, perhaps for building up the verges. An impatient 8-wheel lorry travelling the towards us was continuously sounding his horn. Eventually, the tipper lorry managed to back enough to clear a path for the 8-wheeler, then resuming tipping. The 8-wheeler crept forward but then found his path blocked by a motor cycle parked at the edge of the road. This triggered more furious horn blowing. When this produced no effect, the driver’s assistant jumped from the cab and moved the offending machine well clear of the carriageway, carefully replacing it on its stand. After this little drama, we were able to continue.
By road to Bagan 3rd May 2018: Having moved a motor cycle, the 8-wheeler can pass the blue tipper lorry.
Our final stop, as it grew dark, was at the Thiho Shin Pagoda in Pakokku. The spire of the pagoda was covered in the delicate cocoon of interlaced bamboo always used by pagoda builders when carrying out repairs or re-gilding.
By road to Bagan 3rd May 2018: Thiho Shin Pagoda, Pakokku at dusk, showing bamboo scaffolding.
The pagoda houses a massive, intricate wood carving constructed in five sections which took a father and son four years to carve over a century ago. Many pilgrims visit to admire this remarkable work. Nearby, there are old photographs of the father and son craftsman and the elderly couple who donated the work.
By road to Bagan 3rd May 2018: Thiho Shin Pagoda, Pakokku showing the famous intricate wood carving.
We then used the lengthy Pakokku road and rail bridge to return to the east bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River. From there, it was back to Nyaung Oo and finally, travelling on familiar roads, back to Bagan Medical Clinic where we were greeted by the staff who immediately made preparations for our dinner.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 13th visit to Myanmar.
The post Travelling again is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link will show the post describing the next events. In this way, you may read about the trip in sequence.
Next report
Alternately, clicking on the 'All my Burma-2018 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma-2018 reports
My pictures
By road to Bagan 3rd May 2018
Hotel Moe, Kalay, Myanmar
All my pictures on this trip to Myanmar can be found at Burma 2018.
[Pictures linked 10-May-2018, minor edits and pictures embedded 13-Jun-2018]
Wednesday, 2nd May 2018
I slept well in the comfortable surroundings of the Hotel Moe, Kalay. Breakfast was in an open-sided restaurant on the fifth floor, reached by a lift. Breakfast was laid out buffet style and items were even labelled in English. There was an Egg Station attended by a young girl and a 6-slice ‘Dualit’ toaster. It was clear that the Hotel Moe was bidding for International Travellers so I was unsurprised when three young European tourists came in , although it had been a few days since I’d seen anyone not from Myanmar. There is a small airport here so it’s relatively easy for tourists to reach Kalay by the scheduled service from Yangon. The Doctor had already ordered an omelette for me with a side dish of steamed rice. The Doctor and his wife enjoyed chicken, fish and vegetable dishes with their rice. My companions enjoyed help-yourself coffee whilst I was able to make a cup of Lipton’s tea with milk powder and a little sugar.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: Dining Room at Hotel Moe, Kalay.
With the Monastery car awaiting a replacement air bag for the rear suspension, the Doctor had arranged to hire another car and driver so that our trip to Tamu could go ahead and at 8.45 a.m., a large Nissan saloon arrived. We loaded up and set off through the back streets stopping after a few minutes at a terrace of shops. We’d stopped at the sort of petrol station which used to be ubiquitous in Myanmar, without electric pumps, where fuel is transferred manually from a large plastic container using a tundish. Buying fuel is another area which has been transformed since I first came to Myanmar in 2008. Now, every main road has frequent, American-style filling stations. However, self-service has not been instituted and a gang of, usually young female, assistants ‘pump gas’. Generally, 92 RON, 95 RON and PREMIUM grades of petrol are available plus Diesel. Even our more modest traditional petrol station offered the three grades of petrol. Very quickly, we were on our way again, taking the road north to Tamu.
We’d already visited one border crossing with India at Rihkhawdar. In the north of Chin State, at Tamu, there is a second border crossing with India and that was our destination. In contrast with the unsealed mountainous road to Rihkhawdar, the road to Tamu is a tarmac road running across the plain almost level with long, straight sections straight for 131 km called the ‘India Myanmar Friendship Road’.
The only problem is negotiating more than 100 bridges over the various channels which pass through the plains. At this time of year, these are mainly dry or carrying little water but, when the rains come, prodigious volumes flow. Although there are some examples of modern reinforced concrete bridges which are wide, sealed with tarmac and provide little impediment to traffic flow, most of the bridges are either elderly large girder truss spans or truss bridges of the ‘Bailey’ bridge pattern. The larger girder truss bridges are almost certainly British and appear to have been delivered in ‘kit’ form and bolted together on site. The bridges have a carriageway just wide enough for a single vehicle so traffic in opposite directions has to implement an informal one-way system where the first vehicle to arrive at the bridge has priority. The vehicle deck sits on cross beams and is either a series of flat steel plates bolted to each truss or substantial wooden timbers similarly bolted in place. When in good condition, this arrangement is very satisfactory but these are old bridges (apart from a few apparently-recent ‘Bailey’ bridges) and most vehicle deck fixings are worn, loose or broken. As each vehicle crosses, the movement of steel deck plates produces a deafening clanging or, on wooden decks, the timbers jump around in an alarming manner, producing a loud clattering. There’s usually a gap between the roadway on the abutment on either side of the bridge and the vehicle deck so vehicles, particularly cars, have to ease on and off the bridge very slowly as first the front wheels then the rear lurch into the gap.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: Large girder truss span of bolted construction with steel decking in fairly good condition.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: A Bailey Bridge with a once-tarmaced wooden deck
Despite these problems, we made good progress, passing through a series of villages which each gave fleeting glimpses of life in Myanmar. This part of Myanmar was largely converted to Christianity and I’ve still not become used to the proliferation of Christian churches, although there were also Buddhist pagodas and monasteries. As we passed, I managed to identify some of the sects but there were lots more I either didn't see or couldn't read the signage. I identified Catholic, Baptist, Evangelical Baptist, Fundamental Baptist, Presbyterian, Presbyterian Kohhran, Christian Missionary Alliance and Believers' Church Myanmar.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: Presbyterian Church, Khampat.
As we approached Tamu, it was clear that it was a town of some importance. Three big lorries we’d been following turned into some sort of Trading Zone, and I guessed that all the lorries to and from India cleared customs here.
We parked near the town centre and, as it was the appointed time for monks to take lunch, 11.30 a.m., we all went into a tea-shop where our monk was treated with great respect, seated at a separate table and plied with a range of foods. Afterwards, the Doctor, his wife and the writer were separately seated and our food was ordered.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: Lunch at a teashop in Tamu.
When we’d all taken lunch, we walked to nearby Tamu Market. I never cease to be amazed by the range of products offered and the wide variety of fresh vegetables on offer at these markets.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: Exploring Tamu Market.
One corner shop was selling a range of cosmetics under the Pond’s name. With a tastefully-lit glass-fronted display of products, a counter labelled “Pond’s Beauty Council” and a group of young, pretty assistants in matching uniforms (white top with black piping and black trousers), it all looked very professional.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: Exploring Tamu Market: Pond's Beauty Council.
At the junction of two market streets, there was a deep well. The concrete top was marked ’15.4.07’ which I assume was the date and a simple beam overhead carried a pulley and cable for drawing water manually. A blue water pipe reaching down into the water appeared to be connected to an emergency water pump and fire hose.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: Exploring Tamu Market. The Well.
A short distance away there was a lot of activity in what looked a pedestrian street lined with shops on both sides but the Doctor pointed out that this street led to the border crossing into India. Crowds of people were moving in both directions, a cosmopolitan combination of Indians and Myanmar people. Numerous boxes and sacks were being moved along the street by porters, some using big, two-wheeled carts who cleared pedestrians aside with their shouted warnings. But most of the porters I saw were women, who could balance three large boxes on their heads, apparently effortlessly, and then wend their way through the throng silently.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: the road to the Indian Border with an Indian lady porter.
At the end of the street, there was an Indian Immigration Checkpoint. Presentation of a Myanmar Identity Card gained entrance without further formality but I was unsurprised that my British Passport would require an interview with the Chief Immigration Officer and, without guarantee that permission would be quickly granted, I remained in Myanmar with the Doctor’s wife while the Doctor and the Monk made a brief visit to India. As well as the individual shops fronting the street, there was also a large covered market.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: The Indian Border Crossing for pedestrians at Tamu.
Having explored the market, I had a cold can of orange drink awaiting the Doctor’s return, upon which the Doctor and his wife had the milk from a fresh coconut. The vendor slices the top of the coconut with a vicious-looking panga, to expose the inside and the milk is drunk through a straw. When the milk is consumed, the vendor slices the coconut open to expose the soft, white flesh which can be torn off and eaten.
Having boarded our hired Nissan, we set off back along the ‘India Myanmar Friendship Road’. Part way along this road, we turned right to look at the Yazagyo Dam. Our driver assured us that its intended function was power generation although he admitted that was “for the future”.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: Yazagyo Dam.
It was a pleasant spot and we were able to walk across the top of the Spillway.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: Yazagyo Dam showing Spillway. The Gantry Crane is presumably for removing floating logs or flotsam.
The Doctor was the first to realise that the birds perched on the spillway were on the lookout for fish, swept out of the main lake.
We returned to the main road, continued south and then turned onto an unsealed road which we followed for some distance until we reached the modern temple called Gandhakuti Taik where a carved teak log presents four Buddha images.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: Gandhakuti Taik on Raj Giri hill, housing the sacred carved teak log.
Our road now twisted and turned as it passed through a series of very rural villages. By this time, it was dark and I was completely bemused as to where we might be going. Then the car headlights picked out the recognisable gates of the Sel Taw Oo Monastery where we had spent one night earlier in our travels.
We were greeted warmly and told that dinner had been prepared for us just outside the monastery. I assumed that it would be at the rice mill house house where we’d had a meal when we first arrived, but it was at another, similar wooden house where the usual Myanmar Hospitality was extended to us.
After the meal, I expected us to return to our Kalaw Hotel by car but, instead, we were shepherded further along the lane on foot, with our car slowly following using its headlights to light the uneven stone roadway for us. We entered a second house which had a shop at the front and I was amazed to discover that we were at the home of our friends Ko Thein Shwe and Hlaing Hlaing Htay who had accompanied us the previous day to Rith Lake.
Most of the children were in another room but their ten-year old daughter came to sit by me and we both giggled, which we’d got quite good at on the Trip to Rith Lake. Food was again offered and we talked for a while.
Trip to Tamu 2nd May 2018: A late evening visit to the home of Ko Thein Shwe and Hlaing Hlaing Htay.
A tropical rainstorm started as we said our “good byes” and even with umbrellas on hand, I was a bit wet by the time I sat in the car. Then I learnt that we had one more call to make, at the rice mill house.
By the time I was in the rice mill house, I was fairly wet. Then, I discovered that the Doctor was going to treat two of the family for long-term pain relief and a box of medication and paraphernalia was brought from the car. I’ve mentioned before that whilst, for instance, modesty in dress is important in Myanmar there is no concept of personal privacy so each treatment had an audience of eleven watching in fascination.
Treatments completed, we finally returned to the Hotel Moe after an absorbing, if long, day.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 13th visit to Myanmar.
The post Travelling again is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link will show the post describing the next events. In this way, you may read about the trip in sequence.
Next report
Alternately, clicking on the 'All my Burma-2018 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma-2018 reports
My pictures
Trip to Tamu
Christian Churches in Myanmar
Hotel Moe, Kalay, Myanmar
All my pictures on this trip to Myanmar can be found at Burma 2018.
[Pictures linked 10-May-2018, minor edits and pictures embedded 11-Jun-2018]
