Kyaiktiyo, Myanmar / Burma

Google maps: Kyaiktiyo, Myanmar / Burma

Another change of plans. Some parts of Myanmar / Burma are still off limits to tourists, some used to be open but are now shut again, like Western cities of Sittwe and pagodas-filled Mrauk U.

It would be however too easy to give up on Burma and head for the comfort of Thai beaches so I decided to hit the less visited Southeastern Myanmar / Burma.

But Kyaiktiyo pagoda or Golden Rock is certainly not a back street site though as it is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in whole of the country. Only problem is that it is up on a hill 5-hour trek from a base camp. Luckily enough Burmese dislike hiking in 35 degrees as much as I do so there is an alternative. How many people can squeeze into the back of medium Nissan truck? Apparently 50 (if not for me it would be 51) plus the driver. And what a ride it was... It was as if a packed city bus was put on a rollercoaster, only there was no seatbelts and airbags, just a Buddha image on a windscreen. I was dead scared but other people were just sipping tea, eating crisps and chewing betel leaves and looked like no pilgrims rather as shoppers heading for the market.

But once we got to the top, it seemed like it was just more of a market than a holy place. Any Burmese religious site looks like a combination of sacred place and small town bazaar. And vendors sell not only food, drinks and Buddha statues, but everything from toys, clothing to Chinese electronics.

But all second thoughts disappear when you finally see the Golden Rock. It is a very small pagoda built on a granite boulder all covered in golden leaves. The boulder seems to defy gravity as it appears just about to roll down the hill. But as legend says it stands on the strand of the Buddha's hair so human laws no longer apply here. Early morning filled with candlesticks' scent, monks' chanting and pilgrims silence makes it all encapsulating. But them again walking around Kyaiktiyo pagoda you can also see people picnicking, young monks playing with remote-controlled cars, kids running with fake wooden guns in between praying adults. In Burma sacrum mixes with ordinary every day life as if one could not be separated from the other. Coming to Kyaiktiyo is worthwhile not only for the Golden Rock but also for a first-hand insight into Burmese Buddhism. And two rides on a rollercoaster...

Inle lake, Myanmar/ Burma

Google maps: Inle lake, Myanmar / Burma

Burma is beautiful but hectic and dusty, so it is so unexpected to find yourself in a peaceful and tidy place. Inle lake is not just a lake but the whole ecosystem with its indigenous people, way of living and culture. The lake might be only 2-4 meters deep or even less but it is a centre of everything here. The houses look fragile suspended over the water on wooden poles, fishermen continuously patrol the lake by leg-rowing (unique local skill) in search of the best catch, even schools, pagodas and monasteries are built on water, not to mention floating gardens - vegetable plantations with their roots freely suspended in water (delicious tomatoes). This is one of these places you hear off or watch on Discovery but somehow doubt it is real that people can live this way. They not only do but have the biggest smiles in Burma too - but this might be also thanks to no dust and milder weather here...

Bagan, Myanmar / Burma

Google maps: Bagan, Myanmar / Burma


Bagan is often regarded as one of the forgotten grand cities of the past. It is not so forgotten now as it is probably Myanmar's / Burma's biggest tourist attraction.
Bagan (Pagan) Empire ruled today's Burma and most of current Thailand for over 200 years with Bagan as its capital from 1044 to 1287. The Empire flourished and prospered so kings, devout Buddhists, found an honest hobby and went completely crazy about building temples. Building frenzy lasted over 200 years almost until the year of the Empire's collapse and left over 10,000 religious monuments, including 1,000 large stupas. With Empire lost (Mongols helped) the city was completely abandoned until mid-19th century, but still now is rather small with only barely 20,000 inhabitants. All past wooden buildings and palaces are long gone but still remaining are 4,000 brick and stone temples that survived 700 years of neglect, erosion, earthquakes and thieves.
The kings were no petty builders and the place is overwhelming even today. The temples fill up Bagan's plain up to the horizon, all unique, high up to 63m, all lavishly decorated inside and outside. The sunrise view makes you quickly forget the 10-hour boat trip, sleepless night and 4,30am wake up call. You get more amazed with every minute, every temple revealing itself with the morning sun. One could spend months here exploring each of them one by one. I however kept wandering what the whole place must have been like during its peak if this is what is left. Today, similarly as WS Maugham wrote in 1930s, it is just a vague recollection of a fantastic dream. And what a fantastic dream it must have been...

Mandalay, Myanmar / Burma

Google maps: Mandalay, Myanmar / Burma

WS Maugham wrote that Mandalay sounds magical solely by the sound of its name, the same as Trebizond, Kathmandu or Samarkand. But despite the magical name Mandalay proved to be just a dusty ugly town though with broad, straight streets and out-of-the-proportions 4km2 square palace surrounded by a 64m-wide moat situated right in the middle of the town. What proved special however was not the city, despite few highlights, but my 'road to Mandalay' paraphrasing R Kipling. It was supposed to be an easy night bus ride...
Yangon bus station is an amazing 20km north of the city centre so I calmly tried to get there by taxi. But as the price after negotiations (8US$) was almost as high as the bus ticket itself (12US$) I opted for a city bus. First I need to find one and knowing the number (43) should help. The problem is however that Burmese do not use Latin numbers and there is no real bus stops so you just need to wave to the one just passing by guessing quickly the number and destination. Maybe taxi is not so bad in the end... After 1,5h ride through a jammed city we crossed a little bridge (the only entry point), paid our fee and arrived at the proud Aung Mingalar Bus Station. The sight was surreal. It was like the place where buses live and sleep. Like a small disorganized town but as far as you could see there were buses, just standing or being washed, repaired, painted, with their tyres being changed or pumped, packed, unpacked or simply aimlessly running on a neutral gear. Huge place. How will I find my 'terminal'? My taxi driver left my at the crossroads and showed to the right. But there were at least 50 buses all marked with Burmese letters only! But just when I started to panic suddenly some guy took my backpack and run without saying anything. I followed shocked and of course got to the right place. How did he knew? The bus box, I would not dare to call it a terminal, looked more like a combination of tv room and forgotten post office with over 20 people - who is from the company and who's just a traveller was impossible to say. TV was showing DVDs with kids' talent shows carefully followed by large group of devoted teenagers, while the place itself was swamped with boxes and packages or all types and sizes. I asked if this was the right place but with several 'yes, yes, yes' I did not really feel reassured.
Yet there was still 30min to departure time. After 30min of no activity I became more insistent. The responsible showed up and took my ticket,  passport and carefully wrote my last name as Piotr on a bus diagram. Ok, ready to go, but I asked for a toilet first. The guy proudly showed me the dark field behind the box, shared with bus repair facilities and animal farm. I decided to take my chances... The bus was 30 min late when things started moving. Someone gave me a bag tag and disappeared with my backpack into the dark. Then all the boxes started to be loaded. Then unpacked as the bigger ones could not fit. Finally an hour later I was showed in and froze immediately. The A/C was put on 20C or less... I panicked trying to find my backpack. I was told it is next to my seat along with complimentary water, wet towel and toothbrush! With my long trousers and shirt on I was ready to go. After all this falling asleep was easy... Few hours of a smooth ride and suddenly an alarm came on. Lights flashed multicolor, music yelled loudly and the bus stopped. Dinnertime! Huge parking, bigger then any autobahn equivalents, next to Pioneer Food Court. Flashy fountains, plastic lions and rhinos, paper palm trees, all in pink and blue and in the size of average Belgian shopping mall - you get the idea. I bought a Coke and went back to the bus but it was shut dead for another 25 minutes... But then we moved on again. I put on my last jumper and went back to sleep. The fluorescent loud alarm woke me up again. It was 4.30am and we've arrived, 30min ahead of schedule... I got out in Mandalay or rather bus stop 10km south of the city. Then negotiations started - with no-one to share a taxi with I was left with the choice of 10US$ taxi or 4US$ scooter. With two backpacks and heavy me I obviously went for the scooter and funny guy called Lenlo. Good marketer as he was he proposed not to go straight to the hotel, probably shut now anyway, and head for the sites. Sunrise at U Bein Bridge and early prayers at Mahamuni Paya made the whole trip worthwhile. I finally arrived at the hotel at 10am happy but unconscious and went straight to sleep. I woke up hangovered 2h later. I have finally arrived in Mandalay...

Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar / Burma

Google maps: Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon

There is not many things like it anywhere in the world. W.S. Maugham in its "The Gentelman in the Parlour" described it like a giant ship surrounded by lighters, severe and splendid. For me it was more like a mountain, aloof but somehow cosy and familiar, the one you respect but visit often and get to know well. Sunrise over the pagoda makes it even more special. Early worshipers pray silently, monks meditate to the sound of the smaller and bigger bells. All combines together into one golden coloured landscape where men cherish what seems more of the God's creation.

But apart from its beauty and magnificence (112m high) it is above all the most sacred Buddhist pagoda for the Burmese with the relics of the past four Buddhas enshrined within, including eight strands of hair from Gautama, the historical Buddha. The legend says it is 2.600 years old and was built by two merchant brothers who actually met Lord Buddha still in his lifetime. It is hard to verify that but undoubtedly Shwedagon Pagoda has been the centre of Burmese Buddhism and culture for centuries and will hopefully dominate Yangon's skyline for many more years to come.

Yangon, Myanmar / Burma

I really did not know what to expect of Myanmar or Burma. I always wanted to come here but felt kind of uneasy about the whole idea. And after first day in Yangon it still feels strange and certainly different than any place else... All looks familiar but somehow surprising.
Heavy traffic but no mopeds or motorbikes, usually South East Asians' favourites. Cars drive of the right but most of them have steering wheels also on the right so made for driving on the left. Then in the five-million former capital of a fifty-million inhabitants' country there is no skyscrapers, but you can still admire past glory of early 20th century colonial buildings. One of them, the Ministers' Building, former home and administrative seat of the British Burma is completely abandoned and surrounded by barbed wire since 1972 - not a great view as it covers the entire block in the downtown area. But the city is still great to walk around, watch busy street life and experience back alleys. However unexpectedly this lively town by day comes almost to a standstill after sunset, as streets are only lit by passing cars and shops having their own power generators. The night market has lot to offer but certainly less then its other regional equivalents. But then you enter a supermarket and you have all you would wish for, even 1$ half a litre bottle of gin or whisky. My hotel room has flat screen tv but only one channel (Fox Movies if you ask). Finally, the people. All appear excited to see more tourists, always greet you with a wide smile, shout 'hello' and always happy to pose for a photo. But for me they also seem somehow tired and less enthusiastic, similarly like Indians... I hope in the next days I will see more of real Myanmar, as it feels there is much more to it then one can initially see, the good and the unexpected...

Chinatown, Bangkok

I thought I have all worked it out, but not the first time I got it wrong. Chinese New Year is a main holiday not only in China but also in much of South East Asia. Thailand is no different and boast of one of the largest Chinese community.
On the eve of a New Year (10th February this year) families gather for so-called Reunion Dinner, kind of Polish Xmas Eve dinner. At least so I thought... Yaowarat, main Bangkok's Chinatown artery was supposed to be deserted... To my surpirse I have not seen so many people in one place since the pope (previous one obviously) was last time in Poland. All temples, street food stalls were completely overrun. Based on quick analysis, I concluded that maybe they finished eating earlier and now went out for traditional 'bainian', visiting of friends and family. So as I finally understood what's going on I was expecting typical New Year celebrations. Firecrackers could be heard from far. But then again I was told that fireworks are only for 31st Dec and this time there would be very few. I did not give up. Seeing all this people around something will happen. It will but as I was told again it would be only the next day... I guess all this other people made the same mistake as me. But they'll come to Yaowarat tomorrow when I'll be on my way to Myanmar.
Dissapointed I sat down to enjoy some Chinese theatre. New Year character was fighting Old Year and all other evils - at least so I was told. Luckily enough the New Year has won...
Happy New Year of the Snake to all of you! 'Keong Hee Huat Chye' (in Hokkien), congratulations and be prosperous!

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Google maps: Chiang Mai, Thailand

I was supposed to be in Myanmar/Burma already from Tuesday but opted for few more relaxing days in Thailand instead. And there is no better place than Chiang Mai known for great hiking, beautiful temples and best Thai cooking classes, so my type of right mix. As I did a lot of hiking last time round now focus was primarily on praying and eating, or rather taking photos of Buddhas (never boring) and blind tasting rice noodles from egg noodles and jasmine rice from sticky rice.And I have finally expanded my Thai menu a bit - not only green curry, pad thai and tom yam soup but also papaya salad, mango rice and delicious stir-fry. And yet another time I realised that if the ingredients are fresh and tasty you cannot really mess it up unless you burn it or add too much salt. Yet it can still happen even to the best of us :-)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

After 13-day Malaysian adventure, we are back in Bangkok. Piotr left on Sunday back to PL but Marta joined me for another two days in Bangkok. Then on my own, at least for some time :-)
I was in Malaysia for the first time five years ago and since then it has not lost its edge. Economically it is fast catching up and really feels like EU or US are not so far off. Especially given that for Malaysians EU or US still seem like places to be, visit or buy. Yet despite being surrounded by young Malays wearing Chelsea t-shirts, eating KFCs, parading with fake Guccis and drinking Coca-Colas (no light or zero versions though), it is still an authentic cultural melting pot full of curious people living in narrow streets and eating street food by run down corners. Touristically Borneo proved to be one of the best places I've seen. Not so spectacular in the Taj Mahal's type of way but much more relaxed, not so overcrowded, full of unexpected and very welcoming. Sometimes going to the places you do not know much about before actually getting there, can be not only surprising but much fun too despite some extra stress.
From Malaysia I will best remember Penang's food, view of Kuala Lumpur from Petronas Towers' 86th floor, long red-nose Proboscis monkeys and sentimental Orangutans, turquoise water surrounding Palau Sibuan and Bum Bum's house on water. And funny taxi driver in Kuching saying 'ok' all the time - Borneo people nice, ok; you not lose weight here, ok; you enjoy, ok. Ok, I certainly did...

Bum Bum island, Malaysian Borneo

Google maps: Palau Bum Bum, Semporna Archipelago

Semporna is a scary place - dirty, dangerous with dodgy people aimlessly wandering around. It is hard to believe it is a departure point to dream-like archipelago dotted on the Celebes sea. Leaving Semporna we did not really know what to expect - we booked Monkey Dives Lodge basically by chance based on few good reviews. When we arrived there we realised it is not even on land but like most of the houses here is standing on wooden poles straight out of the sea. Jump into the sea and all the dissappointments with Semporna are gone. And then it got even better - Sibuan and Mantabuan islands are not so popular as Jacques' Cousteau nearby favourite Sipadan but I really cannot imagine how it can any prettier, on the land or snorkeling in the sea. I'm definitely coming back here for longer one day and not only two lousy days - am I becoming beach tolerant? But maybe it is not the beach but just turquoise sea...