29 July
DURING the black and white movie era, I watched a movie named “A station after Kalaw.” It was such a long time ago that I forgotten what it was about except remembering the name Kalaw in it.
Recently a colleague in office passed me a Myanmar translation of two books written by a German author Jan-Philipp Sendker titled “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats” and “A Well-Tempered Heart.” The two works of fiction were set in Kalaw and the author resided in Kalaw for a considera-ble time to write it. It was an impressive work by a foreigner and the author seems to know more about Kalaw than me.
About a year ago my office colleagues went to Kalaw. As they posted a bunch of pictures on their social media sites, I was able to see all of it and found the place very interesting. When they were back they spoke about the beauty of Kalaw, a hike of about 20 miles and the views of orange and tea plantations along the way. Their words strengthened my determination to visit Kalaw.
Leaving Yangon
Yangon-Taunggyi bus is to be taken to go to Kalaw. Kalaw was in Southern Shan State and people going to Kayah State Loikaw would also pass through Kalaw. The Yangon-Taunggyi road is an ascending one going up hills and mountains. The road was good and the express buses were modern so it was quite a comfortable ride. The bus leaving Yangon at 7:30 pm reaches Kalaw by 4 am the next morning. As there was no Yangon-Kalaw bus the Yangon-Taunggyi bus had to be taken and had to disembark in Kalaw. Once in Kalaw, the next stop will be a hotel. If hotel booking was made in advance, the bus can be requested to stop right in front of the hotel. Then you can dive into the bed right away and catch up on the sleeps lost if you were unable to doze off on the bus.
Kalaw is cold and you would need to bring along warm clothes. It can be said that it is cold all the time. Sometime there were mists and fogs so some sort of headdress or hat is also required. Or else, you can certainly catch a cold or have a running nose.
Prior arrangements and plans need to be drawn up on what to do and where to go once in Kalaw. If you don’t know, the help of local guides can be ob-tained. They are called Trekking Guides. Guides save time and everything required will be ar-ranged by them.
In Kalaw
After a short nap in the hotel to warm yourself up from the cool weather you’ll be ready to start moving. Inle Lake is only a two hour drive from Kalaw. Inle, Pindaya, Yay Pya (Blue Water) Pond, Myin Ma Hti Mountain and a tour of Kalaw town can be con-ducted within a day. Breakfast was Shan noodle in Kalaw mar-ket. Kalaw had a five-day market where once every five days locals from nearby villages came to town to sell their local foods and if you are fortunate enough to be there on that market day, you’ll experience more varieties of lo-cal foods and snacks. Lunch is good at shops in Pindaya.
Leaving Kalaw at 8 am and visiting nearby places mentioned above, you can be back in Kal-aw around 5 pm. As you took an overnight bus trip last night and a day-long tour of nearby areas of Kalaw, it is advisable to retire early after the first day in Kalaw so that you are well rested and ready for the next day.
Trekking in Kalaw
The famous treks start the next morning. I woke up from bed at 6 am and packed some dresses into a backpack and waited for the guide. Dress should be light. Most important is the shoe. It is inadvisable to come with a new shoe as it could cause blisters. A well worn shoe is the best. It is important for you to be fully comfortable with the shoe you brought along. A slipper is a good backup to bring along as it can also be a good alterna-tive if you have blisters. Water, personal medication and some snack should also be brought along.
A day trek, one night trek and two night trek is available. Most go for a one night trek. Once you trek out of Kalaw the sights of pine trees, farm lands, orange and tea plantations fill your vision with air smelling fresh and clean. There are two trekking routes. One took you through a forest reserve and the other skirts around it and was known as inner and outer routes. Outer route was easy going while the inner one had hills to trek up and down as well as small streams to cross. The difference in trekking time is about one and half hour and most took the hard-er inner route. Both routes will take you across an old railroad line that was built during the English colonial time. It is a good place to take pictures.
The rest area is a View Point. There’s no shop or stalls as it was in the middle of an or-ange plantation. The Guide had lunch prepared for the trekkers there. The available food is chap-atti or roti with fruits. If you want rice or other foods, it must be ordered in advance. View Point is where trekkers took lunch and then continue on with the trek.
If you are on a day trek, this is where you turn back to Kalaw. Kalaw to View Point is four hour hike so after lunch, you head back to Kalaw if you are on a day trek. Those on a one night trek continue for about anoth-er three hours passing through Kayah and Shan villages. Around about 6 pm the trekkers reach Ywa Pu Villlage near Myin Daik Station where they’ll rest for the night. This was also arranged by the guide.
The next morning, another four hours trek will bring the trekker to Myin Ma Hti pagoda and cave. Lunch was provided there and those who can’t or want to trek back can take a small pick up car back to Kalaw paying about K 12,000 for the car fare. The Guide is responsible for your food, lodging and guiding you along the trail. If you trek in a group, the Guide fee is K 50,000 per person. If you trek individ-ually, the Guide fee is K 60,000.
Final comment
Those who came to Kalaw on a two night three day trip can go for a one night trek. If you are coming over only during the weekend Saturday and Sunday, then a day trek could be conduct-ed. Upon arrival on Saturday, you can tour Kalaw and neigh-borhood. After one night rest, you can go on a day trek, return to Kalaw and take the night bus back. It could be a bit of a rush so the best is to come on a two day three night visit.
By Lin Thu
Translated by Handytips
