Aung Min Bar Zay!

As I prepare to write this last installment of my blog for this trip, I'm sitting in my backyard in Colorado. I've been home for 48 hours, and am in the throes of reverse culture shock! What better way to relieve some of this than to mentally return to Burma, for the last two days of our amazing trip.

On our last morning in Nyaung Shwe, we woke early and after a quick breakfast our bus picked us up to take us to the airport. Joseph, while telling us the details of the day, let us know that the airport was called "Heho Airport.' Of course Tom (and probably Phil, but I can't remember for sure!) both started whistling the song from the seven dwarves "hi ho, hi ho, it's of to work we go!" Though I was laughing while this was taking place I was also sad knowing that this was the last day for our group to be together.

We arrived at Heho Airport (so cheerful sounding!) and boarded our flight on Yangon Airways, bound for Rangoon. After an uneventful flight we arrived in Rangoon and headed towards our hotel, Asia Plaza. Traffic was SO BAD! It took us about an hour to drive what had taken 30 minutes previously. It seemed that the monsoon had arrived in full throng while we had been absent from Rangoon - rain was sheeting down and you could almost see the humidity in the air. We dropped our bags at the hotel, and then Barbara, Eleonore, Joseph, Sanjay, Mez and I went to a peace conference that Joseph had told us about.

Burma has been a war torn country for many many years. Surprisingly, the last truly peaceful time that the country knew was under British colonization. Many of the elder generation referred to the time with the Raj as "the Golden Years." One of the big issues that has been taking place with the military regime in place is the war in the North, the Kachin region. This is the region that Joseph is from, and he told us about a peace conference that was being held in Rangoon that afternoon and asked if any of us would like to go. Everyone but Tom and Phil did, so once we had checked in at the hotel we grabbed umbrellas and hopped in taxis to attend. We first went to a Kachin restaurant. Joseph was so excited to have us try the traditional food of his people, and we were too. It was DELICIOUS! Possibly one of the best meals of our whole trip. We had this delicious spiced beef with coriander and chilis, mashed potatoes with garlic and veggies, steamed greens with taro, and a really delicious soup.

After we had stuffed ourselves we walked toward the conference, which was being held in a Baptist Church. When we arrived we had to sign in, and there were the nicest people there welcoming everyone and helping us get registered. This conference was being help on the day of the three year anniversary of the resumption of fighting in Kachin.

Here is the first paragraph on the Statement that was issued to President Thein Sein and the Government of Myanmar.

"While there is a pretense that the Union Peacemaking Working Committee is conducting meetings on a ceasefire agreement to end the more than sixty-year long civil war between the Government, Military, and ethnic armed groups - current clashes in Kachin regions, Ta-ang Palaung regions, and Shan State are witness to the miliary's serious offensive. Civil society organizations, networks, and people who desire genuine and just peace profoundly demand the respective Government, Hluttaw (parliaments) and the Myanmar Military to contemplate the following points to prove their willingness for genuine peace."

(I'm not going to type all of the 10 points, just a few)

To immediately stop the current fighting and conduct urgent meetings with respective ethnic organizations.
To remove or withdraw troops from positions neighboring camps where Internationally Displaced Persons are being sheltered - these are civilians.
Without delay, stop committing war crimes such as the arbitrary arrest of civilians, threatening civilians, destroying public goods, dropping heavy artillery shells on villages, invading IDP camps and/or committing sexual violence against women, and to investigate perpetrators and punish promptly and effectively.

We weren't there for much of the conference, but I am so glad that we went. Mez pointed out how wonderful it was to see the youth so involved with a cause like this - there were so many teenagers and university students involved. Once again, the student population of Burma speaks out for peace for the nation.

I'll try to post some links at the end of this with more information about the region and what is going on. I am so glad that we attended. It is hard to believe that, this whole time we have been enjoying this beautiful country, war crimes have been taking place in the North. Fortunately, Joseph told us, it is far enough away from where he lives that his family is safe. Anything is too close to home, however.

After the conference ended we went back to the hotel and cleaned up before heading down to The Strand hotel to have a happy hour farewell drink. Remember the pictures I posted of The Strand from the beginning of the trip? Luxurious hotel from the time of the Raj - we made ourselves comfy in the bar and enjoyed drinks and talking together. After this we went to a restaurant called Monsoon for our farewell (sob!) dinner. Monsoon features cuisine from all of South East Asia, and it was really fun to contemplate the huge menu and decide from which country we wished to eat! We got one last bottle of the yummy Sauvignon Blanc wine that we had in Inle Lake, and proceeded to have a fabulous last dinner together. Lots of joking and laughing, maybe a few tears, and many group photos.

Reluctant to end our night, we decided to go to the Sky Bistro, a bar/restaurant that is on the 20th floor of a skyscraper near our hotel. We had a table right by the window that looked directly at the Sule Paya, and from the other windows we had an amazing vantage of the city at night. I think that, in the future, when I think of Burma that is one of the first shots that will come to my mind. Relaxing at the table, looking around at the faces of my now dear friends, with the spectacular view behind them.

At the beginning of the trip, we asked Joseph how the Burmese say "cheers!" We wanted to be using the correct term while toasting one another, after all. He said "Aung Min Bar Zay!" It sounds like Amen-Bozzy, so Mez and I made up a little ditty to help us remember it. Amen is what you say before you eat (when you pray) and Bozzy is like buzzy, which is what happens after a drink! Perfect and easy to remember. The direct translation is "May success attend you." Beautiful.

On Tuesday morning we all had breakfast together, before Phil, Eleonore, and Mez departed for the airport. They were the first to leave. It was so sad saying goodbye!!! I definitely had tears in my eyes, and then when I got back to Mez and my room and she wasn't there I thought "this is really happening, the trip is over!" So sad to say goodbye to lovely new friends. Sanjay and I decided to walk around the city, and we invited Tom, but he said he wanted to go back to sleep (he later told us that he, actually, had breakfast with two German girls! Sly flox). Barbara was doing the Urban Adventure tour that I did my first day in the city, so Sanjay and I headed off to wander. We thought we were getting lost, turns out that we accidentally came out right where we wanted to at the end of our walk!

The most interesting thing that we saw was a local market that was taking place on a side street of the city. Bowls of vegetable were laid down the road, with strips on either side that were empty. We weren't quite sure why, until we heard honking and realized that cars were still coming down this street, just driving over the goods in the middle! This was a pretty intense market. There were chickens in cages that people were choosing and then having butchered, and the most interesting (shocking?) thing of all was the frogs. There was this lady selling fish, and she also had a big bowl of frogs next to her. Someone would walk up, point at a frog, she would pick it up, whack it onto its back on a stump, stun it on the throat with a butcher knife, chop off the feet and legs, and then disembowel it. I have a strong stomach and I was pretty grossed out. We moved on quickly after that! We had a short stroll through the Bogyoke market, and then stepped into a Western coffee bar, Bar Boon, for a cold drink and some people watching. We ended up sitting on their patio for several hours, just talking and watching the world go by. The monsoon came in with amazing force while we were there - we could tell when it was coming because all of the vendors would suddenly start throwing plastic sheets over their goods. It was amazing! The rain was coming down almost sideways - the perfect excuse for us to stay sitting where we were and have another iced coffee. I had the most delicious lemongrass iced tea!

We then walked back to the hotel, and it was time for Sanjay and Tom to leave. After another sad good bye, I went back to my room to wait for Barbara. When she returned we walked to Ruby Mart and got a healthy and delish lunch of 7Up and chips - haha! The lucky girl was flying back to Bangkok - she has another full year of travel to look forward to! I can't wait to keep up with your blog, Barbara! :)

We had a great time just relaxing and talking together, and then she left - so sad! By now it was 3:00 and I had to leave for the airport at 6:00. I went out to another little coffee shop and just relaxed, reading and writing and people watching. Then I went back, showered, finished packing, and grabbed a taxi.

After my escapades in China on the way over, I was quite nervous about getting checked in ok in Rangoon. I arrived at the airport super early so that I would have plenty of time. I got there at 6:55 and my flight left at 9:45 pm. After the taxi dropped me, I went to the ANA check in counter. Much to my joy, they had no problem finding my reservation and definitely knew where Tokyo was (haha!). They took my bag and gave me both of my boarding passes, and I headed upstairs to Immigration. Immigration took about 2 minutes and then I was done. The entire check in process took 10 minutes MAXIMUM! I love you Burma, take that China. What a relief! If you missed my debacle of a trip over, please read the second installment of my blog.

I found a seat at a cafe and ordered some yummy dinner - fried flat noodles with hot basil and veggies, as well as a final Myanmar beer. The time passed quickly and before I knew it it was time for my flight. It was with a large amount of sadness that I boarded that plane. This trip had been so amazing and even though I was ready to be home, I wasn't ready for it to end! The flight to Tokyo was less than half full, so I had my two chairs to myself. I watched a movie and then slept for about 4 hours. The 7 hour flight passed quickly, and before I knew it I was in Tokyo! The Tokyo airport at 6 am is a total ghost town! I waited until 7:30 when the United Club opened, and then went in and spent the day there. I took a shower, ate breakfast and drank coffee, ready my book, worked on some previous blogs, and spent the day relaxing. I walked around the airport for a while (and even got some fries from McDonalds, which I NEVER go to! Yummy.) before heading back to the lounge to have some dinner. Dinner was really yummy sushi, and I felt so cool, eating sushi in Japan - I'm such a nerd. Then I headed to my gate to catch the flight to Denver. The Rangoon - Tokyo, Tokyo - Denver route is the  BEST ROUTE EVER! It was so easy, had zero stress, and I would do it again in a heart beat. I think that Tokyo is now going to be the official gateway to the East for me. Why make flying harder than it has to be?

Once on the flight I was overjoyed to discover I had an entire row of three to myself! Hurray! After the awful dinner was served (which I ate none of) I watched Anchorman 2 and then took an ambien and drifted off to sleep. I woke nearly 7 hours later feeling refreshed and happy to know that we were an hour outside of Denver!

I still can't believe that this trip is over. It changed me in so many ways - the people and country of Burma have left such an impression on me, taken such a big part of my heart. I can't imagine not having been there. I'm sure that I'll be writing more on here, with impressions and such - I always really start to process things several days after a trip. As of now, to the lovely country and all of its people, as well as my new travel family, I say "Aung Min Bar Zay!" I wish nothing more than success to attend each and every one of you, and to bless the country of Burma with wishes for peace and happiness for all.

To learn more about the conflict in Kachin Region, visit: www.fortifyrights.org

Traditional Kachin dress at the Peace rally

The Strand Hotel

Lemon grass martini!

Elevator picture!

The Little Tuk Tuk That Could and a Rowdy Shan Banquet

The second full day in Inle Lake is a free day, and our group decided that we wanted to rent the boats and go see the ruins at In Dein. Billed as "The Angkor Wat of Burma" we didn't want to miss seeing them. So we rose early and got to the jetty at half past 7 to begin our ride back out. It would be about an hour and forty five minute drive, and we were all looking forward to another beautiful early morning on the lake. Fortunately, Phil was feeling much better and was able to join us. 

As we reached the lake from the canal, we were so lucky to come across a fisherman using the traditional methods. They fish from their canoe, with a giant conical net that has a hole in the top. While paddling with their leg, they lower the net into the water. Once the net is submersed, they put a spear through the hole in the top to stab any fish that may be caught. This process was amazing to watch - I am especially impressed with how they paddle with their leg - it looks so hard! 

We motored past part of the area we had seen yesterday, and then turned right to down another canal towards In Dein. We are here right at the beginning of the monsoon season, so the water level is currently very low. At one point the water was so low that one of our boats became grounded! Fortunately it only lasted for a few minutes and we were all on our way once again. 

A difference betweeen our boat experience yesterday and today was that the canal that we were in had a sort of locks system. Every so often we would come across a lock built from bamboo that had a space in the middle just wide enough for the boat to pass through. Tom and I were discussing how this reminded us of shooting rapids - aim for the area and GO! That was really fun. When we arrived at In Dein, we walked along a path through a bamboo forest. It was so cool and shady in the forest (well, relatively... it was still probably nearly 90 degrees and super humid!). Joseph told us about the ruins we would be seeing while we walked. Shwe Inn Thein Paya, a collection of stupas, is most likely from the 17th century. Burma is not at the point yet where they have been able to bring in specialists to date ruins, so they might be older, they might be newer. Shwe Inn Thein Paya has the largest collection of stupa ruins and is situated on the top of a small hill. Below it is Nyaung Ohak, a smaller set of overgrown stupas. The big challenge that the ruins face right now are the people. People want to "restore" the ruis. Unfortunately, this basically means that they are tearing down the old ones and building new ones, or covering the old ones with new layers of bricks and then painting them horrible bright white or gold leaf. On the stupas that have been "restored," all of the old carvings have been destroyed. We began at Shwe Inn Thein Paya, and the contrast of old to new was actually very shocking. The old stupas are so beautiful - most are still standing fairly well, and many have trees and vines growing out of them. The old carvings are still in fairly good condition and are absolutely beautiful. However, the contrast between the new and the old is starkly depressing. 

I actually felt this melancholy growing over me as we walked around the stupas. I feel that this problem is indicative of the struggles that Burma, as a country, is facing right now. They were such an advanced country, especially for the time and location, until the military regime took over, when time bascially regressed. No progress, no growth, nothing happening for the people. Now that they have some freedom, they want so badly to make up for the time they've lost that they are in danger of losing so much of their cultural heritage. Another example of this is Bagan - they applied for Bagan to be part of the UNESCO World Heritage protection program, but they were denied because some of the "restorations" that had been done to the temples actually damaged them. This is very disappointing, because they NEED the expertise and the funding that UNESCO would bring. I feel that UNESCO made a decision that will make things worse, not better. We as the developed world have a great responsibilty to assist developing countries, to help ensure that the rich heritage is preserved and used to move forward. 

In Dein as we saw it will be gone in 5 years. All of the beautiful old overgrown stupas will be replaced with stupas that look exactly the same - sterile and identical. The soul of the place will be gone. We spent a long time wandering the ruins, taking photos and soaking it all in. I feel privileged to have been able to visit these ruins while they are still here. 

As we walked back towards the town, you could tell that the group was a bit sad. We wandered the local market for a few minutes and then headed back towards Nyaung Shwe. It started to rain on us as we motored across the lake, and unlike the torrential rains of the day before, this was a nice gentle rain. We all remarked on how relaxing we found it, and when we reached the jetty everyone remarked that they had either dozed off or felt that they were entranced by the combination or rain and the beauty of the lake. We decided to go to a French Bakery for lunch as we were all craving some Western food! We had a delicious leisurely lunch - pasta, and ham sandwiches with delicious crusty bread, and croissants, followed by some delicious home made ice cream. After this everyone went their own way for a few hours - Mez, Barbara, Eleonore, Tom and I made our way to the market to browse some local shops. After this we headed back to the hotel to have a quick rest and shower before going wine tasting. While we were inside, the monsoon paid us another visit. 

The amount of water that can fall from the sky is just baffling to me. Monsoon rain is unlike any rain I've ever seen - the sky will be mostly clear, then the coulds will roll in, the temperature will drop, and the heavens open. It's like there's an on/off faucet that has two settings - off and FULL POWER! The rain had mostly slowed by the time we would be going to the winery, we headed downstairs to find that Joseph had arranged a tuk tuk to take us to the winery! Hurray for another method of local transport! 

The 7 of us piled into the back of the tuk tuk. This was basically a motorbike with a trailer attached. The trailer was covered with a roof on the top of two of the sides, and the front had a space where we could see the driver. Joseph sat up front on a jump seat next to the driver. The driver hit the gas and we were o--- never mind, we didn't move at all. Hahaha! Our combined weight was pretty heavy for the poor little tuk tuk. The driver tried again, and we moved out of the courtyard successfully! Joseph told us it would be about a 25 minute drive to the winery, Red Mountain. About 15 minutes into the drive, the monsoon decided to pay us another visit. Eleonore had to get creative with her umbrella to stop the rain from coming in and soaking her, and Joseph had opened his umbrella as a shield as well. By the time we got to the winery entrance, it was POURING! We had to drive up a fairly steep hill to reach the tasting room, and our poor little tuk tuk was having a tough time. We crawled up the slope, cheering for the Little Tuk Tuk that Could! When we made it to the top we all started clapping and cheering! Yay! As we sat there waiting, Joseph came around the back and, standing there in the pouring rain, gleefully said "Welcome to the winery!" We all burst out laughing and cheering - like I said, He's the happiest man in Burma!

The staff took our umbrellas as we entered the room, and we made our way to a big table. The views from the room were beautiful, even in the pouring rain. Everyone decided to get the sampler - 4 tastes for 2000 kyat. Once again, so afforable to eat and drink here! We had such a nice time laughing and talking. Out of the four wines we tried, 2 were good, 1 was ok, and 1 was frankly terrible! The Sauvignon Blanc that we had previously had at the pizza place was yummy, and the Late Harvest dessert style wine was fairly good as well. The Shiraz Tempranillo was pretty bad (tasted like dust and old leather) and the Rose was REALLY REALLY SWEET and had more of a dessert wine consistency. We 4 girls decided to get a bottle of the Sauv Blanc, and Sanjay ordered a bottle of a different red, the Shiraz. At this point Mother Nature decided to give us a BIG PRESENT! The sun came out.

The rain slowed and the sun came out, revealing the lake valley spread out below us, with a mountain range behind it. The sun turned all the clouds into glowing layers of gold and cream and the sun rays spread out across the valley. I ran outside to take photos - another traveler was out there, and he said "All we're missing is the rainbow!" and I turned around and BAM - there was a rainbow! I pointed it out to him and we laughed together. The scene was really indescribably beautiful. I took many photos and just soaked it up! 

At this point it was time for us to head to our Shan banquet. We headed back to our little tuk tuk and the driver took us to the restaurant. When we arrived we found they had a private seating area for us (probably because Joseph had warned them how rowdy we were, haha!) decorated with lovely little lamps. Everyone ordered drinks (Myanmar beers all around!) and we sat talking and laughing while waiting for the food. Suddenly Joseph pulled out a bottle of local whiskey and said "whiskey time!" and we all started laughing! Even those of us that don't like whiskey (here I'm raising my hand) had to try some. WOW IT WAS STRONG! But surprisingly good. Our food arrived, and it just didn't stop coming! Soup, and barbeque similar to the bbq we had in Mandalay, and rice, and veggies, and it was so good but there was SO MUCH! At the end of the dinner we were all full and silly, and somehow someone suggested that we have a cat walk. Anyway, Tom clicked on hs video camera and out came the ridiculous "modeling" skills. Or lack thereof, hahaha. 

When we finished we headed back to the hotel and spent another hour or two sitting outside, talking and laughing and just enjoying our time together. I have really grown to love this group of people - we have bonded so much. It will be so sad to say goodbye to everyone in two short days. This trip has flown by! I'll have one last post about the end of the trip. For now, please enjoy some of these photos of our amazing day on Inle Lake. 

King Joseph!

Inside the tuk tuk!

Ask Tom to pose for a photo, and this is what you get - a rain jacket elephant! Haha!

If you look closely in the middle of the picture, right above the mountains, you'll see the rainbow!

Our Shan Banquet feasting hall!