Thoughts on Burma, A Year After

Village Chief, Kalaw ot Inle Lake Trek

I saw this travel writing contest in the internet, the goal was to write about a place that inspires you to live life without regrets. And the first place that comes to mind is Burma. I wanted to go to Burma because I was curious to experience traveling in a country closed-off from the rest of the world – or as they say ‘where time stood still’, I wanted to see and explore the thousands of stupas and temples in Bagan, and see the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda. I did all of it, but traveling in Burma for almost three weeks was definitely more than this. The people and situation in Burma humbled me. Coming from a third world country, I’ve come to appreciate the sense of freedom despite mere resources (compared to the first world) I enjoy and how much I have been taking them for granted.

I wrote this piece having the theme and my experiences in mind, ready to send it to the website. Until I read the guidelines of the writing contest again and realized that I read it all wrong. So I decided to just share it here in my blog.

Calaguas Island : Beach Weekend and Travel Guide

Calaguas Island

“Aaaaaahhhhh!” our boatman screamed as we were about to tackle a big wave. After getting drenched from this big wave, I looked back at our boatman and saw him squatting and scooping water out of our small boat using a small can (or dipper). This was the first of the three times I saw him do it during our 2-hour boat ride going to Calaguas Island. And we were only about 20 minutes into the ride. Imagine how terrified I was during that looong boat ride (read here why). I was seriously checking my life vest (a poor one at that) so many times, thinking of ways on how I would survive if ever our boat topples over. That boat ride was torture for me.

But it was all worth it after seeing this – those different shades of blue and green, of the 1.2 km stretch of fine white sand of Calaguas Island.

Hsipaw : Sunflower Fields and A Glimpse of the Resistance

 early morning in Hsipaw

After spending three days trekking from Kalaw to Inle Lake, I knew I wanted to go on another trek. I wanted to spend more days in Burma’s countryside. Another famous trek in Burma is in Hsipaw.

Hsipaw, a town in the Shan state, is located further north of Inle Lake and Mandalay. One can take a bus or train from Mandalay, or a bus from Nyaungshwe if you’re coming from Inle Lake. It’s a relatively small town that sees fewer tourists than the other sites in the country. 

Langtang Trek : An Unplanned Trip and On Trekking with A Guide

beautiful landscape and peaks of the Langtang region

AN UNPLANNED TRIP

A denied visa application had me thinking of an alternative trip since I already had a flight out of Manila. And Nepal was on the top of the list. I only had a two-week leave so the trekking options were limited. It was only between going back to Annapurna (I did Annapurna Sanctuary back in 2011) or the Langtang Valley. I emailed Katie, a friend I met during the Annapurna trek, to ask about tips and trek details on Langtang. The first thing she told me was not to do it alone (in all caps, and she made me promise). She loves the trek and the region but unfortunately, over the last three years, 2 solo female trekkers have been found dead and one is still missing. A photo of the girl is still posted on one of the military posts on the trail. This even caused the government to impose a no-guide-no-trekking policy in Nepal in the latter of 2012, but it didn’t push through. (READ: But all other trekking regions are considered safe for solo independent female trekkers). I didn’t know if I was willing to pay extra for a guide, or if I wanted to trek with a guide. I just bought the ticket which was on sale and decided that I’ll figure it all out when I get to Nepal.

Langtang Trek in Nepal : Regaining Focus

happy trekker :)

I forced myself to eat lunch after making it to Kyanjin Gompa, the highest village in my 5-day trek in the Langtang region. At 3900 meters, this village sits on a valley surrounded by Himalayan peaks and glaciers. I knew my body needed all the energy it can get to last a day in this village. I could feel my lungs and heart making extra effort to keep my body to function properly. To acclimatize, I decided to walk around the village.

Baler, Aurora : The Second Time Around

that thing you love to do? do it often.

I woke up startled as I felt the bus turning a sharp curve. I looked out and saw the sun starting to rise. But felt so uncomfortable with how cold it was inside the bus. It seemed that the extra hundreds we paid for the Joy Bus express was going to be worth it with the time saved, given that this is going to be only a weekend trip to Aurora.

The last time I was in Aurora was a four-day spontaneous trip with the then-boyfriend. But we weren’t able to do anything or see anything due to a storm. We even moved to a more expensive hotel since it was the only one with a generator, while the whole town didn’t have any. I also remember not seeing any surfers during that time.

So when a friend from work asked if I wanted to join her on a trip to Aurora, I immediately said yes.

Relishing Solo Travel in Si Phan Don, Laos

lazy boats by the Mekong River in Si Phan Don, Laos

My own bungalow of USD5 is on the other end of Don Det, away from where the crowd and parties are. It’s still early in the night but I decided to just lay here in my hammock. The only sounds I hear are the faint music and laughter of the hippies back in King Kong, dogs barking, and my bungalow neighbour snoring in his own hammock.

Sarnath and Buddhism: A Peaceful Respite from Varanasi

the Dhamekh Stupa in Sarnath, India

It’s been days with this flu or virus, or whatever it was that took over my energy and my voice. I feel mostly weak and so I sleep, but I feel so groggy the next day because of way too much sleep. I’d love to run but I couldn’t, and the monsoon season has been hovering in my country.

Given my normal job and the extra work I took for additional income for my travel fund, I feel like my mind has been loaded with too much numbers and excel files. Which I’m not complaining, by the way, because I love numbers and excel file, and of course the extra money. But also with this flu that’s been zapping my energy, I feel like I need to go into my creative side. I feel like I need to write.

And so I remember the time I felt so down during my travels, physically and emotionally. It was Varanasi, the one place I was so excited to see and experience. But it proved to be too much for me – the burning ceremonies by the ghats, the claustrophobic and confusing alleyways, the men who insistently follow you, the dirt and smell that didn’t use to bother me but were magnified during our stay in the holy city. And at the end of our third day there, I started to get sick. A stomach flu that slowly got me dehydrated, feverish, and weak.