Flight to Kalaw

We actually managed to find internet in this town! We arrived early this morning on a flight from Yangon to Hohe. From there, we took a taxi to Kalaw, which is about an hour's drive from the airport. It cost us 25 USD. The airport was incredibly basic. There was only one gate. When it was time to board, a man walked around with a sign displaying the flight number. You really had to keep your eyes peeled! The service on board was quite good, though. We were given a wet wipe, a small croissant, and something to drink. We drove through some stunning lush landscapes. People were working in the fields by hand, sowing and harvesting without any machinery. There were plenty of horse-drawn carts on the roads. It felt like stepping back in time a few years. We're staying at a guesthouse called Golden Lily. The owner is Indian, and there are quite a few Indians in the country. Once upon a time, both India and Myanmar were under British rule. We were able to share some stories about India with Lily, the owner, who had never been there herself. It was amusing to realize we knew more about India than she did! :) Lily is more than happy to talk about the military regime. She has a friend in Mandalay who lost her son last year during the protests. He was only 9 years old and got caught in the crossfire. He never came home from school, and she found him three days later in the river. People in Myanmar are allowed to travel abroad, but getting a passport costs so much that almost no one can afford it. If people keep a low profile, mind their own business, avoid criticizing the government, and don’t pursue personal dreams, they can have a good life in Myanmar. People smile a lot and are always polite. However, if disaster strikes in the form of illness or a hurricane, and you lose everything, there is absolutely NO help to be found. The government simply shuts down areas affected by natural disasters, not just for tourists but also for locals. They receive no assistance and have to fend for themselves. The military provides material goods to the monks to keep them satisfied and prevent uprisings. Monks have always received gifts from the military—even before the protests in September 2007. That’s why only about 20% of the monks supported last year’s demonstrations; the rest stayed “home” because of their benefits. We took a stroll around the town, which isn’t very big, so it’s easy to get around. We passed the local market, where we found an old wooden mask representing a former prince. It only cost 5,000 kyat, but it needs a bit of restoration. There’s a stupa in every town, and often a monastery as well. Kalaw is no exception. We saw young “monk” boys running around, playing and kicking a soccer ball. They hiked up their red robes and dashed after the ball. Many parents send their boys to the monastery starting at the age of 6. They get free schooling, where they learn to read and write. However, in a monastery, they don’t learn languages, geography, math, etc. For that, they need to go to a proper school, which costs money.