OFF TO THE HILLS

IMAGES ADDED THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2012 UPON ARRIVAL BACK IN RANGOON

The population of Burma is made up of 135 different government-recognized ethnic groups. To learn something about a few of these groups, we have left Mandalay behind and headed off to Heho. Actually we flew into Heho, then boarded a bus to ride off to Kalaw for two nights before moving on to Inle Lake.

The countryside hereabouts is bucolic and richly fruitful with farming villages producing all manner of fruits and vegetables shipped off elsewhere in the country. Enroute to Kalaw we dropped in on a group of Pa O women for a pleasant chat, then wandered through their village before re-boarding our bus, all part and parcel of Overseas Adventure Travel's approach to enhancing our cultural understanding of the country.

In Kalaw itself we hiked up to a hilltop monastery, both for the view and to listen to some chanting novices. In the early evening we doffed our shoes yet again to walk though a limestone cave lined with donated statues of the Buddha followed by a leisurely stroll through a local neighborhood dominated by late-nineteenth-century British-style hill station homes, some beautifully maintained; others, quite dilapidated.

 

The lobby of the Pine Hill Resort where we are staying is in one of the oldest colonial era wooden homes in Kalaw, so we get to experience first hand what drew British expatriates to these cooling hills.

Unfortunately, the resort hasn't yet installed Wi-Fi, so these comments won't be posted for another day or two. Nonetheless we're thoroughly enjoying life here in our own little bungalow, listening to the chants from a nearby monastery, enjoying the cooler weather and anticipating the activities of the days ahead.