For further adventures, please visit:

https://garlicneversleeps.wordpress.com/

During past visits to Nyaungshwe I’ve taken some of the monks from Shwe Yan Pyay monastery on field trip to visit sites in the area. Over the course of these various trips, I’ve now progressed from two monks in a car to five monks in a van. I envision a day in the not-too-distant future when I end up renting a bus and taking the entire bunch of monks somewhere.

 “Where do you want to go this time?” I asked a few of the monks, thinking they might like to visit some village near the lake, such as Indein or Sagar. But the unanimous verdict was: Kakku. And what is Kakku, you ask? It is an ancient “grove” of stupas nestled among some Pa-O villages, about a 90-minute drive from Taunggyi, the old British Hill Station. Taunggyi is the biggest town in the area, and a one-hour drive from Nyaungshwe. I had been to Kakku once already, but the five monks who asked to go with me this time — all of whom are Pa-O — had never been before, so I was happy to accommodate their request.  

Any visitors to Kakku are required to hire a Pa-O guide at the Golden Island Cottages office in Taunggyi. This company helps maintain the site (it was only opened up to foreign tourists about ten years ago) and also funnels money back to Pa-O villages in the area. Our guide was a lovely young Pa-O woman named Ma Lar Htun. But there was one slight problem: what to do about the monk factor? In Buddhism, it’s considered a taboo for a woman to sit with monks, and improper “touching” is an additional no-no. We solved this dilemma by having Ma Lar Htun sit in the very back row of the van and I sat next to her. We then seated one monk on my left side and three other monks sat in the other row of seats, with the oldest monk in the front seat next to the driver.

Ma Lar Htun struck me as a very modern woman, one who was not shy or reticent about speaking with a foreigner. An only child, she had gone to university in Yangon, but moved back to Taunggyi to work and help take care of her parents. She told me that she also likes to read books and travel, so we had a nice time chatting. I only wish that I had brought along some extra books to give her, but I promised to send her some the next time I’m in the area.

After touring Kakku and having lunch at a nearby restaurant (in keeping with Buddhist practice, Ma Lar Htun ate in the kitchen with the driver while I dined with the monks), we headed back towards Taunggyi, stopping at a small monastery in the home village of one of the monks.  Later, back in Taunggyi, we visited Sulamuni Paya, a big pagoda that resembles Bagan’s famous Ananda. The monks performed their obligatory praying in front of the four large Buddha images inside the pagoda, and posed for a bunch of photos both inside and outside Sulamuni. Afterwards, we headed over to the park and small zoo on the outskirts of town. Every monk I’ve taken to Taunggyi insists on visiting this park. There’s not much in the way of animals — some funny monkeys, a bear, various birds and waterfowl, a lethargic tiger, some deer — but it’s attractively landscaped and there is a cool little suspension bridge at one end of the park that makes for a good photo spot. At least the monks thought so!

Students on the way to school in a village near Nyaungshwe.

Kandawgyi Lake in Yangon.

A novice monk in Mandalay enjoys a kite flying break.

Serving lunch at the MBOA orphanage in Mandalay.

Hanging out at Ko Tin Chit’s teashop in Mandalay.

This little boy was our guide at Hpo Win Daung caves in Monywa. He had his facts memorized and was very confident when he gave his spiel. Hopefully he’ll become a real tour guide one day.

Monks in Nyaungshwe make their morning alms rounds.

Just a few of the several thousand Buddha images inside Thanboddhay in Monywa.

Ko Ko Gyi (far right) and his assistants at the MBOA orphanage.

Thirsty? A handy place to drink some water on the sidewalk in Yangon.

A French tourist shows a video he took of the monastery to some monks at Shwe Yan Pyay in Nyaungshwe.

Playground slide at a rural school near Nyaungshwe in Shan State.

A few of the intricate carvings you can see at the ruins in Kakku.

Feeding the monkeys at Hpo Win Daung.

A boy applies more gold leaf to a giant Buddha figure at Hpo Win Daung.

Here are some more photos from Shwe Yan Pyay Kyaung in Nyaungshwe. This teakwood monastery is located next to the narrow “highway” that brings tourists into Nyaungshwe, the little Shan State town on the shores of Inle Lake. Okay, the town is actually near a long canal that leads to the lake, but close enough! If you happen to visit the area, please feel free to visit this striking old monastery and the adjacent temple. If the novice monks are not studying they will be happy to pose for photos. Best times to catch them are after lunch (11:30 am – 1 pm), late in the afternoon (after 5 pm), or early morning (6-8 am).

If you have time, consider taking donations of fruit to the monastery. I usually stop by the market in Nyaungshwe and buy 40 of whatever is in season — it could be oranges, apples, mangoes, or pineapple — stuff the bounty into my backpack and bike basket, and cycle over the monastery later, being careful that I don’t tip over with all that weight! This time I also brought a variety of cold and cough medicine, along with some cream to treat head lice (a common problem for younger monks at many monasteries). But if you do bring any medicine, it’s best to give it to the head monk, the saya daw, and explain how it should be used.

Walking or cycling around the towns and cities of Myanmar, I always stumble upon interesting sights, signs, and people. It might be a betelnut vendor folding packets of the addictive chew, books for sale on the street, a neighborhood water stand, a bus packed with passengers and monks sitting on the roof, a child flying a kite, a nat spirit shrine, ox carts sharing the street with buses and motorcycles, or a makeshift bridge made of bamboo.

I love the fact that there are so few examples of Western “progress” in this country, at least tacky things like golden arches, life-sized replicas of hillbilly chicken tycoons, and other signs of Western fast food franchises. Still, don’t be surprised if you see Ramones t-shirts and New York Yankees baseball caps being worn by the locals. Even “sexy lady” DVDs are now for sale on every block of downtown Yangon, and the sound of a Nokia ringtone is becoming more and more common.

I’ve taken a ton of photos at Shwe Yan Pyay monastery over the years, but one thing I’d never done was follow the monks on their morning alms rounds. About two years ago a friend of mine let the monks borrow his camera for two days and the result was some great pics, some of which were taken during their alms rounds. Since that time I’ve always wanted to tag along and take some photos myself. While in Nyaungshwe on this last trip I was fortunate enough to be allowed to do just that.

Shwe Yan Pyay Kyaung is located on the outskirts of Nyaungshwe, a town itself that is little more than a glorified village, its main claim to fame being the closest “big” town to Inle Lake. The monastery is nestled between two neighborhoods, the main road that leads to the Nyaung Shwe junction (and the airport in Heho) bisecting the villages. The neighborhoods look like they are composed mainly of Pa-O villagers, judging from their clothes and headwear.

There are over thirty novice monks in residence at Shwe Yan Pay, but as I discovered, not all of them go on alms rounds each day. There seems to be a rotation system of sorts. On the day I followed them, there was a senior monk who led about a dozen novice monks on the trek. But before they left the monastery, one of the tiny novice monks was assigned the task of going into the neighborhood where they would walk (the route changes each day) and ring a bell to announce the upcoming procession. When I arrived at the monastery, shortly before seven o’clock, the monks were just about to start their breakfast. After they finished eating, the monks that were going on the alms rounds began the process of “dressing up” for the occasion, donning an extra layer of robe so that no bare shoulders were showing. Whether this is the usual practice or due to the cold weather this month, I’m not sure. But in keeping with Buddhist practice, they did go barefoot the whole route.   

As they walked slowly down the dirt road, two other monks lagged behind. They were the designated soup carriers and had to lug around the heavier canisters that would hold soup donated by villagers. The rest of the monks were given rice and various curries by neighbors who stood by the side of the ride, some with babies strapped to their backs. All together the walk through the neighborhood and back took about thirty minutes. Afterwards, one of the monks asked me if I was tired. “Ma mor bu,” I answered. Not tired. It may have been a mundane daily chore for these youngsters, but for me it had been a most interesting experience and not tiring in the least.

Each time I visit Mandalay it’s become a tradition that I take a group of kids from the 90th Street neighborhood (where one of my favorite teashops is located) on a field trip somewhere in the area. Earlier this year we visited towns such as Pyin U Lwin, Paleik, and Inwa, This time we went further afield to Monywa, which is about a three-hour drive from Mandalay.

We left early on a Saturday morning — 5:30 am to be specific. The truck I had rented picked me up at my hotel, all 16 kids sitting in the back offering a hearty “mingalaba.” Everyone was bundled up in coats, caps and gloves to ward off the chilly morning temperatures. And it only got colder, or felt like it, as we drove down the highway towards Monywa. After about an hour we stopped at a teashop that U Maung Khin Si, one of the fathers in the group, recommended. We all hot steaming cups of tea along with plates of freshly made parathas. Fueled and warmed up, we climbed back in the truck and were off again.

Instead of stopping in Monywa first, we drove across the Chindwin River and up a bumpy road for a few miles to Hpo Win Daung, a series of “cave temples” that is a popular spot for native tourists. The little caves are carved from the cliffs of Hpo Win Daung Mountain, and many of them are packed with Buddha images or shrines. This site is also home to a frisky tribe of monkeys, all hoping that you will give them a treat of some sort. And rest assured that there are strolling vendors who will be quite happy to sell you a packet — or three — of monkey food.  

After exploring the caves and feeding the monkeys we headed back towards Monywa and visited Bodhi Tataung, a gaudy hillside bunch of standing and reclining Buddha images that are revered by the locals. All the kids — and the adults in the group too — asked to have their photo taken in front of the giant standing Buddha (the largest in the country). Of course, by the time I’ve gotten both the child and the Buddha in the frame together it was almost impossible to tell who was in the picture. But hey, it’s a souvenir! Next stop was lunch for twenty people, and then a visit to Thanboddhay, a wild and colorful temple that is packed with glittering Buddha images of all shapes and sizes.

The kids — at least the boys in the group — also wanted to go swimming in the Chindwin River. Never mind that it had been freezing a few hours earlier, and chances are they would catch cold after wearing damp clothes on the trip back to town (when the kids go swimming, they just dive in, rarely bothering to shed any clothing), they still wanted to swim. But after seeing so many sights, we needed to head back to Mandalay before it got dark, so swimming would have to wait until next time. And it’s just as well; on the return trip every single kid fell asleep in the back of  the truck!

The novice monks at Shwe Yan Pay Kyaung monastery in the Shan State town of Nyaungshwe study Buddhism from Pali texts each day of the week. They get a two hour break for lunch but during most of the daylight hours they study in groups or with a senior monk. Most of them come from very poor Pa-O villages in the area, and this monastery is the equivalent of their school. This old teakwood monastery with its distinctive huge oval windows is a popular photographic subject for tourists, as are the monks themselves. Many times they are called over to a window by a tour guide or a tourist and asked to pose for photos or videos.

But when not studying or posing for pictures, the novice monks remain very much young boys who just want to play games or watch football on TV (during those rare times when they have working electricity). During one recent afternoon break I found three of them having fun blowing bubbles. One monk would blow bubbles and another novice would try to get the bubbles to gently land on a piece of cloth. If they captured a good sized bubble they would take the cloth to the window, launch the bubble outside and then marvel at the magical flight path it took. Later, when afternoon study time resumed at one o’clock, one of the novices couldn’t stop himself, blowing more bubbles from a monastery window. As you might suspect, the teacher wasn’t around at this time!

On other days I saw some of the younger novice monks having fun with toy cars, or playing typical children’s games such as rock, paper & scissors. Unlike at other monasteries I’ve visited in Myanmar, however, at Shwe Yan Pyay I’ve never seen the monks playing football or flying kites. But it’s not all fun and games when the monks aren’t studying. Each day they each take turns doing chores around the monastery. This might mean sweeping the grounds, cutting firewood, boiling water and making tea, or cleaning bowls and utensils.

Htein Linn, my friend in Nyaungshwe who runs Golden Bowl Travel Services & Bookshop, had a very good idea for a way to help some village schools in the area. He suggested that I donate some First Aid kits to each school. He also mentioned that the schools, as well as Shwe Yan Pyay monastery, could use some medication to treat common problems such as head lice and ringworms. I bought various ointments, creams, sore throat lozenges, cold medicine, and bandages at drug stores in Bangkok, and before I arrived in Nyaungshwe I supplemented that lot by purchasing some other useful medicine at a pharmacy in Mandalay.

But even after I had bought all this stuff and divided it up for the schools and the monastery, I realized it wouldn’t last long, so I ended up buying yet another round of bandages, ointments, and other stuff at a small pharmacy in Nyaungshwe. Htein Linn arranged to have two large first aid boxes made by local carpenter.

Late one morning we both got on our bicycles and rode out to the first school, located in a small village only a few kilometers east of town. The kids were on their lunch break, but many of the boys were outside playing a frantic game of football, while other students played on a nearby slide and see-saw. When they noticed our arrival, some of the kids gathered round to see what we had brought. I heard some of them say the Burmese word for “shoes.” They had remembered that I was the one who had donated sandals to the students earlier in the year. They also remembered that I had taken a lot of photos, so they were eager to act silly and pose for more this time. They were also thrilled that I had brought prints of some shots I had taken during my previous visit. Rather than be mobbed by all these kids (some of whom are novice monks at a monastery in the village), I gave the photos to a teacher and she distributed them in a much more orderly fashion.

Htein Linn brought everything inside the classroom (one big room houses five separate classes at this school) and explained to the teachers what we were doing. Because some of the medicine came from Thailand and instructions were printed in Thai and English, it was very important that they understood exactly how to properly use each type medication and how much of it to use each time.

After that was done, we pedaled to the next school, located in an even more remote location, further up in the hills. Man, just getting there was a real test of endurance. At some points the road became too steep to ride, so we got off and pushed our bikes up the hill. The second school was even smaller and poorer than the first one. But at this one, too, we were treated well; offered chairs and served hot tea and tasty snacks.

After we distributed the first aid boxes and medicine to the two schools, I still felt like I hadn’t bought enough stuff, so the next day I went back to the pharmacy again and bought another bag full of medicine. I also went to the market and bought two footballs for each school, along with a half-dozen badminton sets (each set had two rackets and some birdies). I was willing to go back to the school by myself but Htein Linn wasn’t busy that morning and offered to come along with me again. I had also met a delightful retired Swiss couple earlier in the week, Gunter and Heidi, and during dinner together the previous night I had told them about the school. They asked if they could come along the next day too. So, the second excursion ended up even livelier than the first. This time I also remembered to bring some small gifts for the teachers. As you would expect their monthly salary is very low, yet they are very dedicated to their students and do a tremendous job of teaching. And the kids themselves are very sweet and appreciative of what we did for them. They will have their annual “summer break” from early March until late May, but I’ll be back to re-stock those first-aid kits shortly after that.