May's Travelogue

Just as every region or country has its own traditions and every village has its unique customs, each country has different beliefs, behaviours, and policies. When you visit another country, you may notice that some things are better than at home, while other things may be less convenient. This is natural, I think. When we arrived in Tokyo, we found it hard to find trash cans. Even before going, I had heard that it was difficult to find places to throw away trash and that people often had to carry it home. But I didn’t see people carrying trash bags around. I couldn’t find trash cans either. Yet, the city was clean, and I rarely saw street sweepers. I did see garbage trucks, though. This experience made me reflect on how we also don’t have many trash cans in Myanmar. Personally, I find it quite troublesome because even something as small as a tissue can be difficult to dispose of properly. My bag ends up filled with litter. Since trash cans are scarce, they accumulate. In Singapore...

I'm sure you'll be intrigued when you see people in Myanmar applying yellow paste in various shapes – circles and rectangles – on their faces. This practice is common among both children and adults, men and women. It is called Thanaka. What is Thanaka? It is a traditional makeup used in Myanmar for many centuries. The yellow paste comes from the tree's bark by grinding on the sand rock, known as Kyauk Pyin in Myanmar. Those Thanaka trees are thriving in the tropical region of upper Myanmar. They grow plenty both in private yards and tropical woods as they can survive in the hot weather very well and grow quickly. The bark is very thick and mostly they produce the best quality paste; however, the heartwood can also produce the same benefits for the skin. Hot Weather and Thanaka As it is fragrant, Thanaka provides a calming and refreshing energy, making it ideal for coping with hot weather. Furthermore, it can be used as Aromatherapy to get sound sleep at night. When it is ap...

The route Kalaw-Nyaung Shwe-Inle Lake is a good arrangement for 3-5 days trips.  It only takes 2 hours to drive from Kalaw to Nyaung Shwe, the nearest town to Inle Lake. When you reach Nyaung Shwe, you must take a boat to wander in the lake.  You can stay at Inle hotels overnight to feel the real Inle life.  Alternatively, if you are uncomfortable sleeping on the water, you can stay in Nyaung Shwe and explore the lake only during the daytime. The reasons why Inle Lake is popular are two main cultures that are slightly different from others. One is  Stilt Houses and the other is the style of rowing. Feeding Seagulls Stilt Houses The transportation Stilt restaurants Rowing with legs   Several ethnic tribes of Myanmar have resided in the lake for a long history. They do float farming and fishing. Traditional cotton weaving and silversmiths also can be found. The quality of Inle cotton wear is highly recommended. The residents use boats for local transportation, and...

You can enjoy some fun activities when you are in Kalaw.  (1) Train Tour If you are travelling with a small group, friends, colleagues or family, you can hire ‌a rail cart which is available to ask at the original Kalaw station. The short trip will take about 3 hours and the train capacity is up to 15 people.  Rail Cart Information in front of the Station Ticket Booth (2) Orange Farm If you are a person who enjoys having new experiences on the organic farm, there are some orange farms. The one I went to is near Palaung Mountain. It charges only a small amount of entrance fee and you can borrow a traditional dress to take memorial photos there. (3) Trekking to Cold Dam Cold Dam, local people called Yay Aye Kan, is a Dam which distributes water to its neighbourhood including Kalaw. As it is located a bit far away from town ( around 6 miles), it is enough good for trekking. Along the way, the visitors must pass through the pine forest. Therefore, the scenery is wonderful and the ...