Monastry Thein Pa Taung

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David & Valerie Dobson
Sun 1 Sep 2013 06:18

1st September 2013 – Zinbon to  Monastery at Thein Pa Taung and Bhamo

 

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Navigating our way throught the splendid second gorge , with logging camps and the old colonial village of Zinbon towards the first gorge. 

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Taking photos from the deck of the spectacular scenery near the logging camp

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A day of meditation for the anniversary of the death of an important Abbot is happening the day we arrive at the Thein Pa Taung monastery, and boat loads of families are coming the near Bhamo

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Bamboo ramps are made up to enable us to get ashore with dry feet!

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At the top, a nun is already pacing her steps in meditation, showing the strong spirituality which exists in Myanmar, the strong influence it has on everyday life.

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The view from the top across the Irrawaddy river we have just been navigating

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I climb up with the parasol to keep me cooler

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The Irriwady river is very flooded at this stage

 

We anchor off the Northern most town which our cruise takes us to at Bhamo. 

It was touch and go whether we managed to stop at Bhamo or not, as it is the only town in this Northern Shan state which has been safe for visitors and tourists outside of the area for a very long time now.

Bhamo in the centre of Kachin State and has always been fiercely independent from the rest of Burma.  It was quelled by a Scotsman by the name of Scott (known as Scott of the Shans) who also introduced football to Burma and founded the first college in Rangoon.  He learnt several of the local languages of the Shan, Wa  and  Pa O people,  getting them to sign an allegiance with the British in the 1880’s.  This was always very tenuous and quickly fell apart when Burma gained its’ independence.

Today, whilst fighting stills goes on, the areas of Kachin & Shan States are virtually independent from the rest of Burma with a very shaky peace.  The military junta allow the areas to operate under their own army and warlord government.  It is here where most of the amphetamines, Ecstasy, Speed and Ya Bah (crazy medicine which is amphetamine) is produced.  

 

This is smuggled across Thailand’s very porous border by means of stealth and bribery and from there makes its way to the West.  They are also the second largest producer of heroine after Afghanistan; likewise most of the pirated DVD’s one buys in the markets of Thailand come from here.

 

They have also set up Casinos, night clubs and brothels filled with Russian girls and bus tourists over the border from Yunnan Province in China. Where the Chinese come to Gamble and gawp.

 

The revenue has made a lot of people very rich.  The warlords work hand in hand with the leaders of the junta who receive a large slice of the profits in turn for leaving them alone.  This revenue goes a very long way to finance the whole of the juntas’ operations and finances the running of the country! 

 We disembark, take a quick look around the town market in pouring rain, and once again are given a wonderful treat by the Orient Express company of drinks in the tourist shop/cafe owned by a Burmese/Chinese family on the river frontage of the town. 

4th September, 2013.

Next day we anchor of Thabeikkyin . We climb aboard  local buses, which have to transport cargo

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Across the mountain passes to other villages using dirt roads most of the way

Here we are winding our way to Mogok, past a forestry reserve where many precious botanical specimens are grown for their essential oils.    m_1-1-1-_DSC9052.jpg

The seats are so high, that even Lynn’s long legs need a stool as support, the rest of us dangle our legs.  The cargo has to be fitted beneath the seats, as agains on top of the bus which is the normal practice in less mountainous areas.

Working elephants are brought to a specially prepared sight for us to watch how they manipulate logs in the Burmese teak forests.

 

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I know this looks strange, but the elephant is actually after the banana in David’s hand!

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Here, the Mahout is giving instructions using his foot signals behind the elephant’s ear

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The baskets give a great sense of rocking in a see-saw !