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Sunday, 6th May 2018
By continuing to see patients on Saturday night until one o'clock in the morning, Doctor Hla Tun was left with around twelve patients still to see on Sunday morning. He started his consultations a little after 7.00 a.m. in the hope of being finished before noon but each patient always receives all the time they need and, with some complex cases, it was after 2 p.m. before we were ready to leave, with over 600 patients having been seen that weekend.
Bagan Clinic 6th May 2018: Doctor Hla Tun at work.
As always, I was sad to be leaving my friends at the Clinic which was now much quieter as patients started their often arduous journeys home.
Bagan Clinic 6th May 2018: A group of patients preparing to travel home.
By Sunday afternoon, a number of the retail stall holders had also packed up and left.
Bagan Clinic 6th May 2018: By Sunday afternoon, a number of the retail stall holders had packed-up and left.
At the Doctor's insistence, I'd been given lunch (yes, congee and a plain omelette with a can of Coca Cola). To prepare me for the journey, they also gave me soup and fresh fruit. The Doctor himself intended to skip lunch but the staff made sure he took something from the wide range of dishes available which he consumed whilst standing.
The Doctor takes a hasty lunch.
The Doctor and I were to travel in a monastery saloon car with a different driver who was familiar with the Mandalay area. An attractive young lady who works for Belmond with good English was to accompany us on our trip.
We left Bagan Medical Clinic and drove across the Plain of Bagan with its numerous pagodas which I always find magical.
Bagan Pagodas.
At Nyaung Oo we headed north on a good road I'd not travelled before towards Mandalay. We passed a deteriorating concrete bridge over a watercourse which was shared by a single line railway. Small toll stations were provided on either side of the bridge.
Bagan to Pyin Oo Lwin 6th May 2018: Deteriorating concrete bridge shared by a single line railway.
In the substantial city of Myingyan, the broad main road had the concrete poles for power distribution running down the middle, with the usual untidy festoon of cables to buildings on both sides of the road and various types of street lighting fittings strapped to the poles.
Bagan to Pyin Oo Lwin 6th May 2018: Myingyan.
The road turned east and intersected the Yangon - Mandalay Expressway which we joined, heading north towards Mandalay. At the toll station near Mandalay International Airport, we turned off towards Paliek and Myitnge. After about three hours travelling, we stopped briefly for sweet tea at a tea-shop near Myitnge then by-passed Mandalay itself to take the road to Pyin Oo Lwin.
The changes here since my last road trip to Pyin Oo Lwin were remarkable. The road, the 'Oriental Highway', is operated by a private company and massive road works are in progress at the Mandalay end of the route. Beyond Pyin Oo Lwin the road continues through Lashio to an important border crossing into China so the route carries immense amounts of heavy lorries. From the plains at Mandalay, the road climbs 3,500 feet to Pyin Oo Lwin so we were frequently passing crawling heavy lorries.
Pyin Oo Lwin was chosen by the Britsh at their 'Hill Station' (the term is still used in Myanmar) and called Maymyo, 'May's town' after a British colonel of that name. This gave the British somewhere to escape the heat of the plains in summer and older parts of the town still have the atmosphere of England, although modern rather nondescript development is less attractive, swelling the population to around 255,000. There's a Wikipedia article on the town here.
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
Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures from may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the albums below:-
Bagan Medical Clinic 2nd weekend
Bagan to Pyin Oo Lwin 6th May 2018
All my pictures on this trip to Myanmar can be found at Burma 2018.
[Patient numbers and 'Next' link added 8-May-2018: Edits, pictures linked, pictures inserted 26-Jun-2018]
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]
Tuesday, 1st May 2018
I'd enjoyed the stay at Rith Lake but we now faced the return journey with a 'disabled' vehicle. The Doctor must have been discussing my problems because, when we loaded up to leave, the pick-up with our friends appeared and I was directed to the passenger seat in the pick-up. This meant that Hlaing Hlaing had to travel in the covered rear section with her children but everybody seemed happy so the two vehicles moved off back to the small town of Rhikhawdar where we parked alongside a tea-shop and everybody from the two vehicles piled in for breakfast. During breakfast, the Doctor asked me "Which vehicle do you prefer?" and, remembering my misery the previous afternoon, I told the truth. So it was agreed that I would travel back to Kalay in the pick-up. I felt sorry for my friends who had to suffer in the car.
After breakfast, we didn't immediately set off but all walked down the hill to the rusting Bailey prefabricated truss bridge with double side panels which led over the Hathya River to India.
Back to Kalay 1st May 2018: Walking into India across the bridge at Rihkhawdar.
Checking my pictures afterwards, I noticed that the Indian half of the bridge had been painted far more recently than the Myanmar side! The bridge had the occasional motor cycle or pedestrian but it was fairly quiet. There was an official-looking wooden building on the Myanmar side of the bridge but nobody showed any interest as we all walked onto the bridge. At the far side, a concrete arch proclaimed 'Welcome to India'. The Doctor spoke briefly to the Indian border guards and it was all smiles as we sauntered into India with an imposing building in front of us, with signs for the State Bank of India and the Trade and Commerce Department of the Government of Mizoram.
Our party outside the Trade and Commerce Department of the Government of Mizoram, 1st May 2018
We made our way through the quiet area past the Hotel Paradise, which looked a touch run-down and probably unlikely to live up to its name. Lots more pictures were taken by the young people (and me). The Doctor studied the offerings in the retail shop forming part of the imposing warehouse/shop labelled 'C. Lallawmzuala and Family' as a couple of gaily-painted public carrier trucks made by Tata passed us as they manoeuvred to a parking area. After this fascinating, if brief, visit to India, we strolled back to Myanmar. Before we boarded our two vehicles, I examined examples of the rather curious unpowered but steerable trucks I'd seen in the area.
Back to Kalay 1st May 2018: Rhikhawdar, showing examples of the unpowered, steerable trucks used in the area.
We set off on our 119 km return to Kalay over what, I think, is the most remarkable road I've travelled on. After around 90 minutes, we stopped at a tiny village high up in the mountains with commanding views. The houses, either all-wood or wood with corrugated sheeting, perched right on the edge of the steep hillside below.
Back to Kalay 1st May 2018: "We stopped at a tiny village high up in the mountains with commanding views".
The Doctor and I admired a handcrafted wooden tricycle for a child. After a while, the owner came and gave us a demonstration, dragging the tricycle up a small slope then speeding downhill. The Doctor talked to one of the men. He was on childcare duties with a young baby slung in front of him in a baby sling. Nearby, a group of eight children of mixed ages played happily. This section of the route is, as yet, unimproved so, despite the frightening drops at the side of the road, there is no 'Armco' barrier. Occasionally, used steel drums used to transport road tar are filled with rocks and set up at the side of the road, particularly near hairpin bends. Generally, these are painted white to improve sighting.
Back to Kalay 1st May 2018: Used bitumen drums as edge-of-road markers.
We came over the yellow-painted suspension bridge over the Manipur River then continued back to Tedim. We all went to a tea-shop about 11.45 a.m. where the monk was treated with great respect, seated at a separate table and promptly served with his lunch. Then, everybody else was served.
Back to Kalay 1st May 2018: View outside the teashop where we took lunch.
After lunch, we continued through the mountains, pausing briefly at a simple roadside stall selling plants. Once Hlaing Hlaing had completed her purchase, the journey continued to a viewpoint overlooking Mount Kennedy, the peak already shrouded in mist which would later descend to road level.
Back to Kalay 1st May 2018: Mount Kennedy, its peak already shrouded in mist.
A memorial had been placed here to commemorate the deaths of soldiers involved in skirmishes with Chin at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inscriptions were in Myanmar language, Chin language and English. On the other side of the road was a simple stone memorial commemorating the deaths of soldiers in World War 2.
Our convoy carried on but after thirty minutes we found ourselves stopped at the end of a short queue of vehicles. Ahead, rocks were coming down the high upper cliff, bouncing off the road and then careering down the lower cliff. At first, I thought it was a natural rock slide but then I spotted two excavators moving around at the top of the cliff and pushing rock and occasionally uprooted trees downhill.
Back to Kalay 1st May 2018: Our road ahead completely blocked by fallen rocks.
At the end of the 30 minute work period, two massive front loading shovels moved along the road, one from near us, one from the other side of the obstruction. Within a few minutes, they had cleared a path through the rubble. Traffic in the opposite direction was the first to move but soon we were on our way again.
Back to Kalay 1st May 2018: Two massive front loading shovels shifting the rubble from the road.
The pick-up reached the Kalay Industrial Zone, to the north of the town, without further delay and we pulled up at a large vehicle repair garage where the crippled Monastery car was already parked.
Back to Kalay 1st May 2018: The vehicle repair garage in Kalay Industrial Zone.
It took a while to make arrangements for a replacement air bag suspension unit to be shipped overnight from Mandalay and hire a car and driver for the following day whilst the monastery car was being repaired but, within an hour, the Monk, the Doctor and his wife and I were ferried in the monastery car to the Hotel Moe in Kalay which turned out to be an excellent choice. This was a modern, 5-storey building with electric lift and everything a European tourist might expect - and the internet worked, too.
Hotel Moe, Kalay.
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
Back to Kalay 1st May 2018
All my pictures on this trip to Myanmar can be found at Burma 2018.
[Pictures linked 10-May-2018, minor edits and pictures embedded 8-Jun-2018]
