One Night in Qatar

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Events of Thursday 8th May 2014

Leaving Yangon

I was leaving the Strand Hotel too early to take breakfast in the cafe, but an excellent light breakfast was served in my room. My 'regular' driver was waiting for me in reception, so we were on the road to the airport in good time. Check-in was painless, so I was soon making my way upstairs and passing through immigration. Check-in staff had told me that Qatar Airways now have their own lounge so all I had to do was find it. With that task successfully completed, I was welcomed into the lounge, which was nicely appointed and gave views over both the Departure Hall and the Stand which our aircraft would use.

The Qatar Airways Lounge at Yangon Airport.

The inbound A319 aircraft from Doha was a little late arriving.

The inbound aircraft taxis to the Stand.

Arrival would trigger a flurry of activity - passengers off, luggage and cargo unloaded, crew off. Cleaners would rapidly prepare the aircraft for the flight back to Doha. A new crew would take over the aircraft, luggage and cargo be loaded and eventually the waiting passengers (including me) would board. Depending upon the flight details, the aircraft might need to upload more fuel, water, catering supplies or empty the lavatory tanks. I only saw some of these activities.

The new Crew gather at the Gate waiting to board the aircraft.

I saw the new crew go on board and before long, a Boarding Call was made and the waiting passengers began to empty the Departure Hall and make their way to the aircraft. Before long, I'd moved to my comfortable seat in the front cabin of the A319.

Passengers waiting in the Departure Lounge for the Boarding Call.

We left Yangon a little late and we still a little late when, hours later, we touched down at Doha Airport in Qatar.

Arriving in Doha

On the eastbound leg, I'd been able to transit at Doha, leaving one aircraft and joining another with passing through Immigration. But, travelling westbound, the times of the flights didn't allow that so I'd arranged a hotel for one night. This meant purchasing a visa on arrival. The lady Immigration officer asked if I wanted to purchase a visa, I said yes and handed over a credit card and in moments it was done.

I'd booked (and paid for) a transfer by car to my hotel. My itinerary said I was to find my driver at a particular Car Hire Desk in the Arrivals Hall. Here's where the plan unravelled. I found the correct desk but no driver. The Desk was manned by one man who seemed to be completing a car hire for a waiting businessman. It appeared to be an unusually complicated hire because it was twenty minutes before I succeeded in getting the car hire guy to acknowledge my presence. I showed him my booking receipt and the made a quick call on a mobile, with some reluctance it seemed to me. "Wait over there - the car is coming from the parking garage" he announced, quickly disappearing with his customer and a form to log pre-existing body defects on the car he'd hired.

After another 30 minutes waiting (neither the booked car nor the car hire guy had appeared), a rather grumpy Jan accepted a quote from one of the drivers looking for trade and we walked out of the air-conditioned terminal into the dry heat of Qatar and across to the parking garage. The car was an up-market, modern saloon (with air conditioning, of course) and once we were under way, my mood quickly improved.

By Road to the Hotel

The city appears to have developed initially around a semicircular bay, open to the Gulf in the east. The bay has a pedestrian promenade, Al Corniche, somewhat reminiscent of a Victorian seaside town. On the landward side of the promenade, there's a multi-lane highway called Al Corniche Street, always teeming with traffic. Further inland there are more roads, concentric with the promenade.

At the southern end of the bay, Doha Port and Qatar Flour Mills have been built incorporating a series of jetties and reclaimed land, jutting out into the Gulf. The airport is on more reclaimed land south of the city and the road we took from the airport led onto Al Corniche Street. Near a monument called The Pearl, the Museum of Islamic Art is actually built in the bay and a little further west, there is the smaller Dhow Harbour which also appears to be formed from modern jetties and reclaimed land. There's a satisfying tangle of wooden boats here.

View of the amazing skyline from across the Bay.

Continuing around the bay, the buildings on the landward side become taller, each vying with the next to be more preposterous than its neighbour. Near the northern end of the bay, Al Corniche Street moves inland a little and the space between the road and the promenade is Sheraton Park, with the Msheireb Enrichment Centre set in the bay, like a small version of the Museum of Islamic Art. Nearby is the oddly-shaped Sheraton Doha Resort and Convention Hotel. Al Corniche Street continues slightly inland (there's a large building site on the seaward side) and enters the Diplomatic Area, which is now also home to a number of hotels including the Movenpick Tower and Suites, where I was booked.

Movenpick Tower and Suites, Doha

Of course, this hotel is unashamedly modern (there's also a somewhat older Movenpick in Doha which I'd spotted on my journey from the airport).



Movenpick Tower and Suites, Doha.

Any reservations I might have had were quickly dispersed by the friendliness of the check-in staff. They upgraded me to a suite for the night (which didn't hurt, either). A porter took me up in the lift and showed me the accommodation. The large lounge area had a curved picture window along the seaward side giving good, but not uninterrupted, views of the Bay because a number of multi-storey buildings lay between the Movenpick and the sea. I was quite content, even though the decor was a little 'jazzy' for my taste.

View of the lounge, with the bedroom beyond.

A Walk in the Sun

Although tired, I thought I ought to explore a little outside the hotel and decided on a walk around the district. It was already clear that Doha is not a place intended for walking - cars, preferably large and expensive, are the normal means of transport. It was also quite hot, of course but, having applied a dose of sun screen, I left the hotel and started to walk south.

The wide roads are normally provided with broad pavements but I quickly discovered that all the building and road projects under way meant that many of the pavements were impassable. Displaying my trademark stubborn streak, I pressed on, meeting only construction workers toiling in the hot sun, all swathed in high visibility clothing and hard hats which I would have found intolerable. Of course, Qatar, in common with other Gulf States, tends not to use its citizens for hard manual labour. Rather, it admits 'Guest Workers'. As Qatar prepares for the contentious Football World Cup it has been awarded, there has been frequent criticism of the number of construction-related accidents affecting guest workers.

I discovered that the large building site near the Sheraton Doha Resort and Convention Hotel being developed by Qatari Diar will become a car park with three subterranean levels topped by a park. I walked across Sheraton Park towards the Bay. I was amused that the adventure playground was fitted with some form of canvas roof as a sun screen. However, there were no happy families, just the ubiquitous construction workers.

Looking across the Bay, I could see Doha Port. The deck cargo on an unidentifiable ship with stern ramps comprised new lorries and buses, presumably about to be unloaded. Nearby, an area held stacks of shipping containers. Another ship I was able to identify afterwards was 'Rising Eagle', home port Kingston. This is a bulk carrier built in Japan in 1995 and earlier called 'Full City'. Her four large deck cranes were all deployed. She was tied-up next to a tall, white building which I presumed was Qatar Flour Mills. Since I spotted this ship, she has travelled to Kandla (India) and back to Abu Dhabi. Later, I watched another ship arrive. This had distinctive lines of a Car Carrier, presumably bringing another consignment of top-of-the-range cars to Qatar. I identified the ship later as 'Aphrodite Leader' operated by NHK Lines, Panamanian-flagged and built in 2007. Since my sighting, this ship has been to Laem Chabang (Thailand), Singapore, Jeddah (Saudi Arasbia) and, at the time of writing, is in the Red Sea heading south. Modern ships work hard!

'Aphrodite Leader' arriving at Doha Port.

On the landward side of the park, massive buildings reared up. Looking at the one with the spire, I kept thinking of Emperor Mong's spaceship in 'Buck Rogers'.


Massive buildings on the landward side of Sheraton Park.

A broad piazza led to the Msheireb Enrichment Centre which appears to be built on a large barge connected to land by two broad gangways and a short stone causeway. You can find out more here but I'm afraid I was a little put off by its claim to be "a landmark destination created by Msheireb Properties to serve as an educational portal to showcase Qatar's glorious past and soaring ambitions for the future". Nearby, on the piazza I found a 'Costa' coffee shop (no comment).

Msheireb Enrichment Centre

The Bay itself remains attractive. I sat for a while near the warm waters (had there been any beach I would certainly have paddled, like the bird in the picture below).

Al Corniche Promenade, looking south from Sheraton Park.

I decided that, although I'd seen little of Doha, I'd perhaps better return to my hotel - it was still very hot and I had another early start the following day to catch my flight to Manchester. One small incident I observed on the way back amused me. Because of all the road works, the area was well-plastered with alternating red and white plastic barriers (all stencilled 'BOOM'). I watched an Ashok Leyland bus approach a junction on a lane narrowed by barriers. He just couldn't make the turn and gently pushed at the plastic barriers but still hadn't enough room. A passenger left the bus to shove a number of barriers out of the way until the bus could complete the turn. All the passengers were dark skinned, dark haired and all wore white shirts. I decided they were probably 'guest workers' being returned to some sort of barracks at the end of their work day.

The bus that couldn't quite make the turn. Click on image above for an uncropped view showing the plastic barriers being moved clear.

Back at the hotel, I treated myself to a meal in my room and went to bed, in preparation for an early start the next day.

Events of Friday 9th May 2014.

After the fiasco of the missing car on my arrival in Doha, I wasn't too confident about being transferred back to the airport, although reception had assured me they could soon rustle up a hotel car if needed. However, when I went down to reception early Friday morning, a driver was already waiting for me and we had an uneventful journey around the bay to the airport. The varied architecture was as surprising as it had been on my arrival. Still under construction, the National Museum of Qatar designed by Jean Nouvel looked as if it had suffered a terrible accident but perhaps it will be alright once finished when "a collection of disks, some vertical, some near horizontal, interlock and create a volume".

The National Museum of Qatar under construction.

We passed a cheerful cautionary road sign with a cartoon traffic policeman and the slogan (in English) 'Speed Leads to Ruin'. But the picture of a car speedometer indicated 250 km/h! Not that many cars over here would manage to get up to 150 miles per hour.


The speed warning sign.

At the airport, check-in was quick and friendly. It took me two attempts to find the right lounge but, again, everybody was very friendly and I relaxed watching the various passengers come and go. At the appointed time, I made my way to the Gate and was directed downstairs to a Departure Lounge overlooking the main internal airport road. I had a few minutes to wait for the next transfer bus which would take me from the Departure Lounge to the aircraft, whilst a steady stream of airport vehicles passed on the road outside and, every couple of minutes, an aircraft roared past on the runway at the far side of the road.

They'd been building a new airport terminal and, a few days after my departure, the new Hamad International Airport terminal opened for use, modestly claiming to "exceed expectations and redefine passenger transit experience". I presume most transfer buses have been replaced by Air Bridges, connecting the terminal directly to the aircraft.

The view from the Departure Lounge.

The flight from Doha to Manchester was in an A330 with a particularly pleasant crew who looked after me very well. The four Qatar Airways flights I had on this trip left me with a very favourable impression of the airline. I watched some films and finally went for 'The Lego Movie', expecting to find a CGI film with Lego characters dire. Er, I loved it.

John met me at Manchester and brought me home after one of the most tiring and fascinating trips I've made.

My Pictures

Strand Hotel, Yangon.
Yangon Airport.
Doha Airport.
Movenpick, Doha, Qatar.
Qatar.

More

This is the last in a series of posts describing my trip to Burma in 2014. You can find them all here or go back to the first post in the series Back to Burma (with links to go to each subsequent post in turn).

[Revised 11-Jun-2014, 12-Jun-2014]

Last Day in Yangon

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Events of Wednesday 7th May 2014

Walking in Yangon

I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the Cafe at the Strand Hotel. I managed to contact both Doctor Hla Tun and Captain Myo Lwin on the telephone and we all arranged to meet in my hotel later in the day.

Although still fairly exhausted, I decided I'd take a walk in the city. There's always so much to see and the legacy of Britsh-inspired buildings is a permanent fascination. There's a useful book [reference 1] on Heritage Buildings in Yangon, with the delightful sub-title 'Inside the City that captured Time'. I decided to head north, away from the river but, instead of taking the major thoroughfare Pansodan Street, I took the narrower street to the east, Seikanthar Street. My first discovery was that the side of the Strand Hotel was being cleaned. Four men were clinging to two rather primitive rope ladders with bamboo 'rungs', scrubbing away at the walls. One man on the flat roof was controlling the water supply to two flexible plastic pipes dangling by the cleaners.


Cleaning the Strand Hotel.

I passed a number of Colonial-era warehouse buildings and a few commercial/residential buildings, none in a very good state of repair. These were interspersed with more modern apartment blocks, usually seven storey.


Seikanthar Street, looking north.

What was most striking was that this appeared to be 'Computer Street'. Most of the ground floor businesses were selling computers, mobile phones, audio equipment or 'white goods'. Rather than the usual crowded jumble of stock, most of the premises were well-lit, western-style showrooms and most of the posters were in English, with only the occasional Burmese text.

The Computer Showroom of Eastern Empire Co. Ltd.

Not far from these showrooms selling 'state of the art' products, I passed a more low-tech business - a one-man mobile snack bar. Two specially-made small wooden tables carry two metal pots of food plus accessories. Four metal supports rising from each table are gathered into a supporting ring. The owner has a wooden yoke so that, to move to another location, the supporting ring on each table is threaded onto each end of the yoke and the whole weight can be carried on the owner's shoulders. There were also three small moulded plastic stools for the customers which (elsewhere) I've seen wedged into the framework of the wooden tables whilst the whole set-up was being moved.

Mobile Snack Bar, Burmese-style.

Yangon Central Station

Perhaps inevitably, when I reached Bogyoke Aung San Road (which runs east-west, south of the railway), I climbed the steps of the bridge which gives access to the station and descended onto platform 7 (one of the three 'suburban' platforms). One of the new Japanese diesel railcars was standing in the platform, covered in advertising, but before I could draw level, it departed westwards. The rear of the train carried its running number 'RBE-P5032' on one panel and 'Gold Roast COFFEE MIX' on the other - another triumph for marketing, I suppose, just like the ghastly trains with advertising running around in Britain.

Japanese diesel railcar leaving Yangon Central Station.

City Hall

I slowly made my way back towards the hotel, this time using the busy Pansodan Street. At the junction with Mahabandoola Road, I passed City Hall - a curious but imposing confection in Britsh - Myanmar style built in stages between 1925 and 1940 where components of Burmese Palace and Temple architecture have been added-on to a typical British municipal building. In 2011, it was repainted in a striking lilac with purple details.

City Hall.

Central Telegraph Office

Built between 1913 and 1917. By 2000, it had lost most of its original roles. It is owned by the Ministry of Communications, Posts and Telgraphs and I believe the ground floor now houses stalls selling mobile phones.

Central Telegraph Office.

High Court

This 'archetypal colonial administrative building' was built between 1905 and 1911 and remains in use, although the Supreme Court has moved to Naypyitaw.

Rear elevation of High Court.

Internal Revenue Department

This building was commissioned by Surti Indian Traders from the port of Rander (hence the name 'Rander House'). It was built in 1932 and, after serving various roles, in now used by Inland Revenue, with apartments in the upper floors.

'Rander House', now the Internal Revenue Department.

Meeting Friends

I was back at the hotel in plenty of time for my visitors Doctor Hla Tun and Captain Myo Lwin. They declined the offer of a meal so, instead, we had soft drinks in the Bar. Soon, it was time to say 'goodbye' to my friends - I was leaving Myanmar early the next morning by air for Doha in Qatar.

Books

[reference 1] '30 Heritage Buildings of Yangon', published by Association of Myanmar Architects in association with Serindia Publications Inc (ISBN 978-1-932476-63-7 Softcover).

My Pictures

Yangon (Rangoon).

(Pictures from March 2008, September 2008, September 2009, September 2012)

Yangon (2013).
Around Yangon, 2014.
Strand Hotel, Yangon.
Yangon's Railways

More

Next Post describing this trip.

Sittwe, Myanmar

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More events of Tuesday 6th May 2014

Introduction

When I arrived at Sittwe by air on 3rd May 2014 (described in the post On to Mrauk U), we simply drove along the Main Road through the town to the boat yard where I embarked for the trip up the Kaladan River to Mrauk U.

On 6th May 2014, I returned from Mrauk U to Sittwe by boat and this journey is described here. However, on this occasion there was time to see a little of Sittwe before catching my flight back to Yangon.

Mrauk U had been the capital of the Rakhine state for centuries and, initially, the British had a presence there. But the British decided to develop Sittwe (or 'Sittway' as they spelt the name) as their Adminstrative Centre, accelerating the decline of Mrauk U.

The influence of the British is still visible. Most of the development took place along a long, straight thoroughfare parallel to the shore called 'Main Road'. A number of the buildings, even today, clearly show British architectural ideas.

The Merchant's House

We entered the forecourt of a large house set back from the road. The design was generally 'British Colonial Villa', although the arched windows gave a rather ecclesiastical appearance. The building was topped by two gilded spires of Burmese design which I assumed were a later addition.


Merchant's House in Sittwe.

During the British period, certain people did very well from the trade opportunities and this house had been the home of a businessman of, I think, Indian origin who died in 1911. A rather austere photograph of the merchant hangs on the wall.

The Sittwe Merchant.

I believe the merchant bequeathed the house to the people of Sittwe and appears to be currently part of a Buddhist temple. The ground floor of the building formed single, large room, with a number of columns supporting the upper floor. I was intrigued that each column was formed from two substantial rolled steel 'U' sections, back to back, simply painted yellow. The sections were clearly marked 'DORMAN LONG & Co LTD MIDDLESBOROUGH ENGLAND'. All the doors and windows were open, leaving the large room cool. A number of men were stretched-out on sleeping mats on the wooden floor resting from the heat. There were few furnishings, other than a Buddhist shrine with two adjacent boxes for donations.

The ground floor of the Merchant's House.

A wooden staircase led to the first floor. This was fitted with an ancient retractable lattice gate (like the gates on old-fashioned lifts) so that the upper floor could be closed off. Sections of Marsden Matting (the perforated steel planking designed in World War II for temporary roads and runways) had been adapted to 'box-in' the stairway. The first floor appeared to be empty, apart from a couple of men resting.

The Sittwe Temple

Next to the Merchant's House, there was a particularly exuberant building. Its design owed much to traditional Burmese monastery practice, but there were various European-influenced features, like arched windows and a clock tower.

The Sittwe Temple.

Entering the Temple, the main impression was one of size - the structure was huge, rivalling European cathedrals. This had been achieved by adopting steel framing throughout, with corrugated iron sheets for the various roof sections and wood for walls. No attempt had been made to disguise this construction and, somehow, this made the effect more breathraking. Four massive rolled steel columns supported the central tower and similar, smaller columns were provided for the other roof sections. At least one column was marked 'TATA IRON & STEEL'.

The complex roof is supported by numerous steel trusses.

A large Buddha image occupied the centre of the tiled floor. Once again, there were various people sleeping on the floor.

The Buddha image in the Sittwe temple.

This wasn't the first time I'd seen a large steel framed building used for religious purposes in Burma. In November 2011, I visited Yangon's huge Reclining Buddha which is housed in a steel framed 'shed' as described in my post here (with more photographs here.

Bhaddanta Wannita Museum

Five minutes drive from the Sittwe Temple, we came to another Colonial-era residence which now serves as the Bhaddanta Wannita Museum. Bhaddanta Wannita was the head monk at the Maha Kuthala monastery and he collected the various artefacts which are now displayed here.

Bhaddanta Wannita Museum.

There was a large collection of Offering Bowls and Buddha Images but some of the items were more prosaic - smoking pipes and old currency, for instance.

Offering Bowls and Buddha Images displayed at the museum.

Sittwe Port Area

As we approached the port area, we could see two large cargo ships anchored offshore. There is only one decent jetty (made of reinforced concrete) where a larger ship can discharge and load. Otherwise, ships anchor in deeper water and use their derricks to transfer cargo to and from a smaller lighter which can moor at one of the quays.

Cargo ships anchored offshore unloading and loading to lighters.

Near the quays there was a busy market. The narrow passages between stalls were also used by a number of porters shifting prodigious loads on massive and rather ancient 2-wheel trucks so it was necessary to keep a sharp lookout.

The Market at Sittwe.

One part of the quay seemed to serve as a 'taxi-rank' for small boats ferrying people and goods around the Sittwe area.

The quay used by small boats.

The small boat quay gave a good view of the numerous small boats criss-crossing the water and the single jetty where a cargo ship was berthed and able to discharge its load directly to trailers which were then hauled along the jetty by a tractor (I think the first tractor I'd seen on the trip - farm work is more usually done by animals).

The busy scene near the Jetty.

We continued our tour of the market, passing through the Fish Market to the area where large volumes of dried fish were being bagged and weighed prior to being exported to Bangladesh as animal feed. As we came back to the road, there were two ladies with treadle-operated sewing machines offering an 'instant repairs' service.

Clothing repairs while you wait.

We rejoined our vehicle at a point where the map shows a second jetty which I failed to spot. I think this jetty is used exclusively by the Myanmar Navy, which operates a significant fleet. There's a list of vessels on Wikipedia here. We continued south past a large construction site next to the water. This is apparently a second commercial jetty being built by India.

Sittwe View Point

The road then turned into a modern promenade leading to a spit of land called View Point. I realised that this was the area I'd photographed from the air on my arrival at Sittwe.

Sittwe's View Point area from the air.

I'm sure the improvements carried out have made the area a popular destination for locals. The light house at View Point is a distinctive landmark and replaced a now-disused light house visible on a island just offshore. To the west, we could see View Point Beach stretching away.


The Light House at Sittwe's View Point.

It only remained for us to drive back towards Sittwe, passing the British-built jail (still in use) and make our final stop at a modern pagoda.

Lawkar Nanda Pagoda

Construction of this pagoda only started in 1995 and the enshrining of Buddha relics took place in 1999. The main pagoda is surrounded by eight small satellite padodas. The upper part of the main pagoda was covered in woven bamboo 'scaffolding' to allow maintenance work (usually 're-gilding').

Lawkar Nanda Pagoda.

Nearby, we examined the Sakkramuni Image, now housed in a special chamber called Maha Wayyan Sasana Beikman. This is an ususual bronze Buddha image about 18 inches tall where the entire body is covered with small Buddha images. It was re-discovered at Mrauk U 14 years ago by a fisherman and is credited with "miraculous powers".


The Sakkramuni Image.

Sittwe Airport

We continued to the airport terminal building where the guide released the car. Check-in was quick and then the guide and I walked to the Airport Cafe (a couple of hundred yards away back along the approach road!) for a soft drink. Having said our 'goodbyes' after an absorbing three days, the guide made his way to relatives in Sittwe where he was going to spend the night before travelling back to his home in Mrauk U the following day.

I walked back to the airport and went through security into the departure lounge, to discover that my flight was running around an hour late. An 'Asian Wings' aircraft on the apron provided a small diversion. I'd been told it was awaiting technicians to carry out repairs. 'Aircraft On Ground' ('AOG') is a serious business and, whilst I waited, two mechanics opened the access cowlings on the starboard engine and, after carrying out some work, started the engine. Later, flight crew boarded the repaired 'Asian Wings' aircraft and carried out comprehensive power checks. By this time, my delayed 'Air KBZ' aircraft had landed so I was able to board for the direct flight back to Yangon.

Mechanics working on the failed 'Asian Wings' aircraft.

On arrival in Yangon, my usual friendly young driver was waiting for me outside the domestic terminal to transfer me to the Strand Hotel. It was dark and I noticed that the city now has many more illuminated advertising signs than on my first visit back in 2008. I suppose this is what we are pleased to call 'progress'.

I received the usual warm welcome at the Strand Hotel. This time, I was in room 107 on the first floor. After the exertions of the day, I slept well.

My Pictures

Sittwe, Myanmar.
The Merchant's House.
Sittwe Temple.
Lawkar Nanda Pagoda, Sittwe.
Sittway Airport, Myanmar.
Strand Hotel, Yangon.

More

Next Post describing this trip.

[Revised 9-Jun-2014]

Leaving Rakhine State

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Events of Tuesday 6th May 2014

Today was a day for travelling. First, downstream by river to Sittwe, then a flight with Air KBZ to Yangon for my last but one night at the Strand Hotel before flying home.

I set the alarm for 06:15 but, in fact, I got up just before six, had a shower, made a cup of tea and finished my packing. The plan was to leave at seven o’clock from the hotel jetty by private hotel boat back to Sittwe, taking breakfast on the journey. Well, they came to collect me from my room just after seven and we walked to the jetty and I clambered aboard the same boat I’d arrived in.

A breakfast table for one had been set on the main deck. We’d boat crew, hotel and catering staff and my guide aboard. I always feel guilty about all these people hanging around at my pleasure but the positive side is that at least a number of jobs are provided through tourism in a country suffering extreme poverty.

Soon the unmistakable sound of an electric starter motor failing to engage with the flywheel of the Hino 6-cylinder diesel engine mounted beneath the main deck was heard. They tried a second time and then a number of mechanics appeared. I presume the chief mechanic was the guy carrying an assortment of double-ended side spanners and a hammer. A couple of them clambered down into the engine compartment and remarkably quickly re-appeared clutching the starter motor. They took this to the adjacent boat and a lot of hammering followed. They eventually re-appeared with what appeared to be the starter motor from the other boat. There was then a lot of banging from our engine compartment.

Mechanics cluster anxiously around our engine compartment.

The waiter asked if I’d like to take breakfast. I assume that he, like me, didn’t know how long the repair would take. I had tea, with cold milk, and a selection of bread with preserves. This was followed by a plain omelette. I was just tucking into my omelette when there was an ominous ‘click-click-click' from the new starter motor. After a short delay whilst further adjustments were made, there was a loud roar as the diesel engine came to life. Two plumes of water were being discharged powerfully sideways from just above the waterline. I presume one was engine cooling water, the other might have been bilge pump but I’m not sure (we were carrying an independent portable pump which appeared to be rigged as an ‘as required’ bilge pump).

We cast off about 50 minutes late but my guide assured me we had plenty of time. We were expected to make better time downstream, going with the current.

After a while, the captain decided to make a power check, raising the engine speed for a while. My guide said he was unsatisfied with the result and suspected that the propeller was fouled. The engine was idled and drive removed. Then the crew lifted a series of boards on the main deck near the stern, revealing a rectangular access to the water. I was viewing from the upper deck. The river viewed through the hatch was an almost luminous green and looked quite inviting. Just as well, because one of the crew, clad only in a longyi, lowered himself through the hatch and swam underwater to reach the propeller.

Looking down into the river, the tanned body of the underwater swimmer is just visible.

Soon, a large, tattered plastic bag drifted astern, followed shortly by a woven plastic sack and two more remnants of plastic bags. I was intrigued that this debris was cast adrift to wreak its havoc on some other unsuspecting motor boat.

After this interesting interlude, we seemed to make better speed and continued down the wide, twisting river towards Sittwe. The area was not unlike the Irrawaddy, with farmed flatland on both banks, trees and water buffalo.

View across the farmed land to the distant mountains, with water buffalo grazing or keeping cool in the water. Note the hayrick.

We passed isolated bamboo cottages, each with one or more traditional wooden longboats, some provided with the usual small engine driving a propeller through a long shaft, some just paddled. At one point, we passed a larger village of about thirty bamboo houses with a pagoda and solidly-built adjacent temple.

A typical bamboo cottage, with a number of longboats. Harvested bamboo is being built into a 'raft', presumably before shipping it for sale on the river.

As it started to warm up, the crew and hotel staff took advantage of the opportunity to doze. A little later, they decided to deploy part of the awning on the upper deck. There was a substantial wooden framework carrying a square mesh of ropes. From somewhere, they retrieved a large rather threadbare sheet which they extended across the supporting rope matrix, tying it off at crucial points. More sheets would have been necessary to cover the whole upper deck, but the single sheet gave some shelter to the helmsman and, by moving my table and chair, also me. As the hot sun beat down, it was a distinct improvement.


Installing the awning on the upper deck.

From time to time, we passed various other boats using this important waterway. The Myanmar Ministry of Transport is responsible for Inland Water Transport which operates a significant fleet of passenger and freight vessels. We passed a rather care-worn 'Government Ferry' operating the Sittwe-Mrauk U service.

A 'Government Ferry' on the Kaladan River.

From a boat, you get fascinating glimpses of life along the river. Near a rather dilapidated bamboo house, an equally dilapidated wooden boat was under repair. Damaged planks were being replaced but, when we passed, the two workmen were engaged on rigging an awning over the work, suspended from four bamboo poles. Two young boys were with the workmen and they waved as we passed.

Erecting an awning over a wooden boat under repair.

My lunch was served on the main deck. I took a picture of the attractively-presented dessert.

The attractively-presented dessert.

About 5 km before Sittwe, we passed a port on our right with an array of warehouses, and a number of boats of various sizes clustered around an ocean-going ship moored at a decent jetty. My guide said this location handled imports and exports with Bangladesh.

The port near Sittwe.

Nearing Sittwe, we passed a Naval Gunboat moored to an offshore buoy before we turned to starboard to enter Sakrokeya Creek to reach the boat yard where I'd joined the boat just three days previously. I'd had so many wonderful experiences in those three days, it felt more like three weeks. This time, the dilapidated wooden jetty was occupied by a large wooden cargo boat. A second, smaller boat was moored alongside the cargo boat and a third wooden boat had moored at right angles. It took a minute or two for us to tie-up to the second boat so that we were three-abreast. This meant that I had to 'run the gauntlet' of crossing to the second boat, stepping up to the large wooden cargo boat and then using a temporary board which had been laid between the cargo boat and the notorious jetty to facilitate loading the cargo boat. There were plenty of helping hands so, before I knew it, I and my luggage were installed in the waiting vehicle with my guide and we were driving out of the shipyard.

Arriving back at the boat yard in Sittwe.

My Pictures

Mrauk U Princess Resort.
By Boat back to Sittwe.

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[Revised 5-Jun-2014]