At breakfast, our guide and his wife gave us gifts…. a blouse for me and postcards and a Buddha laminated card for us. They were truly special people.
Another bus ride and more bone-jarring hours on the road to Kalaw.
We stopped at a toddy farm where we got to see them making peanut oil (using an ox ), making palm sugar candy and toddys.
Another bus ride and more bone-jarring hours on the road to Kalaw.
We stopped at a toddy farm where we got to see them making peanut oil (using an ox ), making palm sugar candy and toddys.
To get the palm syrup, these tiny guys climb to the top of the palm trees (a long way up!) – a lot like maple syrup except at serious heights.
Our next “tea stop” was the “chicken tea stop” where dozens of women carried trays of cooked chicken on their heads. We chose to skip the chicken, but tried a few of their greasy doughnuts and tea.
Finally, we got to Kalaw and, a beautiful hotel- the Dream Villa. We got a cab (Albert, the Muslim cabby- who was covering all the bases with a baby Jesus on his dash board and Buddhist stuff hanging over his mirror….not to mention the TV on his dash for those times when he’s waiting for his passengers) and headed to the Kalaw Hotel. It was another old British hill town hotel, built in 1903, but not renovated- and obviously government run. It just had that stench. It was still light out, so the waiter carried a table and chairs outside to the front yard so we could enjoy the sunset. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were out in force- so we headed back into the bleak dining room. They had wine- a rare commodity in Burma. It was a cheap, dry German wine (well, not cheap by Burmese standards-- $10 a bottle)-- but after beer and cokes, wine tasted so good. The dining room filled with a table of government people. It was obvious who the head guy was by the tone and loudness of his voice. An interesting experience. Albert rescued us and took us back to our hotel. As we left, we passed the TV room- where CNN was on talking about Yahoo and the Internet. You have to wonder what these people think about the world outside Burma. It must seem very strange.
Back at the hotel, we sat on the balcony and listened to 3 or 4 dueling guitars playing through the town…bad singing (like a drunken frat party).
Back at the hotel, we sat on the balcony and listened to 3 or 4 dueling guitars playing through the town…bad singing (like a drunken frat party).
The hotel had an active Nat shrine- with flowers, pictures and coconuts. The hotel cost $18 a night and, once again, electricity only from 6:00pm to 4:00 am.
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