After our two day trek through the Shan Highlands, Aris and I wanted to explore some more of this scenic and relatively untouched region of Myanmar. On our way back to Hsipaw, we had passed a small village which seemed very nice and interesting. Our plan was to make it back there, till having to figure out how to, and spend the night. Not sure how to exactly get there and not knowing if we could actually stay, we packed our bags, charged our camera batteries and set off for what would be one of the best experiences of my entire trip.
A rough journey
We first had to make it up to another village from where we would hike up to our final destination. We decided to rent a motorbike in town to drive up there. For Aris and I it was the first time riding a motorbike in Myanmar since it is not as easy as in other South East Asian countries. We aligned a bike and told the owner that we would only cruise around town for a couple of days or so. If he would have known where we wanted to take his bike, he definitely would not have given us his ride. We took off along nicely paved roads but soon turned to go uphill. And the road conditions worsened with every couple of hundred meters we went. Two big guys with heavy backpacks on a small 120cc bike going up an almost non existant hill road didn’t seem like a good idea all of a sudden. I was just praying that our bike would not break down us. The ride seemed longer and longer but we finally made it to our stopover. I felt the need to check the bike thoroughly but miraculously nothing was broken, no leaks or any other damage. Thank god.
Buffaloes on the way up into the Shan Mountains.
The owners of the small shop where we had already rested a couple of days before remembered us two and greeted us friendly. We stacked up on some small snack and water and asked if we could leave our bike with them for a night. Of course they were eager to help and let us park it in their little barn. We said goodbye and continued by foot hoping that our luck would continue. After about an hour hiking we were not sure if we had actually taken the right path. We were unsure and a little bit worried but finally decided to keep going. After a while my memory came back and I recognized a few distinctive landmarks – the village was not far away.
A warm welcome
We finally arrived around noon time and not much was going on in the village yet. Most adults were out in the tea fields and the kids in school. We walked around a little bit and discovered that the Burmese army actually had a little outpost in the village. Probably because the Shan region had experienced some ethnic violence just recently. We were not sure how to approach the soldiers but decided to just walk up to one of them, put on our friendliest smile and greet them. The tension loosened quickly as the soldiers greeted us friendly with some even being able to speak a little English. We asked if we could sleep somewhere and they pointed over to the little monastery. One of the soldiers walked us over and introduced us to the few monks. After a little talk, the monks showed us the way inside and indicated that we could leave our bags there. We were surprised and happy that all this worked out so well and uncomplicated. Spending the night in a Burmese monastery seemed like the jackpot, it couldn’t have worked any better for now. We were hungry though and asked the soldier who was about to leave if we could get some food somewhere. He pointed to a hut close by which seemed like a regular house to us. But once we made it over, it became clear that it was a small shop and as usual some people were hanging out inside, sipping tea and smoking. Everyone was very surprised to see us there and offered us a seat and some more tea right away. Using the global sign language, we indicated that we would like to eat a little bit. The only woman inside instantly started cooking and we were served a basic but tasty meal. We were observed curiously by the other “guests” and had a good time together.
Parts of our lunch being prepared – roasted peanuts.
A day at the local village school
Aris and I heard some laughter outside and wanted to see where it was coming from. It was the village school, a small wooden building with a little fence all around it. We wanted to see what was going on inside and how teaching works in rural Myanmar. The two teachers present didn’t seem to have a problem and allowed us to stick around and take some pictures. For the kids of course we were a huge attraction. But after a while they somehow got used to our presence which allowed us to take some great photographs. To see how they were studying, reading, taking notes and trying to solve math problems in such a simple and modest environment was a fascinating and humbling experience. So different from what we are used to back in Europe.
Getting distracted.
So cute.
Taking notes and concentrating.
Also novice monks attend the local school.
There were at least three different classes in one room and it was very loud inside with every class doing different subjects. The kids had to repeat what the teachers were saying and it almost seemed like a sort of choir. Since one of the classes was just being taught some basic English, I thought it might be interesting for the kids to get taught by an actually foreigner. I was allowed to step up front and teach a little bit. The kids listened closely and for a moment it was completely quiet inside. Then they repeated as they were used to and they did a great job. It was such a great moment.
Teaching at the village school. So much fun.
After a while school was about to finish. We thanked the two teachers for their warmly welcome and their patience with us and ran outside with them. They seemed very happy to be done for the day and go playing. Pretty much the same phenomenon as in every other part of the world.
School’s out – finally!
Afterschool playing time
We followed some of the kids through their village. A lot of them seemed to stop at one specific house and just hang around there. Since it was open we decided to check it out and the owner greeted us with some freshly brewed tea. He instantly also invited us for food and even offered us a place to sleep for the night. So much friendliness and kindness everywhere we went to, it was unbelievable. Since we already had a nice place to sleep in the monastery, we declined the offer but arranged that we would come back for dinner. In the meantime the kids were playing outside, shouting and screaming and just having a good time. We joined them for a bit and actually got to know some of them by their names. One of them was Epi, a smart young boy who was really confident. He showed us around the house, smiled the whole time and had lots of fun getting his picture taken. It was fun and time just flew by.
The kids’ hangout.
Just staring.
Some of the kids welcoming us.
Carrying her baby brother
Little Epi playing with the ashes. One of my most favorite pictures.
After a few hours of hanging around and playing, we decided to return a little bit to this friendly community. We went to the local shop and bought some cigars and drinks for the owner of the house and some candy for the kids. They enjoyed it a lot and we all had a good laugh.
Sun sets very quickly in the Burmese mountains and before we realized it got dark. Dinnertime. Our host and his wife had prepared a nice meal. Rice, vegetables, fried peanuts, soup and lots of tea. It was good and very filling. Villagers topped by every now and then to have a look at those foreigners and we enjoyed everyones company. We finished with some Burmese cigars together with our hosts before it was time leave. Since there was no electricity, the village’s activities come to abrupt end once it is dark.
A night to remember in the monastery
We headed over to the monastery where we had arranged to spend the night. The monks and their little novices were chanting inside the big hall so we waited outside for them to finish. Once they were done, they asked us in and showed us around. They gave us small blankets to sleep on, pillows and some more tea. By that time the hall was warmly illuminated by a few candles that were placed close to our “beds”. The light was being reflected in the altar and other golden and silver ornaments on the walls which made for truly magical atmosphere. While the older monks slept in separate rooms, the novices slept in the hall as well. Most of them were still very awake and curious about us. We started showing them the pictures of the day and took some more inside as well. The monks seemed to like it and we all had loads of fun. The best moments were when we showed them the picture we had taken. The amazement in their eyes was priceless.
Our bed for the night.
Looking sceptical.
Lost in thought.
Why so serious?
Checking out the pictures.
Group shot.
Lights out!
Time to say goodbye
We woke up early the next morning but of course the monks were already up and going. They gave us some more tea and a sort of soft cookies for breakfast. We packed our stuff, packed away our temporary beds and went over to see our friends from last night. They were also up already preparing for the tea fields and kids getting slowly ready for school. After a last stroll through the village, it was time to say goodbye. We thanked for the generous hospitality and high fived all of the kids around. We returned to the monastery and also thanked them for letting us spend the night in their home. Our last stop was the school where we also said goodbye and once again thanked the teachers. Some of the kids walked us out of the village and we started the descent back to our motorbike.
Peeking.
Looking out.
Saying goodbye.
Little boy and such a huge camera.
Last thoughts …
I can say that it was the best decision to go back into the highlands all by ourselves. It was a bit risky with so many things totally uncertain but it payed off. It was honestly one of the best experiences of my journey which I think also goes for Aris. To be welcomed so friendly and warmly by people who basically have so little was just great and a real eye opener. The spiritual and magic night at the monastery and the time we spent with the monks was absolutely amazing. The whole trip could not have went any better and was as rewarding as it could get. Those are moments you can only experience when you venture off the beaten track and get out of your comfort zone. I am happy that I decided to come along and that I had the chance to experience the wonderful people of Myanmar in such an authentic way.
Great account matched by terrific photos. It’s heartwarming to read about ‘the kindness of strangers’ in such a faraway place when there is so much violence elsewhere in the world (and this experience hopefully balances out the bad one of having your camera stolen). I admire the leap of faith you had to take doing all this with no plan in place, because anything could have gone wrong (where’s the photo of this poor motorbike?!). Glad it all worked out for the best and left you with some awesome memories.
Thanks Alex…yeah unfortunately I didn’t even take a shot of the bike. In the end, it didn’t even look too bad with all the things we made it endure. Just happy the owner never knew what we were doing. And yeah, the friendliness of the people was amazing. But I suppose with the increase in tourism this might also change. I hope it will never change to the extent Thailand these days or Vietnam.
Excellent photos. That makes me really want to go to Myanmar.
Hey Jeff, thanks for the feedback. Myanmar is a truly photogenic place. So fun to just wander around and explore the beauty that is around every corner. Photographer’s paradise …
Those kids really are cute 🙂 What was the song they were singing in the second video?
I love the photo of Epi grinning through the blue smoke coming from the teapot, and the photo of the baby with the baseball cap. Babies have such neat facial expressions ^_^
Epi was the best. He had a lot fun hanging around with us. Best kid of the crowd but they were all so cool. They were not exactly singing a song, it is the way they learn. The teacher says something and then they either repeat or reply in the form of a song. They were learning Math that way. Really funny to hear…it was soo loud in there hehe
That sounds like a fun way to learn. I never would’ve guessed that was a math lesson! And great job with your turn at teaching! 🙂
Haha, thanks. I think it was something different for these kids as well. But yeah,interesting to see the simple environment in which kids are being taught there in comparison to our western societies.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Was it easy to arrange to stay at the monasteries?
Hi Joanne, we didn’t arrange anything. We didn’t even know it was there. We just hiked into this village, not knowing where we would sleep that night. everything just sort of developed once we arrived. And that was the magic of the whole trip. Just do it and things will happen …. Cheers and thanks for stopping by
Oh, I enjoyed reading this blog a lot; what an inspiring and humbling experience you had! You are blessed to have experienced this! And you dared, also your travelmate! Not everyone would have dared to do so. I could just imagine you teaching infront of those children! Maybe you have missed your vocation, PipoY. A missionary, maybe? I could easily relate to your story here about the school; we also had those before in the PI especially in the rural areas. It was a challenge for a teacher to teach considering the little or someimes lack of proper instructional materials. But we managed with what we had, with a little bit of creativity, patience, hard work and lots of motivation to learn.
And it was such a special experience to have stayed a night in a monastery. Haven’t you planned then to stay a day longer, to live the life of a monK? I remembered when I was at the age of 27 or so, a nun friend of mine asked me to stay a day in the convent to see if I had a calling. I did spend a day there, in complete silence and meditation, but at the end of the day, I heard nothing he he.. I had a different kind of calling, then..
Best regards PipZ 🙂 on to the next blog…
Hi Dines, I have to say that this was probably one of the most memorable travel experiences I ever had and it opened my eyes to what is possible when traveling. The way we did it, was actually the way traveling is supposed to be. You know, adventerous, nothing pre-booked, no tour, exploring and counting on someone to be there to host you. And it all happened, several people actually opened up their houses to us. As you said, it was a humbling experience. I wish we could have stayed longer to spend more time with the villagers and explore the surrounding area. Thanks for reading my story Dines..all the best for your own trip ….
I believe it was one of your best experiences, probably one of my fave posts too. It is just so inspiring. I like your way of travel ; you’re adventurous, daring , not afraid to try something new and different and you possess an open mind; that’s why you also encounter such special experiences. And these experiences you have now for the rest of your life, nobody can take them away from you. And besides, you don’t look dangerous that is why people or the locals also dared to invite you to their homes 🙂
And i like reading the stories. A pity I didn’t know them before, now I have a lot to catch up 🙂 But we don’t have TV now so I have lots of time over to read 🙂 I think I begin with Burma, looks exciting. 🙂
Yeah, it is about creating memories…nothing more nothing less. I think it the most valuable thing in life. It is hard to create interesting memories while being at home. At least for me… Wanderlust is torturing me always…. So I will eventually need to give in …
It’s making you crazy he? I hope it will be soon that you find yourself in balance again..on the road…Why don’t you give us a short wanderstory of your own village. it will give you an excuse, at least for now, to have a leisurely stroll and make some awesome fotos 😉
You know, I thought of doing that bt I feel so uninspired here at home. I don’t have the energy to go out, explore and shoot pictures. It is really strange ….
It is usually the case that we don’t fond our own place not too exciting anymore; too much familiarity. Why don’t you try to see it from an outsider’s eyes, maybe you’ll have a fresher look, like you always have. Don’t try to think too much abt ur wanderlust, it wil Just torment you and keep you from acquiring that needed inspiration to go out. Just like you said, traveling doesn’t mean going to far away place. Maybe that will help quench your travel thirst, until the time comes for your great escape once again 😉
Hi Dines, thanks for your thoughtful advice..yll you say is really true and should try to do it. For now a lot of things keep me busy but I am hoping it pays off some day. I will see… I hope I can do a small escapade sometime soon … but it needs to be on the cheap hehe. Will see about it …. Take care and thanks again
I am so glad to have stumbled across your blog especially this beautiful post! My boyfriend and I are trekking Burma and would like to avoid the typical tourist spots and explore the more untouched places to experience and share in the beautiful cultures and people which you have seemed to beautifully experienced in this post – if you have any suggestions on how or where to find this little hidden gem you found any help would be very greatly appreciated – along with any other handy tips, I was already so excited for this trip but after reading this it has increased ten fold. Really look forward to hearing from you, have an amazing day and thank you in advance – Kimberly
Hi Kimberly, for this specific place you need to go to Hsipaw first. From there you have to make it to the mountains…but it is hard to find. We did an organized trek before and saw this village but only passed by. We then rented a motorbike, drove into the hills, left the bike with a farmer who was also selling drinks along the way and then hiked from there. We got lost once but then found the way. So I can’t give you any specific directions. But generally getting off the beaten trek is really simple in Myanmar…just go and I bet you will find places just like that. One tip if you are looking at trekking tours. The offers in Kyaukme, before Hsipaw, seem to be less known. So it might be an alternative to Hsipaw…. Let me know if you need further input ….
Pleeassseee Phil sayd to me what i must to do for make the same, it’s 3 month that i speak with some local guide, and now you with this photo have made picture to my dream…. where is this monastery ? 😉 3 days for monastery village and shool is enough????;-) i give your link to all guide like exemple,….. but i’m not so confidence that they can made me this…..uuuaaaaaaaaa!!!!
Just go to Hsipaw and find a guide there .. they will know. We did the trip within 2 days but we went before with a group and that’s how we found that village. Don’t be too focused on my experience and my picture… Create your own adventures and memories… That#s way better…. And I am sure, in myanmar you can easily do so …