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| November 2007 »
Kawkaban and Shibam (not the Shibam in the Hadramawt valley) are considered twin towns. Kawkaban had more perfectly preserved stone tower houses perched on the edge of a 1,000' cliff top. An important stronghold during the Turkish occupation, Kawkaban protected the town of Shibam below and the only way the Government could subdue Kawkaban in the 1960's was by airplane. Kawkaban had huge iron gates that are still locked at night. During times of war, the residents of Shibam would leave their homes and flee to Kawkaban for safety.
There was a paved footway, or trail, between Kawkaban and Shibam. This province, Al Mahweet claims to be the most fertile and beautiful in Yemen. I loved the reddish architecture of Kawakaban contrasting against the green areas and mountains, always changing color with the sunlight. Into the 4WD's on what passed for a road....
Kawkaban on the cliff
Continue reading "Continuing On To Kawkaban, Al-Mahwit and A Henna Party" »
Packed up and ready to hit the road...View image...wondering if we'd ever be in another nice hotel like the Taj Sheba during this trip...it was into the caravan of 4WD's, heading to ancient Thula (also spelled "Thilla"), a walled town in the mountains. Thula's mountaintop fortress perfectly defended this town from invaders for centuries. It had well-preserved walls, stone-tower houses, narrow street, aqueducts and unique concrete architecture. At one time, Thula also had been home to a community of Jews in ancient times, some of the more than 50,000 that once lived in Yemen. Yemen is Teman in Hebrew. Job's friend Elifaz (in the Old Testament) came from Teman, and many Prophets also spoke of Teman) The Queen of Sheba is said to have heard about King Solomon from Jews in Yemen. I freely admit that my religious and geographic history is pitiful. This why I've always maintained that you have to travel to really learn in a appealing manner. All those dry facts, biblical or otherwise, mean something when you actually have a chance to see with your own eyes and stand on the same ground.
There was also a street called Jesus Street and our guide explained that some people in Thula still speak Aramaic and from the 6th century BC on, there was a gradual shift from Hebrew to Aramaic. The Christians in these areas also spoke Aramaic and we ended up buying an "old" piece of alabaster with Aramaic writing on it. What does it say? Who knows. When was it made? Probably yesterday by some enterprising Yemeni who knew a sucker like me would come along to buy a piece of ancient history.
Thula/Thilla
Continue reading "On The Road to Al-Mahwit Through Thula/Thilla and Kawkaban" »
An unbelievably seamless trip from Chicago to Frankfurt to Sana'a, Yemen with no problems. What a shocker! Met and transferred to the deluxe, centrally located Taj Sheba Hotel. Bed looked awfully good to us and we'd meet and greet the group tomorrow.
Sana'a is supposedly one of the first sites of human settlement, founded by Noah's son, Shem. Whether or not you believe that, other sources suggest that Sana'a has been around since the 2nd century AD and is a designated World Heritage Site. Since Sana'a is at an altitude of 7,200', taking it semi-easy was the order of the day. A meet and greet with our Geo-ex leader, Sarah Timewell, her second-in-command, Carolyn McIntyre who was just then beginning a long association with Geographic Expeditions and a full group of other intrepid Americans. Nine people from the West Coast, seven from the East Coast and us two lone Midwesterners. The average age of the group was definitely 40+ with Don and Lucy in their 70's and still seeking out adventure around the world.
Sana'a building detail
Continue reading "Arriving and Exploring Sana'a (Sana), Yemen" »
The only difficult part of the planning was deciding on air since it was a group tour.
Air? Lufthansa had a route from Frankfurt to Sana'a, Yemen. This was easy...cashed in United miles for roundtrip tickets from Frankfurt and bought United (our airline of choice) to fly Chicago-Frankfurt. Your only other airline choices to Sana'a are: Yemen Airways, Turkish Airlines, KLM, and Egyptair.
Hotel? None necessary. Wonder of wonders, no misconnects on this trip.
Visa? You must have a Yemen visa. U.S. Citizens contact The Embassy of Yemen. Everyone else, browse World Travel Guide.
Yemen map showing our route
Continue reading "Planning A Trip To Yemen" »
I can't say that either ex-Marine (husband, Steve) or myself had ever given any thought to visiting The Republic of Yemen and had to look on a map to see exactly where it was. (The tip of the Arabian Peninsula below Saudi Arabia and next to Oman.) There was only one reason for the sudden interest in Yemen...an interesting itinerary in my Geographic Expeditions catalog a few years back. Actually more than seven years ago before the terrorist attack on the USS Cole in October 2000 but it seems just like yesterday. This trip was called: Yemen: The Frankincense Route. Frankincense, I had heard of. By the way, Geographic Expeditions now calls this trip: Yemen: Arabia Felix.
The more I read, the more interesting this destination became. Sana'a, Yemen's capital, is 7,200 feet high; there are mountains rising from the Red Sea with fortresses on top; a desert crossing; old Ottoman buildings; the Queen of Sheba's historical kingdom (disputed between Ethiopia and Yemen); and Shibam, nicknamed the "Manhattan of the Desert." On the other side of the coin, Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Arab world.
Yemen Map
Continue reading "Yemen: Where Is It and Why Should We Visit?" »
Another unbelievably varied and unique Myanmar trip over, I have a few thoughts and suggestions for travel here:
- In any Buddhist country, wear sandals, Tevas or flip-flops because you are constantly taking shoes on and off.
- Bring calcium and vitamin pills. This country, and many other 3rd world countrie, are very deficient in milk products, cheese, yoghurt and, depending on the season, fruit.
- Men, wear long pants; women long pants, capris or shorts that hit well below the knee. Otherwise, you will thought of as culturally insensitive.
- Check with several tour operators on the internet, tell them what you want to see and do and compare prices.
- The Narawat Hotel in Mrauk U had the best food in the remote regions.
Continue reading "Another Incredible Myanmar Experience Was Over" »
Downriver now, heading to Mrauk U with pretty much the same sights as before. Bamboo log rafts,...View image... people carrying water from the river...View image...fishing nets strung across the river....and then the Nawarat Hotel....View image...
Having seen what old ear plugs (or tribal earrings) looked like, it was a visit back to the little shop opposite the Pagoda where I purchased the Chin belt yesterday. Walked back in, bargained a bit, a bought a pair of little silver ear plugs and one amber ear plug. It wasn't easy, and took a lot of planning, to visit the Chin Tribe Area and Mrauk U but was certainly worth the effort. These are all experiences and cultures that are dying out and will never been seen again...not in my lifetime or generations to come. Worth the effort.
Amber and "Silver" tribal ear plugs
Continue reading "Mrauk U and Back to Sittwe" »
Of course, another early morning transfer to a smaller boat to head upriver to the Chin Tribe area, 45 miles away from Mrauk U. This Chin tribe uses a spider-web pattern of tattoos on their faces. The legend is that the Chin women were so beautiful that the Chin men had them tattooed to keep other men away. Only about 200-300 persons visit the Chin area during the tourist season, and only five villages still have women with tattooed faces. Foreigners are only welcomed in two of them and in the one we were going to visit, only a few tattooed women still survive.
Heading upriver there were many Bangladesh and Rahkine people living along the riverbank in little villages. The Bangladeshi are refugees who have made their way over the border into Myanmar. Every now and then, Myanmar does a roundup and sends them back to Bangladesh. Bangladesh then refuses to accept them back and kicks them over the border into Myanmar. A vicious cycle and because everyone is desperate for a job and willing to work for almost nothing, the daily workers earn maybe 33 cents a day max..
on the way to see the Chin Tribe
Continue reading "Pan Paung Chin Village" »
Toe took us to Lat Kauk Zay Monastery knowing my love for old relics. The Head Monk is a personal friend of Toe, 66 years old and has spent 46 years in monk service. The Monastery was filled with Buddha images and other relics but Head Monk also had over 1,000 other Buddha images in a locked storeroom that he personally had been collecting for many years. The people of Myanmar practice Theravada Buddhism, the same as Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The three of us must have spent well over two hours sitting on the floor with Head Monk, admiring very ancient and rare images that he brought from the store room for us to see. One Buddha was worshiped by the King and many were over 1,000 year old.
sitting on the floor with Head Monk
Continue reading "Lat Kauk Zay Monastery and A Mrauk U Village" »
One of the warnings given to us from Diethelm before visiting Mrauk U was...a trip to Mrauk U must be regarded as an adventure tour because of...simple accommodation with infrequent electricity supply, bad roads, vehicles with NO air conditioning and of mediocre or poor quality, erratic supply of public and private boats, etc....None of this really applied to Mrauk U. The Nawarat Hotel was comfortable, their food was good and one evening we had dinner at the Vesali Resort Hotel, a very small but pretty guesthouse with good food (e-mail: vesali@myanmar.com.mm). Take a look at the Myanmar Travel Information site for extremely detailed information on Mrauk U and other destinations within Myanmar.
Mrauk-U has over 30 monasteries, 1,000 monks and novices and probably upwards of 3,000 Buddha statues. This is the only place you will see stupas with labyrinths (or mazes) in them.
The best preserved Pagoda in Mrauk U and home to 80,000 holy Buddha images is Shittaung. ...View image...There are 33 smaller ones, that rise from platform to platform around the large central stupa, similar in style to Indonesia's Borobudur. (We haven't seen Borobudur and will take their word for it.) The inside was a maze of interior passages with different reliefs and Buddha images in niches.
Mrauk U map detailing the many sites to see
Continue reading "Mrauk U Pagodas and Sightseeing" »
About 80,000 people live here and the average family earns $15 a MONTH, an extremely poor area, even poorer than Sittwe. Mrauk U is actually on the Aungdat Chatung River, a tributary of the Kaladan River, less than 40 miles from Sittwe. It was founded in 1433 and was once the center of one of Myanmar's most powerful kingdoms. The Mrauk U dynasty lasted 352 years and left temples, stupas and city-wall ruins all over the area.
Stopped by the Moe Cherry Restaurant to make dinner reservations as well as arrangements for motoring up to the Chin Tribe area. The family-owned Moe Cherry seemed to control all tourist arrangements in this area.
Moe Cherry
Continue reading "Mrauk U Trivia and Information" »
Transferred to the Sittwe jetty for departure by private boat to Mraul U up the Kaladan River. There are different boat options for transport. Approaching the jetty, I saw this huge, rusted out, decrepit boat and thought..."oh my God...don't tell me that's our boat." It wasn't. It is the Government-owned boat! Our little boat was sitting behind it. There is the Government boat, cargo boats, small private boats and a passenger craft that only sails twice a week. The journey usually takes between 4 to 7 hours depending on how you hit the currents because the Bay of Bengal converges here in the Delta.
The first two hours was quite boring, the water choppy and cold. I had envisioned this river trip as being narrow and scenic. Was I ever wrong! The boat traveled through the wide delta of sea water, too far from shore to see anything and it wasn't until around 9:30 am that the journey became interesting...bring a book...View image...
Government boat
Continue reading "Mrauk U on the Kaladan River" »
We hated to leave Inle Lake and the Shwe Inn Tha Resort Hotel. ...View image...There was so much to see and I never got tired of watching the leg-rowers, visiting markets and seeing the local ethnic tribes. Unfortunately, it was time to move on. On the way from Inle Lake to the Heho Airport were a few more interesting sights. Last night was a full moon. That meant a special ceremony at the local Monasteries and there were several women walking alongside the road carrying large silver bowls filled with fruits and food on their heads for Monastery offerings.
The Heho airport is a distance from Inle Lake and since most flights start early in the morning, we had to leave very early. Tip: Always bring something warm to wear on the longtail boats in the morning and evening. It is freezing on the lake before the day warms up. Most of the boats carry umbrellas, one for each passenger, and it's quite amusing watching boat after boat go by with the tourists using the umbrellas held in front of them as a windbreak. We did the same and it does make a difference. so open those umbrellas!
carrying offerings to monastery
Continue reading "Finally, Sittwe in Rakine State of Myanmar" »
Taunggyi is the capital of Southern Shan State, another former British hill station and very prosperous. Tourists are not allowed to go any further east by road because of opium warlords, ruby miners and the occasional insurgency. We would make a a fast stop there just to pick up our Kak Ku guide at the Pa O collective office. You can only visit Kak Ku with a licensed Pa O guide accompanying you and this allows the Pa O to earn some of the tourist dollars from the site.
A long boat ride from Swe Inn Tha Resort back to Nuangshwe where the car was waiting for our road trip to Kak Ku via Taunggyi. But first, a stop at a Myanmar Vineyard. Yes, that is correct...a Myanmar Vineyard. By now, a drinkable glass of wine sounded mighty good so when Toe asked if we wanted to stop and taste some, he got an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
tasting and buying Aythaya wine
Continue reading "Taunggyi and Kak Ku" »
Most tourists explore Inle Lake for one or two days at the most and have to cram everything into that amount of time. It can certainly be done easily, but it was a lot more interesting spending at least three days in and around the Lake. There is extended walking that can be done around Nyangshwe and on the east side of Inle, where we planned a day hike. You can arrange your own guided hikes through any hotel or guesthouse, but wear hiking boots, bring lots of water and a packed lunch. This was considered a "rugged" all day hike and Toe had not only hired a young man from the Princess Hotel to accompany us, but also bought high-topped sneakers to walk in. Toe was only familiar with one route and wanted to make sure that we didn't get lost or take a wrong turn in the hills. (This is why Toe is such a great guide.)
It was now around 9:30 am and already quite warm before we left the Mine Thauk 5-Day Rotating Market to start hiking. It was a gradual incline up to the the Mine Thauk Monastery and Retreat (Meditation Center).
Continue reading "Day Hike to Lwe Khaw Villages By Inle Lake" »
Over 100,000 people live on and around Inle Lake with approximately 60 families per village. Having a long-tail boat with an engine is an excellent way to earn a living on Inle.
Our meal situation around Inle Lake was: An early breakfast at hotel. A buffet was served every morning with fresh fruit, eggs, coffee, breads, etc...... Lunch was always at one of the restaurants somewhere on or around the Lake and dinner back at the Shwe Inn Tha Floating Resort with whatever we felt like eating.
It was always necessary to get an early start because the boat crossings took time but were never boring. Also, it gets quite hot during the day and we wanted to get a little headstart before the day became unbearable. February starts the "Hot Season" when tourism really winds down, but we thought it was pretty "Hot" right now in January. Today, the rotating 5-day market was being held at Mine Thauk on the east side of Inle Lake which is where our day hike would start.
hiking map
Continue reading "Mine Thauk (Maing Thauk) Market, Inle Lake" »
Nga Phe Kyaung or "Jumping Cat Monastery" is located close to the Ywama village and floating market. The Monastery is wooden, built on stilts and the monks have trained their cats to jump (or leap) through hoops. I'm not quite sure how many times a day the cats perform but there was still 30-minutes to go when we arrived and spent the time walking around and admiring another unique Monastery.
Nga Phe Kyaung had very tall and ornate pedestals and cases for their collection of Buddha images. The pedestals are a speciality of Shan and Thai Buddhist art and over 100 years old. The gilded wood images, silver, mosaics and intricate pedestals were brilliant in the sun shining through the windows. In every Monastery we visited, the Buddha images were in different styles. Shan, Tibetan, Bagan, Inwa...alabaster, wooden, stone, gold, silver...an infinite variety. There were exactly four other tourists inside "Jumping Cat Monastery" besides us and perhaps three or four cats wandering around, waiting for their big moment.
Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery
Continue reading "Jumping Cat Monastery and An Intha Massage" »
Indaing (Indein) is located at the western end of Inle Lake reached by a boat ride through a long channel. This river channel is too shallow to use later on in the dry season and even now it was difficult to use a longtail boat with motor. On the way we watched farmers cultivating their produce and even more leg-rowers.
Shwe Intaing Pagoda is an 800-year old pagoda reached by a long walkway covered by a roof held up by 400 wooden columns. We visited Shwe Intaing Pagoda once before during a downpour, wading through mud to reach this Pagoda. Today? Completely different...sunny and hot. But before heading up, Toe took us on a little walk along streams and channels at the base because he had noticed a tour group heading up to visit and wanted us to enjoy the complex alone. On his advice, we took a path up instead of the traditional walkway, the longer way to the top.
leisurely walk around the streams
Continue reading "Shwe Intaing (Shwe Inn Thein) Pagoda and A Cheroot Factory" »
Every hotel on Inle Lake seemed to cater to its own specialized clientele. Japanese because of their Japanese-style cuisine, another Italian and Spanish. Our hotel was primarily filled with the Swiss, German and French tourists and we saw more Americans on this trip than on our last three trips combined. The English tend not to visit Myanmar...perhaps because of their Home Office warnings or Human Rights sensitivities. We personally feel that it is a disfavor to these wonderful people not to visit.
The main reason for Inle Lakes popularity among tourists is the abundance of markets, especially the 5-day rotating market that moves from village to village on certain days. The ethnic Pa-O, Danu and Intha inhabitants come to these markets to buy and sell their goods. These markets happen to be a tourist attraction but are a necessity for the people. Today, we went to visit the Ywama Floating Market and Village (not part of the 5-day rotating markets).
boats heading to market
Continue reading "Ywama Floating Market On Inle Lake" »
There is only one way to get one of the 11 hotels on (or in) Inle Lake or any of the communities built on floating islands of water hyacinths...by boat....and this is where we and every other tourist was headed. Inle Lake is unbelievably beautiful with its calm water, surrounded by mountains, and bustling villages built on stilts.
Basically the floating islands are made from water hyacinths, grass and straw. The primarily Intha people dig down into mudlike hyacinth mess, put in 100-foot long by three feet wide strips tamped down, let it dry for up to six months, and stick bamboo poles into the sod at intervals to stabilize while everything grows together. Only then do they either sell off the sod or create a new island. (Most of the islands are only five feet deep.) Inle Lake is about 13 miles long and only six miles wide. ex-Marine and I were excited about revisiting Inle Lake and it is one of Toe's favorite places. On our boat and we're off...View image...
tourist boats lined up and waiting
Continue reading "Heading Into Inle Lake" »
Leaving Kalaw...would have liked another day to mosey around and headed back into the hills. Through Heho, the town where the airfield is, on our way to Shwenyaung, a junction for the road to Nyang Shwe and Inle Lake. All the airlines fly into Heho on a small landing strip (one after another) and when the weather is bad, everything gets backed up. It then takes at least one hour to get to Nyang Shwe, up and over the mountains, where you catch your boat out onto Inle Lake.
Heho was holding the largest of the 5-day markets today in this area of Shan State and, in my book, there is no such thing as too many markets. Each is unique. Pa O women walking along the road in their distinctive orange head scarves, their woven carrying baskets slung over their shoulders, carrying goods to and from the Heho market.
women walking to Heho market
Continue reading "Heho Market and Inle Lake" »
The next morning we set out for a four-hour hike to a Palaung tribal village. It's possible to arrange treks around Kalaw, everything from a one-day hike to five-day treks into the hills with licensed guides. The Palaung people were formerly animists but have mostly converted to Buddhism
The women wear colorful red and blue costumes and cultivate large leaf tobacco to wrap cigars (cheroots to them). Pinnabin was one of the only villages reachable on a day-hike with a few longhouses left. Our driver took us to the trail head and we began. At first the steep track led down in a narrow valley where the Palaun |
