Myanmar 2: Hsipaw Part A

 

Sat 10 Feb
Jess still feeling unwell, but opted to push on to Hsipaw (the “H” is silent, in case you’re wondering).  Taxi to the bus station at 1pm ready for 2pm departure; travel tip 1 – buses can opt to depart up to 30mins early apparently so allow plenty of time to find bus, check luggage isn’t crushed by mopeds also being loaded on coach…etc!

This wasn’t an epic bus journey as it was ‘only’ six hours, but I couldn’t really capture it photographically, so here’s a description.                              
     

Our bus, plus white car roof-rack weight testing! 

Sitting on the bus waiting to depart hot & dusty Mandalay bus station in the midday heat. Seats surprisingly comfy and reasonable leg room. Bus is full, selection of locals and tourists, and a smattering of well-behaved infants. I’m watching a “Hot Offal Brochette” stall doing a steady trade.

Offal brochette stall and our bus

There’s a large tin bowl sitting on a charcoal burner in the middle of a mobile stall with a roof providing some shade for the steady flow of male customers, sat on the ubiquitous “kids” stools. Select your kebab from the unidentifiable array of warm offal sat in the sunshine, making the curling, chopped intestines glisten appetisingly. Then add wicked looking chilli sauce on your little aluminium plate, and chew away. Water is included - from the communal water cooler: dip in the single metal cup, sip, swill, and spit of course. When you’ve finished eating, spit on the dirt floor, some tooth pick action, then spit again. Overt belching is the norm here - but luckily can’t hear that from inside my bus as we pull out of the bus station 2 minutes early.

Ours is a relatively modern bus with – thankfully – a good driver. He hoons along, using an accepted technique to overtake everything in his path.  Travel tip 2: don’t chose front seats, have a good book and refrain from watching the driving!  Load blast on mega-horn means ‘coming past’; vehicle in front indicates left (they drive on the right in Myanmar) meaning it’s clear, or right if not. Yup – plenty of overtaking on what westerners would call blind bends.  Rest break where they cool the brakes and radiation with a large water hose, and twenty minutes to wolf down impressive curry buffet (we abstained).

Having climbed up the hills out of Mandalay, after 100km we descended into the steep valley that contains the Goteik Viaduct. We opted not to take the train because it’s a 10 hour journey, and the viaduct was built in 1900!

Goteik viaduct in the distance!

Goteik viaduct courtesy of Google!

One car and moped crash witnessed on the way down, and then up the other side. The zig-zag road twisting up the side of the hill is  jammed with queuing trucks and busses that have to pause to let each other negotiate the countless hairpins. Finally we’re over the top, and then more bouncy overtaking in the dusk, with 50% of vehicles not bothering with lights until it is totally dark, just to add an extra thrill to the game.

The Vomit Comet hauled into Hsipaw on time at 7.15pm.  When you board, you notice the bottle of water and sick bag in each seat-back. Sensible – at least four people threw up as we bounced and weaved for six hours to Hsipaw!!

Sun 11 
Jess unfortunately wasn’t getting any better, and we had already cancelled our 3 day/ 2 night trek.  But, as luck would have it, Mr Charles Hotel had a doctor’s clinic right outside, and it transpired that the lovely doctor’s husband was Mr “Ko Pee” (son of Mr Charles, now retired) who we were booking all our hiking with!  Anyway - Jess was advised to rest and drink gallons of electrolyte.

Meanwhile I went for a wander around the little town of Hsipaw, enjoying the tranquility after the grime and noise of Mandalay.

Hsipaw Post Office 

Black House Coffee - which was to become our regular

Mon 12
I had booked a 10 hour day hike - but cancelled it to stay with Jess. That afternoon I rented a single-speed push bike and headed out to explore a bit further afield.

Dilapidated house in the grounds of the Shan Palace 

Novice nuns 

Ancient Stupa in the old town 

Old monastery housing the “Bamboo Buddha”

The Bamboo Buddha - circa 1200 AD 

I then cycled back up “Sunset Hill” just outside town, and had a better sunset than the previous day when I had walked up it, but at this time of year it’s usually quite hazy.

Hsipaw town centre, in the bend of the Dokhtawady river at sunset 

Tue 13
Jess improving - so I snuck out pre-dawn to watch the market set-up, but transpired I had the wrong market!! Still some interesting sights in the foggy dawn light, including novice monks on  their alms ‘parade’ around the main market ‘square’.

The butcher! 

10p for hot sticky rice ‘pancake’ with brown sugar 

Novice monks on dawn alms ‘parade’  (see YouTube link below) 

Jess joined me for my daily coffee at Black House on the river, and then we had a lovely lunch next door. I rented a bike for a second afternoon, and pedalled out to the hot springs and around to the old village where I had been yesterday. Hot - but good fun.

 Dam - with locals in hot spring 

Wed 14
Last day in Hsipaw - and we both managed to get out into the countryside on guided tours.
Report to follow in Hsipaw Part B