Saturday, October 27, 2012
Day 5 at Melikha Lodge, Mulashidi, Burma
This morning we were out at 5:45 to visit the Saturday market in Putao. “Why so early?” Mark asked as we dressed in near darkness. “Because that is when Thomas said the local people would be doing their shopping.” That was all I could think of in the moment. When we got under way, I remembered that the real reason was to see the tops of the Eastern Himalaya range with snow. We have been here five days and the big mountains have always been shrouded in clouds. Sure enough, when we cleared the ridge above the lodge we could see the mountains clearly and they did indeed sport some snow. Then the sun hit the peaks and gave us a golden glow for our trouble. No more complaints from Mark.
We were none too early at the market, which was in full swing before we arrived at 6:15am. To be at market by 6am, some must start walking with their goods for sale before 4am, as there are no vehicles to transport them, except a few tuk tuks. The poorness of the region was most evident in the market. There was variety of produce and meat products, but not much in the way of quantity, quality or size. Even the fish were small. There were more people than we have seen in one place, but they were not hustling and energetic and the stalls were dingy and dark. The whole scene was somewhat dreary.
Mark noticed that the beef butcher had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, while the pig butcher wore a crash helmet as he hacked his way through a pig head. However unsavory that sounds the Shan noodle soup vendors nearby had many customers and Thomas and I joined them for a steaming bowl of noodles with chicken. In anticipation of trying the market noodles, which Thomas thought were better than what we get at the lodge, he had brought bowls, spoons and chop sticks from the lodge kitchen to be sure I received a sanitized serving. I felt much more convinced when I saw the vendor wash her hands several times before serving me. The soup was delicious and Mark, who said earlier that he did not want to risk it, enjoyed a large mouthful of mine.
While in the “food court” we were introduced to several of Thomas’s friends and acquaintances enjoying their morning bowl of soup. The most important introduction was to the government minister who approved our permit three days before we arrived. Thomas told us he had made several contacts along the chain of command and this person was the final link. He seemed pleased to meet us and we thanked him profusely for allowing us to reach Putao. Quietly, Thomas paid the bill for everyone at the minister’s table. They were surprised and, of course, pleased. Thomas told us this is how things get done in Burma. He has more western tourists planning to come to Putao and he wants to insure that they make it. The lodge, he assured us, would reimburse him for the expense.
On the way back to the lodge we stopped again to get one last look at the 19+ thousand foot Himalaya’s as well as the shorter mountain peak due east of Putao that is the nearest, 60 miles, border with India. The staff was ready for our arrival and served us our morning bowls of Shan noodle soup. I was hard pressed to say which one was better. It is a great way to start the day. Wish we could get it at home.
At 10am, Daniel, the front office manager, came to fetch me for the English lesion I had, in a weak moment, promised to provide the staff. I was not sure how I would proceed, but Daniel gave me a list of words he wanted them to learn and a few phrases. With that we worked our way through the pronunciation of our vowels and into the words. Most of the staff is so shy it was hard to get them to speak up at first. As I complimented their effort and individual successes, they seemed to rise to the occasion and speak out more. At the end of the hour, they were all able to say the list of words and understand what they meant. Thomas helped me when it was clear they had no clue what I had said. Finally, I gave them an affirmation to say in hopes it would help boost their self-confidence. They said it over several times and smiled. After the six of them left, Thomas assured me it had helped, although I am dubious. They could never quite pronounce “oil” or “scrambled eggs” no matter how I contorted my mouth for them to see what the tongue and lips need to do to make those sounds. Anyway, it was a fun experience for me and they laughed a lot too.
Finally, Mark and I were done with our program. It was noon and the rest of the day was ours. We each had a massage and settled in on the lounge on our veranda. The weather is perfect, as it has been all week and we are content.
There are a few more bits I want to share with you about our trip to Burma.
Here in the Putao region of 4,000 souls, there are only 15 civilian vehicles, including the 10 that belong to the lodge. The only other traffic besides pedestrians is some motorcycles and a few tuk tuks. The local military post also has a few vehicles.
When not in our hotels, which are all westernized, we have experienced both western and Asian toilets throughout this trip. Most of them have been fairly clean and a surprising number have provided toilet paper. Not all the western toilets flush and most do not take any kind of paper. There is a basket for the paper and a bucket of water with a scoop for flushing. Occasionally, we have encountered an outhouse, most of which I would rather do my business behind than in.
In a recent conversation with Thomas, we learned that during the year following Cyclone Nargis, 2008-9, there was no tourism at all. Hundreds of trained English speaking guides left the country to find jobs elsewhere. Currently, there are only 2-300 English-speaking guides in Burma. With tourism starting to pick up, demand for them is at a premium. He feels he is in a good position to capitalize on the situation as he speaks French as well as English and is learning Spanish in his spare time. He is just 5 courses short of getting his Bachelor’s degree in Tourism and plans to go for an MBA after that. He is a very motivated young man, who started out shy like the young people we see everywhere, but he possessed a rare commodity—middle class parents, who helped him, their only child, get a private school education and study abroad for a year. As his knowledge and experience increased, so did his self-confidence. He is on a roll now and won’t be in a backwater like Putao very long. We are pleased to have had the pleasure of his company for six days.
After a late afternoon walk and a shower, we went to the main building for a cocktail and dinner. We spent some time visiting with Daniel and two men from the Htoo Foundation, owned by TayZa. He is the only donor to the foundation and directs how its money is spent. Today these men were in town giving away 100 sacks of rice to local people who are in severe need due to the very low rice harvest this year. Apparently there was so much rain this season that the fields flooded out and grain washed away. There is not enough rice to feed everyone. It is a good thing there is this foundation to help, although it is not nearly enough. We had a very nice dinner mixing a Burmese soup and salad with a western entrée. Then to the reception building to try to send posts for Days 4 and 5. Wit luck I will be off to bed soon. Julia
Adventures with Julia 