skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Monday, 13th May 2019
The Bagan Medical Clinic was strangely quiet on Monday morning. When the clinic is open (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), there are usually hundreds of patients waiting their turn to be seen but, as I took breakfast with Doctor Hla Tun in the staff area of the original clinic building, only a few of the staff and monastery people remained.
The Doctor had promised to take me on a few day's tour of his country, in a repetition of the format in 2018 when we visited Chin State but the programme for 2019 was something of a 'mystery tour', although Shan State had been mentioned. On Monday morning five of us set off in the monastery's Toyota 'Prado' for our adventure - the monk who manages the clinic, one of the clinic staff as driver, the Doctor's mother (who had stayed at the clinic the previous night), the Doctor and Jan. Two miniature Buddhist flags were on display through the windscreen, indicating the presence of the monk and this meant that we passed through the various road toll stations without paying the fee.
Two miniature Buddhist flags on display through the windscreen of the monastery car.
We crossed the Bagan Plain, surrounded by the pagodas of ancient kingdoms which I always find magical. That led us to the town of New Bagan, Nyaung Oo, an unashamedly commercial area covered with tourist hotels with a number of new resort-type hotels still under construction. We turned onto the road east which I’ve travelled many times to Mount Popa or the school at Htee Pu but after a while, I recognized that we had turned onto a road I think I’d travelled only once before, in 2016 when the monastery car drove me to Thazi to travel by train to Kalaw (that road journey is described in the post On to Thazi. So I concluded, correctly, that we were heading for Shan State, via Meiktila, Thazi and Kalaw.
Meiktila Lake Pagoda in 2016.
Thazi Level Crossing, looking east, view from a train leaving Thazi in 2016.
We continued east, climbing into the mountains, for almost 100 km, crossing into Shan State shortly before arriving in Kalaw. Thazi-Kalaw by road is certainly quicker than my railway journey in 2016 (technical report starts here, concludes here). Like the Mandalay-Pyin-Oo-Lwin road, the road from Thazi to Kalaw forms part of an important trading route and has been widened and improved but still cannot avoid tight curves and steep gradients. Like Pyin Oo Lwin (often called 'Maymyo' after the British Colonel May), the elevation of Kalaw made it a cooler 'Hill Station' for the British and the architecture still reflects the British involvement.
We stopped at the Bamboo Temple, just outside Kalaw, situated in the hills overlooking the town, where my companions paid their respects.
Bamboo Temple, Kalaw.
Then, we continued on dusty roads across the hills to a series of viewpoints. We stopped at the modern-sounding 'Viewpoint@Kalaw'.
Group picture at Viewpoint@Kalaw.
A further drive took us to a set of natural caves which have become a Buddhist place of pilgrimage.
Entrance to Caves we visited in Shan State.
Jan, Doctor Hla Tun and his Mother tour the Natural Cave Pagoda, Shan State (Burma 2019)
We continued south on main road 54 which I knew would lead to Loikaw, the state capital of Kayah State, which I'd visited once before in 2017 (reports on that trip are here). Still in Shan State, at Phe Khong (sometimes spelt 'Pekon'), the road runs close to the western shore of the lake south of Inle. This lake is dammed at its southern end and then discharges into the Balu Chaung River which continues into Kayah State and flows through Loikaw. We stopped for a 'group picture' at a viewpoint overlooking the lake, where I also recorded the railway line to Loikaw running, unfenced, adjacent to the road.
On our way to Loikaw.
Burma 2019: Phe Khong, showing railway to Loikaw (view in Aungban direction). Note concrete sleepers, check rail and 'informal' road crossing.
By the time we arrived at Loikaw, it was dark and I was quite tired from the travelling. Doctor Hla Tun arranged accommodation at the Thingaha Hotel and I was provided with a well-equipped room which gave me an excellent night's sleep.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays 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 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports.
My pictures
I've uploaded lots of pictures to 'Flickr' but they're not all sorted and titled. I'll get onto it as soon as I can.
Bagan Medical Clinic, May 2019
Around Bagan Clinic 2019
Burma 2019
[Pictures added 17-May-2019: Notes added 21-May-2019: Edits and pictures embedded 3/5-Jun-2019]
Saturday, 11th and Sunday, 12th May 2019
I was ready to leave the Doctor's house at 6.30 a.m. as requested but it was nearer 5.45 a.m. as we set off for the airport with the Doctor driving at high speed and his younger son trying to sleep on the back seat prior to returning the car to the family home. At the still fairly new Domestic Terminal of Mingalardon Airport, security checks were friendly, check-in for the Mann Yadanarpon Airlines 07:00 flight to Nyaung Oo was simple and, after a short wait, we joined the transfer bus. Our aircraft was not at a stand near the terminal building. Instead, we drove just past the end of the runway, crossed via a cutting below the level of the runway and emerged at more recently constructed aircraft stands where a group of ATR72 turbo-prop aircraft for various domestic airlines were waiting..
Our journey to Nyaung Oo took about 75 minutes and it was hot on our arrival. A police sergeant greeted the Doctor and, with his help, we quickly secured our baggage and met Hla Win Ko who was to drive us to the Clinic at Bagan.
The original clinic building at Bagan Medical Clinic, May 2019: Patients register at the now-glazed window on the left. The writing on the window is "Mingale Ba" - the all-purpose Burmese greeting. After treatment, any prescribed medication is issued at the right-hand window.
At the Clinic there were so many old friends to greet; it was a real homecoming for me.
The Dispensary Area at Bagan Medical Clinic 2019
Of course, Doctor Hla Tun immediately started doing consultations and I sat-in for a time.
Doctor Hla Tun and three assistants in his Consulting Room: Bagan Medical Clinic, May 2019.
I think 213 patients had registered for Saturday's clinic and they were shared between Doctor Hla Tun and two other doctors, with Doctor Hla Tun dealing with the more complex cases.
The Doctor invited me into a separate treatment room to observe the administration of a spinal injection for pain relief and at the same time, Captain Myo Lwin and his wife arrived, having flown from Yangon on a later flight operated by KBZ Airlines. After a career on a variety of ships including large container vessels, the Captain's last command was the 'Road to Mandalay' River Cruise ship which was where I first met him in 2008 and we've remained good friends ever since. After hunting round the site for the Captain, I discovered that he and his wife had left to check in at their hotel, after which they'd return to see me.
I was sitting-in with Doctor Hla Tun at 11.30 a.m. when the public address announced that the free cooked lunch for patients and their companions was about to be served, so I went to have a look. The Abbott was already handing lunches to a long line of patients but, as soon as he saw me approaching, he gestured for me to take over the distribution and a joyful, if frantic, few minutes resulted as well over two hundred meals were handed out.
Burma 2019: Distribution of free lunch, Saturday 11th May 2019.
The open-sided building from which these meals are distributed is now a properly-constructed wooden structure with a 'tin roof' and computer-printed banners hung on the outside - a far cry from the more modest shelter used when the Clinic first opened in 2011.
When Captain Myo Lwin and his wife came back, we chatted for a while with The Doctor, who did not interrupt his treatments, except for a couple of minutes for formal pictures of the Abbott, Doctor Hla Tun, Captain Myo Lwin and the writer, which the Captain had requested to record those whom he regards as the main instigators of the Bagan Clinic Project.
The Abbott, Doctor Hla Tun, Jan Ford and Captain Myo Lwin: Bagan Medical Clinic, 2019
I sat-in with the Doctor until the early evening. It's always humbling to see how stoical seriously-ill Burmese can be when faced with either lack of local services or inability to pay the costs involved. Whilst the Bagan Clinic makes no charge for consultations, a nominal charge of a few dollars for medication is made although this is cancelled in cases of need.
The intensive schedule of the previous few days together with recovering from my earlier infection meant that I retired hours before the Doctor. Daytime outside temperatures in Bagan of 44 degrees Celsius meant that even local people were complaining of the heat. The main consulting rooms (and the bedroom I use at the Clinic) fortunately have air conditioning and a modern, large diesel standby generator makes up for frequent 'outages' of the external electricity supply.
The following day, Sunday, continued in a similar way. I was surprised to discover that only 80 new patients had registered for Sunday. The Doctor explained that the 12th of May is celebrated as 'Buddha's Birthday' in Myanmar and is a public holiday. This one date celebrates the Birth, Enlightenment and Death of the Buddha. There's a Wikipedia article here. Captain Myo Lwin and his wife returned to the Clinic during Sunday morning and Doctor Hla Tun's mother arrived by car, having flown from Yangon to Nyaung Oo. I'd first met this lady in 2017, when she joined us on a trip to Mon State (described in a series of reports here}.
Slowly, the numbers of waiting patients dwindled as they were seen by the Doctor and then received prescribed medication.
Update on number of treatments
In the earlier post here I reported on the number of treatments carried out up to the end of 2018. I was able to confirm the further treatments in the first four months of 2019 as follows:-
January: 2,709
February: 2,739
March: 3,121
April: 1,257
Note that, because of 'Thingyan', the national water festival in April, the Clinic only opens for two weekends that month so patient treatments are always lower than other months.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays 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 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports.
This blog has a number of articles on Medical Support (mainly in Myanmar). You can display them all (in reverse date-of-posting order) by clicking here or selecting 'Medical Support' in the 'List of Labels to Select a Blog Topic'.
My pictures
I've uploaded lots of pictures to 'Flickr' but they're not all sorted and titled. I'll get onto it as soon as I can.
Bagan Medical Clinic, May 2019
Around Bagan Clinic 2019
Burma 2019
[Text added 13/14-May-2019, 21-May-2019: Edits, pictures embedded 1-Jun-2019]
Friday, 10th May 2019
Thursday night was spent at the private house in Hyauk Yay Twin. I had been given a small room of my own but I found it rather hot (temperatures had been around the low 30s Celsius during the day and didn't seem to drop much during the night)) and I’m not used to sleeping on the floor. Eventually I slept quite soundly but was up again around six a.m. and we took a light breakfast around eight.
Breakfast at our accommodation: Kayin State 2019
We didn’t have to leave the area that early, so they offered another boat ride, re-tracing the route we'd taken up the Gyaing River the previous day but then carrying on beyond Tha Yet Taw to the town of Kyondoe. Shortly after we set off, it started to rain heavily but the simple roof on our boat kept the worst of the rain off. They offered to pull down plastic sheets to protect against sideways rain, but I declined, preferring to study the scenery at the expense of a slightly-wet left arm.
Our boat trip in the rain, view astern: Kayin State, 2019
After about 6 km we passed Kharit, which we'd reached by road the previous day. After another 5 km we forked right into the Haungthayaw River. The left fork is called the Hlaingbwe Stream and it's crossed by an impressive suspension bridge which replaced an earlier pontoon bridge. The bridge carries the Highway from the Kayin State Capital, Hpa An, to Myawaddy on the Myanmar-Thailand Border.
Bridge over Hlaingbwe Stream, Kayin State, 2019.
We continued past Tha Yet Taw (or Krop Kreik) about 3 km to our destination, Kyondoe. The Myawaddy-Hpa An Highway passes through the town on the northern bank of the Haungthayaw River but access for vehicles to the part of the town on the southern bank requires the use of one of a number of fairly-crude looking pontoon vehicle ferries powered by a couple of longtail propellor units.
Our boat trip, Kyondoe in the rain. Note the car ferry across the River Haungthayaw: Kayin State, 2019
Our boat trip, Kyondoe in the rain. This car ferry is docked at another loading ramp, plenty of foot passengers, no vehicles, with two longtail propellor units on the right: Kayin State, 2019
On the south bank of the river (where all the villages we'd visited were located) the road system appeared very incomplete, accounting for the apparent importance of small boats to get around. Because of the rain, our hosts decided to cancel the promised walkabout in the town but we did purchase fuel for the boat before returning. A few minutes before we arrived back, the rain stopped, so we were able to walk back from the jetty to our accommodation without getting a soaking.
At 10.30 a.m., we were given lunch. I’ll never get used to the timing of meals in Myanmar and the prodigious volume of food these generally slim-framed people find normal. Then we loaded up the pick-up with our personal luggage and set off back to Mawlamyine.
I’m afraid the return journey over the incomplete roads was as uncomfortable as our outward trip but, a little after noon, we pulled into the car park of the Kaung Myat Hotel. I then discovered there was more luggage in store at the hotel which was added to the pick-up before we drove to Mawlamyine Long Distance Bus Terminal, which is a slightly less frenetic version of Yangon’s bus terminal.
Only the Doctor and I were catching the 1.00 p.m. bus to Yangon as Aung Ko Latt intended to spend a day at his nearby home village before returning to Yangon where he works but we were accompanied by a generous amount of luggage including gifts and local foodstuffs purchased by the Doctor, some of which was carried in the massive luggage hold of the Chinese-built coach, the balance being carried with us in the cabin. The seating was 2+2 but the Doctor had thoughtfully reserved two seats for me, allowing me more legroom.
As we waited for departure, I was fascinated by the steady stream of motor-bike carriers collecting parcels for local delivery. I particularly noted one who placed one large cardboard carton on his rear carrier, placed a second smaller carton between his legs and, with no securing on the cartons, optimistically set off into Mawlamyine's traffic.
Motor cycle carrier with two cartons at Mawlamyine Bus Terminal
Thaton: Return from Mawlamyine, 10-May-2019
Around six and a half hours are allowed for the journey back to Yangon, including a thirty minute toilet and refreshment stop about halfway through the journey.
When we finally arrived, Yangon’s notorious Bus Terminal was more than living up to its reputation. Gridlock ensued on the approach roads. We inched forward and eventually disembarked not at a ‘stand’ but at the side of an internal road.
I guarded our heap of luggage whilst the Doctor organised a taxi from the Bus Station to his home. That journey, in the dark with the streets full of hard-to-see pedestrians crossing and bicycles without lights was ‘interesting’. Yangon drivers could certainly issue a challenge to London motorists regarding aggressive techniques.
As usual, I was made very welcome at the Doctor's home but after a light meal all I wanted to do was go to bed, having set my alarm for 4.15 a.m. for we were to catch the 7.00 a.m Yadanarpon domestic flight from Yangon to Nyaung Oo.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays 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 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports.
My pictures
Kayin State, 2019
Mawlamyine, 2019
Burma 2019
Kaung Myat Hoyel, Mawlamyine (most pictures taken on earlier visits).
Thursday, 9th May 2019
On Thursday morning, we took and early breakfast at the Kaung Myat Hotel, checked out and set off in a small pick-up for the state to the east of Mon state. This is called Kayin State or sometimes, because most of the population are Karen ethnic, Karen State.
Difficulties are encountered most years because of seasonal flooding on the plains. The floodwater persists from 1 to 3 months, dislocating normal life. Because recent years have suffered worse-than-expected flooding, Doctor Hla Tun had decided to make distributions at four schools in Kayin State for the first time. This was my second visit to Kayin State - the first sight-seeing visit, in 2012, is described in the post here.
The roads were very uncomfortable. A proper bearing surface of crushed rock about 6 inch diameter had been rolled and left at that. There was no upper layer of smaller stone and no surface. I had been given the best seat in the cab of the pick-up and I was given a thorough rattling, so I felt sorry for my companions in the carpeted load space. The load space had the usual rudimentary seats and a tilt cover for protection.
After about 45 km travelling roughly north east into Kayin State, we arrived at the village of Hyauk Ya Twin (shown as Kawgo on Google Maps) situated on the southern bank of the important Gyaing River, where overnight accommodation in a private house had been arranged.
Our first distribution was to be at the monastery at Tha Yet Taw (shown as Krop Kreik on Google Maps) and it had been arranged that we would reach this village, about eleven kilometres upstream, by boat. The first task was to transfer the stationery for the distribution from the house to the jetty, using a 3-wheeled handcart and load it onto the waiting boat.
At Hyauk Ya Twin, a handcart brought the stationery for distribution at Tha Yet Taw from our accommodation to the jetty: Kayin State, 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
Loading stationery onto the boat at Hyauk Ya Twin: Kayin State, 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
We all piled into the boat and made our way to Tha Yet Taw on the noisy longtail boat.
By boat to Tha Yet Taw, view astern: Kayin State, 2019.
We made the first distribution near the river under the arcading leading to the monastery. The Doctor told me there are 508 houses in the village, the population is 3,280, 100 children attend the primary school and a further 310 attend the secondary school.
Distribution at Tha Yet Taw: Kayin State, 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
The 'group shot', Tha Yet Taw: Kayin State, 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
Then we clambered back into the longtail boat for the 35-minute dash downstream back to the first village. After lunch at the accommodation, we headed off by road to make a distribution to the 153 primary school children from Hyauk Yay Twin. The village has 169 dwellings housing 803 adults and children. I travelled in the cab of our pick-up but, because of the stationery in the load space, my companions travelled as pillion passengers on local motor-bikes.
Doctor Hla Tun, pillion passenger on a motor bike to our second distribution in Hyauk Yay Twin: Kayin State, 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
Here, the Distribution was made in the 'Undercroft' of the wooden monastery, with a monk in attendance who afterwards presented each of the visitors with a silver ring.
Distribution at the monastery at Hyauk Ya Twin: Kayin State, 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
The Group Shot at the monastery at Hyauk Ya Twin: Kayin State, 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
Then it was back in the pick-up to our final stop at Kharit Village. Here, the distribution was made in the assembly hall of the teak wood monastery. There are 276 students in the secondary school here, derived from a population of 1,670 in 320 dwellings.
The Doctor addressing the children at Kharit monastery: Kayin State, 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
Distribution at Kharit monastery: Kayin State, 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
The 'group shot', Kharit monastery: Kayin State, 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
We didn't have time to visit the fourth location, Kaw Kha Taw, just over one kilometre south of Kharit. Here 265 houses support a population of 958 and the High School has 303 students. However, we donated stationery for distribution later by the teachers.
By the time we arrived back at the accommodation for an evening meal and bed, I was fairly disorientated and exhausted.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays 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 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports.
My pictures
I've uploaded lots of pictures to 'Flickr' but they're not all sorted and titled. I'll get onto it as soon as I can.
Kayin State, 2019
Burma 2019
Kyaung Myat Hoyel, Mawlamyine (most pictures taken on earlier visits)
[Link to pictures added 21-May-2019: Text added, pictures embedded 29-May-2019]
Mudon Township, Wednesday 8th May 2019
After breakfast at Kaung Myat Hotel we drove on the North-South Highway 8 to Mudon.
Our first distribution of the day was at Ka Mar Wet Drop In Centre. Most of the children remembered my visits in previous years so it was a jolly event.
The Group shot, Ka Mar Wet D.I.C.: Mudon Township, 2019.
This teacher is about my age and always makes a fuss of me.
Our next distribution was at Mudon Drop In Centre. Once again, most of the children remembered my earlier visits and I was asked to speak on the "Never give up" theme.
Distribution at Mudon Drop In Centre, 2019.
When the distributions were finished at 11.30 a.m. and most of the children had left, a dining table was arranged and we were treated to Lunch.
Lunch at the Drop In Centre: Mudon Township, 2019.
Then it was on to the main distribution for the children from Ko Dut who this year had to travel to a large assembly hall at Mudon monastery to receive their distribution. Only 177 children out of a total roll of 332 were able to attend. The main limiting feature was the fact that only six small pick-up trucks could be hired at short notice.
Distribution in Mudon Monastery, 2019.
After the distribution, a senior monk addressed the children briefly. He also asked the Doctor to express their appreciation of the support being given.
The Group shot, Distribution at Mudon Monastery, 2019.
The children from Ko Dut then piled back into the six pick-up trucks for the long drive home.
Children returning to Ko Dut by pick-up: Mudon 2019. Note plastic basket for their flip-flops.
Our final distribution of the day was at the small D.I.C. at Kot Kha Pon which I'd visited previously.
Distribution at Kot Kha Pon D.I.C., 2019.
All that remained was to drive north on Highway 8 to Mawlamyine, pausing for a quick tour of the very modern Ocean shopping mall in Mawlamyine before taking an evening meal at the customary tea shop near the hotel.
Ocean shopping mall, Mawlamyine 2019.
This was to be the last night at the Kaung Myat Hotel - the following morning we were to drive to neighbouring Kayin State.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays 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 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports.
My pictures
I've uploaded lots of pictures to 'Flickr' but they're not all sorted and titled. I'll get onto it as soon as I can.
Mudon Township, 2019
Burma 2019
Kyaung Myat Hoyel, Mawlamyine (most pictures taken on earlier visits).
[Text added, pictures embedded 27-May-2019]
Mawlamyine, Tuesday 7th May 2019
During Monday night, Mawlamyine received heavy rainfall so I awoke to a rather wet morning. We breakfasted in the 3rd floor dining room of the Kaung Myat Hotel - convenient since our rooms were also on the same floor. Like many countries, Myanmar tends to use the American notation where the ground floor is called the 1st floor so the 3rd floor is two storeys up. I'm afraid I usually use lifts these days, when available.
The plan was that we would be picked up at 8.00 a.m. but it was a little later when Zaw Moe Aung collected us. Last year, they just put a temporary sun roof over the narrow lane outside Hlaing Drop In Centre for the Distribution and something similar had been installed in 2019 but the risk of further rain had made it prudent to move the Distribution to the monastery a short distance away from the Drop In Centre. It was raining as we drove slowly through Hlaing's crowded street market to reach the Drop In Centre but the rain stopped a little later and didn't resume.
Hlaing's crowded street market.
Since my last visit, there have been important changes in the charity structure. Although Care Myanmar are still involved in the work, it's now carried out through a local charity called Nway Htwe Thaw Yin Khwin. The Drop In Centre has been modified to incorporate two small offices for the Project Team and the Administration and Finance Team.
After finding out a little more about the various initiatives, we moved to the monastery where the distribution was held in an assembly room, open on one side. Exercise books, pencils, erasers, pens (for older pupils) and a good-quality school uniform in a Government-approved style were issued. In 2019, as an innovation, rather than issue a traditional pattern of shoulder bag, back packs with zipped compartments were issued. This proved a very popular change. Most of the young people remembered me from my previous visits and I was asked to give a short address, in English, which Doctor Hla tun translated. I chose the theme "Never Give Up".
Hlaing Distribution 7-May-2019.
A group of young people after the Hlaing Distribution: Hlaing/Future Generations 7-May-2019
After the Hlaing Distribution, some of the children returned home by small motor-cycle taxis: Burma 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
Hlaing is predominantly a poor area and there are examples of extreme poverty. After the distribution at the monastery we visited a small number of these 'poor houses', issuing small sums of money or items of clothing like men's shirts.
Making a donation to a retired midwife in Hlaing. During her career, she had delivered almost 500 babies: Burma 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
An affectionate Alzheimer's sufferer in Hlaing.
After Hlaing, we stopped at a tea shop for lunch and then visited a new venture, opened in September 2018: the first Safe House for Abused Women in Myanmar, initiated through Care Myanmar but funded by the Norwegian aid agency Norad.
First Safe House for Women in Myanmar.
In the afternoon, we drove to the Drop In Centre called 'Future Generations' for further Distributions to children.
Distribution at Future Generations 7-May-2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
Future Generations- the Group Shot: 7-May-2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
When our work was finished, we stopped at a tea shop for hot, sweet tea before making a fascinating tour by car at dusk of Bilugyun Island which faces Mawlamyine across the estuary of the Thanlwin River. Until recently, the access was only via ferry but an impressive bridge and viaduct over one mile long now links the island to the mainland.
The day finished with a visit to the tea shop near our hotel for an evening meal. A wonderful, if exhausting, day. Once again, we overnighted at Kyaung Myat Hotel in Mawlamyine.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays 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 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports
My pictures
I've uploaded lots of pictures to 'Flickr' but they're not all sorted and titled. I'll get onto it as soon as I can.
Hlaing/Future Generations 7-May-2019
Burma 2019
Kaung Myat Hotel, Mawlamyine (most pictures taken on earlier visits).
[Minor edits 24-May-2019: Edits, pictures embedded 27-May-2019]
Mawlamyine, Monday 6th May 2019
Our previous rather complex trips to Mon State for the purpose of making annual distributions of stationery, uniforms and the like to local children have always worked well but I had an intimation that the 2019 trip might be a little different a few days before I left England when the Doctor asked me to forward a copy of my Visa Introduction letter so that he could seek special permission for me to go to Ko Dut village in Mon state. Getting a basic visa approval to visit Myanmar is now easier than it was: the whole process is now conducted on the internet and, if successful, results in the issue of a Letter of Introduction in 'PDF' format which you print and hand to the Immigration Officer with your passport when you arrive in Myanmar. I've now used this process twice and it worked well.
However, in a country which formally recognises, I think, 135 different Ethnic Groups you may understand that travel to all parts of Myanmar is not possible for foreigners if the Government is not satisfied about security. Well, in 2019 the powers-that-be declined the special permit now required for me to visit Ko Dut which has always been one of our major distribution points.
The Doctor declined my suggestion that he should go ahead with the distribution at Ko Dut without me so, instead, the Doctor spent Monday morning working on an alternative strategy with Ma Yu Mon who runs Ko Dut D.I.C. (Drop In Centre) and had travelled to Mawlamyine to meet with us. This gave me unexpected and welcome free time in the Kyaung Myat Hotel to either rest or utilise the hotel's very acceptable Wi-Fi.
View of Mawlamyine from balcony of Room 304, Kaung Myat Hotel (Burma 2019)
It was decided that as many of the Ko Dut children as possible would be taken to Mudon Township by road for a combined distribution with children from Mudon. Because of the likely number of children attending and the relatively small size of Mudon D.I.C., the distribution was to be transferred to the local monastery and, because of the length of travelling involved for some of the children, a meal was also to be provided.
With a plan agreed, we walked across the road to one the excellent but economical tea shops where we enjoyed a tasty lunch. In the afternoon, I was free to catch-up with rest or work on the computer until 6.30 p.m. when we walked back to the same tea shop for our evening meal. We were joined there by our N.G.O. friend from the previous night, Zaw Moe Aung, and his wife.
Mawlamyine: Evening meal in the tea shop.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays 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 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports
My pictures
I've uploaded lots of pictures to 'Flickr' but they're not all sorted and titled. I'll get onto it as soon as I can.
Burma 2019
Kyaung Myat Hotel, Mawlamyine (most pictures taken on earlier visits).
[Note on pictures added 21-May-2019]
