Seat of Our Pants » kalaw

Trekking Report: Kalaw to Inle Lake

Martin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:18:08 +0000

In order to get at least one trek done, we signed up for a walk from Kalaw to Inle Lake – one of the few treks in Myanmar that can be done without special permits. We were joined by a Slovenian couple, Robin the guide and a cook: a handy group size.

After a short taxi ride from Kalaw, we arrived at the trailhead – a dusty ox-cart track in a remote-ish Pao village. It soon became evident that we were doing the trek in the wrong season. Dust, dry heat and a persistent wind all conspired to turn the walk into a hot sand-in-between-the-teeth kind of affair. The day was made interesting by our guide, a guy that definitely knows a lot about a lot of things. As we walked he gave us a run-down on the customs of the local tribespeople, about local medicinal plants and about the agriculture of the area.

At the end of the day, we arrived at a Buddhist monastery, where the Abbot graciously allows trekkers and other wanderers to spend the night (donation greatly appreciated). After dinner, we retired early to mattresses spread out in the main prayer hall. We awoke at five thirty to the chants of little novice monks calling down the blessings on the land and the village. For us, this was probably the most memorable moment of the whole outing.

Day two saw us plod through more dust and dirt, as we descended from a low ridge towards the Inle Lake. It took us about four hours to reach the boat dock, where we boarded a riverboat to Nyangshwe.

I guess that any trek we’d do after the outrageously good trekking we had in Nepal was bound to be a letdown. One thing is certain: the trek must be far better in October, after the rains make the land green and lush again. Credit also goes to Robin the guide, without whom the walk would have been far less interesting.

Conclusion: Research your treks before you go to Myanmar and have your permits ready. The best trekking is in the restricted parts.

Kalaw – Quaint, Comfortable and Completely Deforested curiously timed bus ride (we left in the afternoon and...
The Evils of Group Tours Exploitation is something that makes me feel deeply yucky. Whenever...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Buddhist Kitsch

Martin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:12:28 +0000

Myanmar takes its Buddhism pretty seriously. There’s hardly a two-house town around that doesn’t have at least one temple or pagoda, and by now our eyes glaze over at the mention of any type of sightseeing involving a monastery or a paya.

We did however make an exception for Kalaw’s Buddha cave: a natural cave that has been enlarged and filled from floor to ceiling with Buddha statues and fairy lights. I can’t help but wonder what spiritual function these hundreds of Buddhas fill, and what the fascination with cheap neon lightning is all about.

Thankfully, there’s no foot wearing allowed in there, so they do have that going for them.

Sagaing A few weeks ago, while I was waiting in line...
Seriously, How Old Are You? I married an older man. I’m OK with that –...
Sound Advice From a Fool A strange thing happens around day three of touring amazing...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Kalaw – Quaint, Comfortable and Completely Deforested

Martin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:01:26 +0000

curiously timed bus ride (we left in the afternoon and arrived at one o’clock in the morning) has brought us to Kalaw: a small town nested among the outliers of the Shan hills. For Burmese standards, it is a tidy, well-functioning town with good infrastructure and neat architecture.

Kalaw is, unfortunately, the only place in Myanmar where you can just show up and trek – there’s no need to spend time and money on acquiring various permits. The area, which was deforested already fifty years ago, is home to a handful of minority peoples, each with their own beliefs and traditions.

We will use Kalaw as our base for a short trek towards Inle Lake. Ideally we’d spend more time here, but we are running low on time. Expect a full trekking report as soon as we’re back!

An Inwa Daytrip For four hundred years, this dusty island was the capital...
Hello There, Myitkyina We’ve reached Myitkyina, the capital of the Kachin province of...
My Brief Romance With Katha We reached Katha yesterday by boat from Bhamo. Our stop...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.