Messages From Myanmar #24
01 January 2017
Hello there, Rodger French here.
Photo Update Alert:
The Irrawaddy River
flows through Myanmar from north to south for a distance of some 2170 km (1348
mi). It is the country’s most important waterway and one of the world’s great
rivers. It is wide, shallow, and treacherous to navigate. It is also “The Road
to Mandalay,” an epithet bestowed by Rudyard Kipling, poet and noted mad
Englishman.
At one time The
Irrawaddy Flotilla Company (IFC) operated several hundred vessels on the river,
the largest fleet of riverboats in the world. Many of these came from Scotland,
where they were built, then disassembled and shipped to Burma (a riverboat with
a three-foot draft is not meant for the open sea), and subsequently reassembled
in Rangoon.
The fleet moved freight,
primarily natural resources from the north and manufactured goods from the
south, as well as passengers intent on business and tourism. Sadly, the
flotilla was largely scuttled in 1943 in order to keep the boats out of the
hands of the Japanese army. But the river, and commerce, flowed on.
Since A.J. and I had
never been on a river excursion, we decided to take a cruise on the mighty
Irrawaddy to see Mandalay and Bagan. It was pretty epic.
[Visitor Sidebar - We were joined by our friend H, who has visited
us twice before in exotic locales.]
We spent seven nights
aboard a faithful reproduction of the IFC P.S. (Packet Steamer) Kalaw, a
well-appointed and very comfortable boat. Passengers came and went, and we
averaged a small but convivial company of 14 along with a crew compliment of
about the same. The staff could not have been nicer, and both our Purser and Tour
Guide kept us well informed and squared away. That said, cue the highlight
reel.
Architecture - A few definitions are in order. Temple: A place
of worship for the followers of Buddhism. (Always remove your shoes.) Pagoda: Buddhist temple, typically in
the form of a multi-tiered tower. Stupa:
A
dome-shaped structure erected as a Buddhist shrine. (One cannot actually enter
a stupa.) In central Myanmar, these structures number in the thousands and we
visited a slew of ‘em in Mandalay, Mingun, Sagaing, Innwa (home of the world
famous U Bein footbridge), Pakokku, and especially…
Bagan - A 42 sq
km World Heritage Site and home to roughly 3,000 monuments, some of which,
having recently suffered earthquake damage, are wreathed in elaborate bamboo
scaffolding while being repaired. Bagan is an Angkor Wat-caliber tourist
destination and is lousy with gringos, especially at sunset. But it is worth
the hassle. Seriously, check out the photoz.
Commerce - We
visited two pottery villages (glazed and terracotta), a stone carver’s street,
a goldsmith shop, a cheroot factory, a silk weaving workshop, and several local
markets. And, as part of the price of admission, we were besieged by hawkers
and hustled, sometimes successfully, at every turn.
[Local Colour
Sidebar - Pandaw, the cruise ship company, supports a number of schools in
the area. We visited a couple of them as well as a The Mingun Buddhist Home for
the Aged. Donate some money, make some merit. That’s the deal.
Transport - Besides
the Kalaw (which stranded on a sandbar only once), we got about by bus, truck, ferry,
tuk-tuk (a rickshaw pulled by a motorbike), rowboat, and horse cart (less fun
than you might imagine).
Shipboard
Life - In addition to three squares a day (the food was
outstanding), we also were treated to a variety of presentations, including:
lectures on Burmese customs and history; cooking, dressing, and make-up
demonstrations; Burmese dance and puppet shows; and movies. Oh yes, and
cocktail hour every evening before dinner. Very. Civilized.
The River - But as
wonderful as the sightseeing and other activities were, what Anne and I enjoyed
most was sitting on deck while the Kalaw was underway, catching the breeze, and
watching scenes, some of which would have been familiar a century ago, flow by.
We felt like we too had played our small part in the story of the Irrawaddy.
Onward.
Rodger
