En route to Hsipaw...

I had read and heard about Hsipaw as being a quite remote little town with access to some very interesting hill tribe trekking trips. Furthermore, Karen mentioned a very peculiar train ride to get there. So, hey, why not?!

My train departed from Mandalay at 4 in the morning. Quite early if you ask me, especially since Mandalay doesn't have much street lighting at all at night.

The 15 minute walk from hotel to train station was quite unique. Trying to find my way in the dark, staying away from the way to healthy stray dogs, and find people here and there to make an attempt at asking for direction.

The train itself seemed OK. Just like any train in that part of the world. Nothing fancy, nothing scary either.

Off course, the train management had to put all the foreigners in the same wagon. The 'upper class' wagon. The one with cushion and reclining seats rather than board plank seats. Sure...after all, 12 hours of train for $9, if that means VIP wagon, OK. :-)

We depart on time. Only 6 or so foreigners in the train. My neighbor happens to be French. One will quickly realize when traveling in Burma that tourists for the most part are either French or German.

An hour later, the train stops...and the stop lasts and lasts...and all we can hear is a sort of commotion a couple of wagons behind...so after a while, Mr curious that I am, I peak through the window and look. Hahahahahahaha! I get back in, get my camera and run out, a group of about 10 men were struggling to try and get an entire flock of goats inside the cargo wagon. Hilarious. Man vs nature, and nature was thus far winning by far. Lol so we got stuck for about an hour like that. At some point, a couple of goats managed to get free and ran through the train station. The men started screening and run all over the place to get them back. It was so comical.

That train ride, for reasons I still can seem to understand, was unbelievably bumpy. Literally, often our whole body would take off from our seats, then we would be pushed really hard right and left. It made me think of a small boat going through a severe storm in the middle of the ocean, but actually much bumpier and more swinging. I am sure Universal Studios would not be able to come up with such a shaky attraction.

Oh, for more strange reasons, even though the train runs everyday and both ways, it felt as if we were trail blazers. Branches would come through the windows, some broken, some slapping the seats. To the point that for a very long period we couldn't even extend our arms out or even a finger or else it would get chopped off. The result, when we finally arrived at destination, the entire floor of the train was a carpet of dried and cut grass, herbs, branches.

But for an even longer part, we were shaving a cliff side extremely close as well, but te entire cliff was covered in mint plants, wild ones I guess. So as the rain drizzled, the air was filled with a delicious scent of fresh mint. It was so surreal...

But after 12 hours, no matter the entertainment of the uniqueness of the ride, I was veeeeeeery glad to finally arrive at destination.

Once in Hsipaw, I quickly inquired about sights to see, and treks to sign up for. For me a 2 days 1 night track for the next morning. But when I asked at the front desk about monasteries (I find them so peaceful and beautiful in this country), I was told that there was a meditation time every evening to which I could go if I wanted to. A young German girl was eves dropping into the info so I asked her if she wanted to go together.

An hour or so later we met up and went on. Ha, Hsipaw has absolutely NO street lights at all whatsoever. Only have to rely on the moon, the stars, and the lights of the scooters or cars driving by. We had to walk for about 20 minutes through dirt paths and exit the village a bit. My headlamp was more than handy in such context. Anyhow, we reach the monastery, actually the pagoda where people were praying and where a monk was chanting prayers. Kind of like a daily mass celebration for catholics. People inside see us and invite us to come in and seat in. Wow! Sure! OK! Would never even have ever thought of doing this. So we, her with the girls in the back and me with the men right up front (like in a mosque), sat there for half an hour until they finished the celebration.

Then, we had hoped that we would be able to chat with the monk and learn a bit about meditation. Ha! No no no. Everyone took a quick mini break, and jumped right into a one hour of meditation. One of the ladies (Mrs Boat) being such a marvelous welcoming and hospitable local asked the monk to put a tape in English to guide us into the beginning of the meditation. So after searching through a bunch of old junk, the monk finds such tape and plays it. We were so privileged in so ,any ways at that moment. It was magical, and so unexpected. So for one hour, we both struggled to try and ignore the storming pain of staying in one position, while trying to make sense of it all and fall into a meditative state on our own and without actual real guidance. Ufff...didn't work for me this time. I think I actually almost fell asleep.

When the whole thing was over, we got a huge smile from the monk and from everyone else there. And Mrs Boat, who we finally meet, asks us to walk with her to her shop/restaurant. OK, what the heck!
So we walk side by side with her and all the other people from the pagoda, in the dark, and through the ruined stupas of the site. The older women, including our host, heil a pickup, and we all jump in for 10 minute till get get to her house/restaurant. She quickly brings out several dishes, and tea for us two and begs us to eat. We met her whole family. Her English is extremely good.

After a long chat, and lots of food, we finally say goodnight and leave. Such a magical night.

Going with the flow, and opening the door to any new opportunity is so rewarding if you are in the right state of mind. Thank you so much Mrs Boat!!!

Next day, a German couple (both mid 30's, she is a nurse and he is a psychological doctor for people with mental illnesses), the absolute slowest walkers i have ever seen in my life, our guide, and myself depart our hotel, Mr Charles at about 9am. Oh yeah, a fun fact about Hsipaw is that every site is either Mr or Mrs something. Mr Food, Mr Shake, Mrs Boat, Mr Drink...

The trekking was just OK. Honestly, after Toraja and Bromo, Ijen, Rinjani, hard to to better...

Mostly corn fields, sesame fields, rice fields...

Though when exiting the village we visited a noodle artisan factory, it was soooo interesting. The whole noodle making process has absolutely nothing with what I would have imagined.

So, when we finally make it to the hill town of Pankam, not a Shan tribe, but a Palaung tribe, originating from the Khmer's in Cambodia, it was a most gorgeous scene. Gigantic and gorgeous pine wood houses on stilts. Kids playing in the uneven and not flat dirt paths. Bamboo gates and fences. Ginormous trees. Women wearing traditional tribal outfits coming back from the fields. Men smoking cigars or chewing bethel. And the whole background was tea tree plantations. Ufff.....! Wow! Beautiful sunset atmosphere...

At night, after diner, I managed to find out that some of the local kids were rehearsing dances for the October full moon light festival...and the rehearsing was taking place in the monastery. Fantastic!!! So I motivate the Germans and the guide to head out there right on time. (Seriously, I actually had to motivate the Germans when the opportunity is already sao excitingly motivating in itself...oh well...). It was such an experience. That large wooden monastery in the middle of the mountain. Kids and their mothers were sitting down on the floor, around the central area of the monastery, watching two girls and two boys rehearsing and learning from a couple of elders the classical peacock dance. And all throughout, the two very very young novice monks, running around "their home" dressed in their red-ish robes. And a tall golden statue of Buddha watching it all happening. Surreal. Barely any light. Just one weak light bulb which seemed to be from the 80's. After a half hour the Germans and the guide left. Pffff! Whatever. And I stayed until the very end, when it was only the boys and men left. All the mothers and their daughters had gone home. And so when the head monk made everyone understand that he wanted to sleep, everyone cleaned up and got on their way out...in the total darkness of the night, on helped by the stars to fond their way back home. And so I did the same....and slept delightfully well. :-)

The next day, after finishing trekking and making it back to Mr Charles Hotel, a quick shower/laundry. And off to take a bus for 17 hours to Inle Lake...