On the way to Kalaw, Toe took us to a very old teaching Monastery he was familiar with built in the 1800’s. Absolutely gorgeous filled with carvings and old Buddhas. ex-Marine already had his fill of Monasteries by now and decided to wait in the car, but when I saw the magnificent decorations and people in it, asked Toe to go back out and tell him he had to see this one.
The Head Monk had died four days ago and the Monastery was filled with people paying their respects (very similar to a wake). It took us a bit to realize that the deceased monk was actually laid out right in the middle of the Monastery. (He looked pretty good.) Several people spoke English and came up to us with an invitation to sit with them, drink tea and talk. Toe knew the Head Monk well and was saddened as were the locals in mourning. One woman expressed what a good man Head Monk had been. This Monastery had some of the most beautiful, ancient Buddhas we had ever seen, some decorated with silver. …View image… Unfortunately, we had some real time constraints and had to move on. The Myamar people are always so polite and eager to converse with us that its difficult not to spend hours with everyone, but…places to go….
Back in the car, the people were busy in the fields, reaping wheat and putting them into sheaves. Almost one quarter of Myanmar’s geographic area is occupied by the Shan State. The major ethnic groups include the Palaung, Kachin, Akha, Lahu and Padaung. Some of this area to the east is still inhabited by opium warlords and travel is restricted. We needed permits for Indawgyi and Sittwe areas only handled by travel agents in Myanmar.
Kalaw, situated at 4,200′ above sea level, is a former British Hill Resort, on the western edge of the Shan Plateau. Kalaw is very quiet and filled with colonial architecture from that era. It would be very cool at night (again…glad we packed warm clothes). A fast stop at the old British narrow-gauge train station, with betel nut sellers waiting for the train already running a few hours late.
From there, to The Amara Resort, a beautiful Myanmar boutique hotel with only 10 rooms, operated and owned by a German man married to a Burmese women. (e-mail: amara@myanmar.com.mm) FYI: Foreigners are not allowed to own property. This colonial residence was originally built in 1909 and restored. It was surrounded by gardens and beautifully situated for trekking into the Shan Mountains around Kalaw. Everyone staying here but us were part of German tour groups. A tray of home-grown organic fruits in the room, an open fireplace, bathroom with shower and tub…stunning…and unexpected.
