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  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • THE FAMILY ALBUM
  • ONCE UPON A TIME IN ROMANIA
    • ▸Bucharest, 1989: The days of Revolution
    • ▸I’ve also lived under communism
    • ▸Portraits of transition
    • ▸”Cabernet cu pepsi”
    • ▸Romania, 1990: Beyond the headlines
    • ▸“Mineriada” – My story
    • ▸Memorial of pain
  • WORK IN PROGRESS
    • ▸Barbershop
    • ▸Melancholic Identities
    • ▸Faces
    • ▸Fragmentary world
    • ▸Two
    • ▸Buddhist monks
    • ▸About windows and walls
    • ▸Mediterraneo
  • STORIES
    • ▸Alone, together
    • ▸Life and death in Varanasi
    • ▸Trans-Siberian – An experience of becoming
    • ▸Boxing in Havana
    • ▸Moving out of Escobar shadow
    • ▸One night at Htee Thein monastery
    • ▸Easter in Sicily – I misteri
    • ▸Easter in Sicily – La pasquetta
    • ▸Stalin’s Museum in Gori
    • ▸Havana: Between magic and decay
    • ▸Muay Thai for a day
    • ▸Cuban billboards
    • ▸Seeking a geisha
    • ▸Belfast’s murals: Behind and beyond
    • ▸Riding the Yangon’s ring train
    • ▸Bazar-Barakholka-Vernisazh
    • ▸An unexpected trip to Dhobi Ghat
    • ▸A different way to look at death
    • ▸Cannes under siege
    • ▸Inside the Guru’s kitchen
    • ▸Tibetan refugees
    • ▸The Golden Triangle: A Mecca of tribal diversity
    • ▸Bullfighting: Barbaric or art ?
    • ▸Crafts and traditions in Morroco
    • ▸Glastonbury with God
  • TRAVEL
    • Cuba
      • ▸The show must go on (part 1)
      • ▸The show must go on (part 2)
      • ▸The show must go on (part 3)
      • ▸The show must go on (part 4)
    • France
      • ▸Paris
      • ▸Paris. Again
    • Greece
      • ▸Mount Athos
      • ▸Postcards from Santorini
      • ▸Athens
      • ▸Mykonos – The picture-perfect Island
    • Germany
      • ▸Berlin
    • Vietnam
      • ▸Four days in Hanoi
      • ▸Cruising through the misty Halong Bay
    • India
      • ▸Portraits of Kashmir
      • ▸Rishikesh – Spiritual marketplace
      • ▸Life on the Sidewalk
    • Ireland
      • ▸The capital of pubs
      • ▸Ireland in ten days
    • Israel
      • ▸Israel in black & white
    • Colombia
      • ▸Colombia
      • ▸Paisas, coffee and much more
      • ▸Streets of Bogota – From Dystopia to Hope
      • ▸Life along the magical Magdalena River
      • ▸A non-touristy guide to Cartagena’s Caribbean paradise
    • Myanmar
      • ▸Min-ga-la-ba Myanmar
      • ▸Up and down on the hills of Shan State
    • Japan
      • ▸Tokyo
      • ▸Springtime in Kyoto
    • Portugal
      • ▸Life at the edge of Europe
    • Russian Federation
      • ▸The unexpected Moscow
      • ▸White Nights in St. Petersburg
    • Italy
      • ▸Rome
      • ▸Random Sicily
      • ▸Vedi Napoli e poi mori
      • ▸Venice
      • ▸Vanishing Venice
    • Morocco
      • ▸Sunset, camel rides and tea in Erg Chebi
      • ▸Medinas: Morocco’s hidden cities
      • ▸Morocco outskirts
      • ▸Djemaa El Fna encounters
      • ▸Surf and hippies
      • ▸The road of the One thousand kasbahs
      • ▸Amazigh – Berber – Free men
    • Georgia
      • ▸Postcards from Georgia
      • ▸The Many Faces of Tbilisi
    • Nepal
      • ▸Kathmandu Valley
    • Romania
      • ▸Romania to go
      • ▸Maramures
      • ▸Tara Motilor
    • Jordan
      • ▸Bedouin Trails
    • Turkey
      • ▸From Turkey with love
      • ▸Ballooning Cappadocia
      • ▸Where East meets West
      • ▸Street life, Istanbul-style
    • Mexico
      • ▸Finding Mexico City
    • Malaysia
      • ▸Transit KL
    • UK
      • ▸London
      • ▸Grab your kilt and bring your pipes
    • Sweden
      • ▸Stockholm
    • Spain
      • ▸Off-season Andalusia
    • Thailand
      • ▸Bangkok, year 2555
      • ▸Life in Pai
      • ▸Thailand
    • Laos
      • ▸Luang Prabang – The City of ultimate Zen
    • Poland
      • ▸Why I love Poland
    • Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania
      • ▸Neighbors, but not relatives
      • ▸Patarei – A little slice of Hell
    • Findland
      • ▸A sunny day in Helsinki
    • Denmark
      • ▸Copenhagen
  • SINGLES
  • CONTACT
  • MY BOOKS
  • MY VIDEOS
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Up and down on the hills of Shan State

 

“Hands down, the best thing I did in Myanmar was a trek!” was what I kept reading on some travel blogs while doing research for my trip to Myanmar. So it was settled – making on foot the 50 km way between Inle Lake and Kalaw town in a two-day trek through Myanmar’s hill country – the most inspired decision.

This is the Shan Plateau, a quilt of golden and green crops backed by forested hillsides renowned for their villages of the hill tribes – a never ending series of ups and downs – with none particularly steep. These are the lands of the Pa’O, Danu, Palaung and Taung Yo people – ethnic groups who still practice a way of life that has been passed down for centuries. Each village has anywhere from 50-100 families living inside, and they each speak their own unique dialect. There are no roads and no electricity in their villages, just tracks used by walkers, cyclists and grumpy water buffaloes. Everything is made by hand from natural resources like bamboo and wood. All foods are locally grown in the gardens and fields. Women wear layered black tunics and fearsomely colored turbans. Their men wear “longyi” sarongs. The scenery, ranging from forested ridges to tea plantations and lush farmland was just beautiful, and Sithu (our guide) taught us about local customs and translate so that you can interact with the people meet.

Making the way between Kalaw and Inle Lake on foot is one of the most rewardable experiences ever. The two and a half days I spent trekking was the highlight of my trip in Myanmar. To truly experience the life of villagers was to get a true sense of Myanmar. They were so kind, helpful and happy. Fresh air, blue sky, patchwork fields, rolling hills, food grown in the field, a roof over head, clean water, no technology and a real community spirit. Loved it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up and down on the hills of Shan State

 

“Hands down, the best thing I did in Myanmar was a trek!” was what I kept reading on some travel blogs while doing research for my trip to Myanmar. So it was settled – making on foot the 50 km way between Inle Lake and Kalaw town in a two-day trek through Myanmar’s hill country – the most inspired decision.

This is the Shan Plateau, a quilt of golden and green crops backed by forested hillsides renowned for their villages of the hill tribes – a never ending series of ups and downs – with none particularly steep. These are the lands of the Pa’O, Danu, Palaung and Taung Yo people – ethnic groups who still practice a way of life that has been passed down for centuries. Each village has anywhere from 50-100 families living inside, and they each speak their own unique dialect. There are no roads and no electricity in their villages, just tracks used by walkers, cyclists and grumpy water buffaloes. Everything is made by hand from natural resources like bamboo and wood. All foods are locally grown in the gardens and fields. Women wear layered black tunics and fearsomely colored turbans. Their men wear “longyi” sarongs. The scenery, ranging from forested ridges to tea plantations and lush farmland was just beautiful, and Sithu (our guide) taught us about local customs and translate so that you can interact with the people meet.

Making the way between Kalaw and Inle Lake on foot is one of the most rewardable experiences ever. The two and a half days I spent trekking was the highlight of my trip in Myanmar. To truly experience the life of villagers was to get a true sense of Myanmar. They were so kind, helpful and happy. Fresh air, blue sky, patchwork fields, rolling hills, food grown in the field, a roof over head, clean water, no technology and a real community spirit. Loved it.

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