Third Time and Still Charmed: Kathie and Cheryl take a Pandaw Cruise
Nov 29th, 2015, 09:31 AM
#21
"usually, you must be barefoot as you begin entry to the temple"
Ah yes... I got really tired of that in Sri Lanka, because everywhere was wet (unusual rains and floods that year).
Monkey pee does not sound like good luck!
Ah yes... I got really tired of that in Sri Lanka, because everywhere was wet (unusual rains and floods that year).
Monkey pee does not sound like good luck!
Nov 29th, 2015, 09:48 AM
#22
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Some of you may remember my past Burma reports in which I warn not to discuss politics with people as it could get them into trouble. This trip was SO different! People couldn’t stop talking about the election both before the election and after. We had long conversations with people about the election and communicated with people about the election even without a common language. We heard stories of how the government had swayed the election results in the past. Apparently, villagers would be paid if the election results were favorable to the government party. Or the government would promise services (electricity, transportation) if the village voted for the government party. We heard such stories from many sources. So while the people all seemed certain that the NLD would get the most votes, few had any confidence that the election results would be counted properly. It was not uncommon for a villager to point to an NLD (National League for Democracy, ASSK’s party) campaign poster and give a thumbs-up sign. Or people would just say “The Lady, The Lady” expressing their support for ASSK. We saw people lined up at the polls on election day and we saw campaign posters throughout our trip. People expressed their fears that the government might ignore the outcome of the elections or might throw out votes or add votes to change the results. As the election results came trickling in, people expressed their delight that ASSK’s party had won so many seats. Interestingly, a villager approached one of our party several days after the election, asked her where she was from, and when she said “England” they asked what the outcome of the elections was. She had to say she didn’t know, as official results had not yet been announced. But clearly, this villager thought that the BBC would provide more reliable news than local sources. One night several days after the election, while moored at the riverbank we heard a lot of commotion and shouting. It turned out to be an inebriated local who wanted to party with us in celebration of the election results. Our captain opted to move us to the other bank of the river so we were not disturbed by the rowdiness.
Nov 29th, 2015, 11:51 AM
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Just landed in DC from an eight-night stay in Vienna and couldn't wait to read about your travels as soon as I had Internet. I'm so glad you had the opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere around the elections first-hand; it's priceless. Reminds me of some of the euphoria we experienced in Sri Lanka earlier this year, although I imagine it is many times greater in Burma. How do the crowds compare to when you were last there? Is the infrastructure keeping up fast enough?
Nov 30th, 2015, 07:52 AM
#29
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I'm glad to have so many of you following along on our adventure!
I’m not going to walk you through each day of the cruise, Cheryl’s photos will do that, but I want to convey what it was like to be on this cruise. While cruising, we mostly sat on the upper deck (covered) and watched the river life go by, chatted with fellow passengers, or read. We saw farmers working in their fields, fishermen on the river. The river is the best highway available in this part of the country, and we saw lots of overcrowded public boats plying the river. We watched a man load his motorcycle into a boat. Along one stretch of the river, people were camped under tarps on the sandbank. When I asked about that, our guide told us they were panning for gold. The stops – and the view from the ship - were interesting little windows into the lives of villagers along the Chindwin.
This cruise offers the opportunity to visit places rarely seen by visitors. We saw no other westerners at any of our stops. We walked through villages with stops to chat with locals – often there were people who wanted to practice their English. Our guide or another crew member would translate as needed. With just nine passengers, we didn’t overwhelm the small villages when we stopped. And Pandaw does not stop at the same villages each time. We had some in-depth conversations I can’t imagine having with a large group. If you have read Paul Strachan’s Mandalay book (SS has given you a link, above), then you know the story of Paul finding this classically carved teak monastery and his friendship with the monk there. We had a long conversation with the monk and got up-close views of the carving. One of the passengers was a WWII history buff, so we stopped at a village through which the British fled from the Japanese into India. There is an old man there who came out and talked with us about what he remembers from that time.
As I mentioned earlier, at a couple of stops, bikes were available for use. Well, the bicycles are always on board – it is just that they are more or less practical at some stops than others.
In the days after the election, the votes from each village were posted and our guide was able to tell us the totals in each village. In one village, the numbers showed the government party winning. A local man told us that wasn’t right and the village would challenge the vote count. All of the other villages had a large majority for the NLD.
Photos are now up: www.marlandc.com/Myanmar-2015
I’m not going to walk you through each day of the cruise, Cheryl’s photos will do that, but I want to convey what it was like to be on this cruise. While cruising, we mostly sat on the upper deck (covered) and watched the river life go by, chatted with fellow passengers, or read. We saw farmers working in their fields, fishermen on the river. The river is the best highway available in this part of the country, and we saw lots of overcrowded public boats plying the river. We watched a man load his motorcycle into a boat. Along one stretch of the river, people were camped under tarps on the sandbank. When I asked about that, our guide told us they were panning for gold. The stops – and the view from the ship - were interesting little windows into the lives of villagers along the Chindwin.
This cruise offers the opportunity to visit places rarely seen by visitors. We saw no other westerners at any of our stops. We walked through villages with stops to chat with locals – often there were people who wanted to practice their English. Our guide or another crew member would translate as needed. With just nine passengers, we didn’t overwhelm the small villages when we stopped. And Pandaw does not stop at the same villages each time. We had some in-depth conversations I can’t imagine having with a large group. If you have read Paul Strachan’s Mandalay book (SS has given you a link, above), then you know the story of Paul finding this classically carved teak monastery and his friendship with the monk there. We had a long conversation with the monk and got up-close views of the carving. One of the passengers was a WWII history buff, so we stopped at a village through which the British fled from the Japanese into India. There is an old man there who came out and talked with us about what he remembers from that time.
As I mentioned earlier, at a couple of stops, bikes were available for use. Well, the bicycles are always on board – it is just that they are more or less practical at some stops than others.
In the days after the election, the votes from each village were posted and our guide was able to tell us the totals in each village. In one village, the numbers showed the government party winning. A local man told us that wasn’t right and the village would challenge the vote count. All of the other villages had a large majority for the NLD.
Photos are now up: www.marlandc.com/Myanmar-2015
Nov 30th, 2015, 08:41 AM
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Arriving in Homalin ended our cruise. For the first time in a week, we saw other westerners - a group of trekkers on an organized tour. We had time to go out and explore the town, then came back to the ship for a light lunch before going off to the airport.
Checking in for our flight from Homalin to Yangon, I saw that the airlines are stilling using hand-written passenger lists. And, indeed, the immigration officer was using a hand-written log book. Why were we going through immigration at Homalin airport? Because we were in a permit-only area, and they had to check the Pandaw’s submitted list of passengers, passport and visa numbers against our actual passports and visas. Note than Pandaw will arrange your permit once you have your Myanmar visa.
We flew via Mandalay and HeHo to Yangon. Yes, the airlines still all fly in a circular pattern.
Once in Yangon, I was stunned by the changes since we were last there in 2011. There is much more traffic - many, many more cars on the streets. And the taxis and now whole cars - as opposed to wrecks missing large chunks of the interior and one or more fenders that were the only option in the past. Construction was everywhere. There are quite a number of huge new hotels, and some of the old colonial buildings are being fixed up for new little boutique hotels. Traffic in Yangon is terrible. When we were last in Yangon, the drive from the airport to the Strand was 20-30 minutes, this time it was over an hour. Indeed, we found we needed to allow an hour to get anywhere in Yangon.
There are now plenty of drivers who own their own cars. We used one we really liked and will email him before we arrive next time, Sai Thura Han at [email protected] His car is a nice Toyota, comfortable and well-maintained. Many of the taxis at the airport are the size of a SmartCar.
Checking in for our flight from Homalin to Yangon, I saw that the airlines are stilling using hand-written passenger lists. And, indeed, the immigration officer was using a hand-written log book. Why were we going through immigration at Homalin airport? Because we were in a permit-only area, and they had to check the Pandaw’s submitted list of passengers, passport and visa numbers against our actual passports and visas. Note than Pandaw will arrange your permit once you have your Myanmar visa.
We flew via Mandalay and HeHo to Yangon. Yes, the airlines still all fly in a circular pattern.
Once in Yangon, I was stunned by the changes since we were last there in 2011. There is much more traffic - many, many more cars on the streets. And the taxis and now whole cars - as opposed to wrecks missing large chunks of the interior and one or more fenders that were the only option in the past. Construction was everywhere. There are quite a number of huge new hotels, and some of the old colonial buildings are being fixed up for new little boutique hotels. Traffic in Yangon is terrible. When we were last in Yangon, the drive from the airport to the Strand was 20-30 minutes, this time it was over an hour. Indeed, we found we needed to allow an hour to get anywhere in Yangon.
There are now plenty of drivers who own their own cars. We used one we really liked and will email him before we arrive next time, Sai Thura Han at [email protected] His car is a nice Toyota, comfortable and well-maintained. Many of the taxis at the airport are the size of a SmartCar.
Nov 30th, 2015, 09:43 AM
#31
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This cruise was an incredible experience. We recommend it to fellow-adventurers. I’m sure we will take another Pandaw cruise in Burma. Indeed, we spent the weekend trying to decide whether to book now for next year and get the 10% discount. But we have decided to wait a year before going on another Pandaw cruise.
Note that if you book a year in advance, you get a discount and that if you take a shoulder season cruise, there is no single supplement.
Note that if you book a year in advance, you get a discount and that if you take a shoulder season cruise, there is no single supplement.
Nov 30th, 2015, 10:06 AM
#32
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Still following along and find your descriptions of the cruise very interesting.
You say bicycles were always on board and were more practical in some places than others. Does this mean some places there was actually no place to bike to since the village was so isolated and remote, or the stop was too short to allow for biking, or the terrain was too difficult?
I am still trying to get a picture in my mind of how isolated the people who live along this river are and how sparsely populated this area is. I can't figure out if there are just a few small villages of say 300 people or if there are actually quite a few villages and towns regularly spaced along the river, with roads also along the river. In From your description, it sounds as though the real purpose of this particular cruise is to get a glimpse of everyday life rather than to see any real sights.
Did you ever find yourself feeling bored and trapped on the boat since there was pretty much the same routine every day? Or, with the routine did you feel it was broken up enough with a meal or excursion every couple hours that you were sufficiently occupied? Sorry for drilling you, but I am interested in the possibilities this cruise offers and yet, as people who are not sit around the pool on a vacation type people, wonder about whether a cruise (any cruise) with lots of down time is for us.
Thanks again.
You say bicycles were always on board and were more practical in some places than others. Does this mean some places there was actually no place to bike to since the village was so isolated and remote, or the stop was too short to allow for biking, or the terrain was too difficult?
I am still trying to get a picture in my mind of how isolated the people who live along this river are and how sparsely populated this area is. I can't figure out if there are just a few small villages of say 300 people or if there are actually quite a few villages and towns regularly spaced along the river, with roads also along the river. In From your description, it sounds as though the real purpose of this particular cruise is to get a glimpse of everyday life rather than to see any real sights.
Did you ever find yourself feeling bored and trapped on the boat since there was pretty much the same routine every day? Or, with the routine did you feel it was broken up enough with a meal or excursion every couple hours that you were sufficiently occupied? Sorry for drilling you, but I am interested in the possibilities this cruise offers and yet, as people who are not sit around the pool on a vacation type people, wonder about whether a cruise (any cruise) with lots of down time is for us.
Thanks again.
Nov 30th, 2015, 11:01 AM
#33
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julies, I am glad to answer all of your questions.
Bicycles: For many of these small towns, the highway is the river. There are a few rutted roads/paths in town and heading out to the fields, but that is it. For larger towns, there are more "roads." For some places, the issue would be getting the bicycles up the bank to the town. We had to cancel one stop because of the condition of the river bank. In any case you don't really bike to somewhere, but just bike around the small town/village. They are in the process of replacing the current bicycles with new mountain bikes.
There are quite a few small villages along the river, but the roads, where they exist, are in terrible condition. Cheryl got a photo of a guy loading his motorcycle into a boat - this was obviously preferable to trying to get somewhere on land.
Cheryl's photos of life along the river will give you a flavor of what we saw. Yes, the purpose of this cruise was to see the life ways of the people who live in rural Myanmar. There are stupas and pagodas, monasteries and markets, but the point of the cruise is to observe the day to day life of the people.
We never felt bored. There was always something to see or talk about with our fellow travelers. The ship has a good library of books on the country, and many passengers picked up a book from the library and read it during leisure time.
I think you are asking good questions. We are not cruise people - this is our first - and we love seeing new places and experiencing new things. We loved this cruise. As we look at what else Pandaw offers, we would only consider another Burma cruise or the new Laos cruise.
When we booked this cruise the itinerary shown indicated one day of just cruising. I wasn't sure how I would feel about that. It turned out we had two stops every day (one day we were scheduled for three, but the condition of the riverbank was such that we couldn't make that stop).
Bicycles: For many of these small towns, the highway is the river. There are a few rutted roads/paths in town and heading out to the fields, but that is it. For larger towns, there are more "roads." For some places, the issue would be getting the bicycles up the bank to the town. We had to cancel one stop because of the condition of the river bank. In any case you don't really bike to somewhere, but just bike around the small town/village. They are in the process of replacing the current bicycles with new mountain bikes.
There are quite a few small villages along the river, but the roads, where they exist, are in terrible condition. Cheryl got a photo of a guy loading his motorcycle into a boat - this was obviously preferable to trying to get somewhere on land.
Cheryl's photos of life along the river will give you a flavor of what we saw. Yes, the purpose of this cruise was to see the life ways of the people who live in rural Myanmar. There are stupas and pagodas, monasteries and markets, but the point of the cruise is to observe the day to day life of the people.
We never felt bored. There was always something to see or talk about with our fellow travelers. The ship has a good library of books on the country, and many passengers picked up a book from the library and read it during leisure time.
I think you are asking good questions. We are not cruise people - this is our first - and we love seeing new places and experiencing new things. We loved this cruise. As we look at what else Pandaw offers, we would only consider another Burma cruise or the new Laos cruise.
When we booked this cruise the itinerary shown indicated one day of just cruising. I wasn't sure how I would feel about that. It turned out we had two stops every day (one day we were scheduled for three, but the condition of the riverbank was such that we couldn't make that stop).
Nov 30th, 2015, 02:38 PM
#34
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Thanks for your report and the wonderful photos. I'm so pleased you enjoyed the Pandaw experience. You've reminded me of our trip a couple of years ago when the locals at some villages actually took photos of the tourists !
Nov 30th, 2015, 02:58 PM
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Kathie--This is a great help, and I now have a real feel for what your cruise entailed. I'm glad you understand why I have been so persistent in my questioning. I know people who've done many cruises are probably wondering why in the world I'd be so concerned about a cruise, but in many ways
it is a truly different mindset about how to visit a country.
sartoric--Sounds like India where we are the subjects of innumerable photos (posing both on our own and in a group with the owners of the cameras).
it is a truly different mindset about how to visit a country.
sartoric--Sounds like India where we are the subjects of innumerable photos (posing both on our own and in a group with the owners of the cameras).
Nov 30th, 2015, 03:53 PM
#36
Loving this trip report! Fascinating description of the local reaction to the election.
And your story of the monkey pee was truly (forgive me for this...) a pisser! I live in NYC and have had to deal with pigeon poop from time to time, but have never had to take cover from monkey pee!
Thank for sharing -- I'm looking forward to experiencing the trip with Cheryl's photos now, too.
And your story of the monkey pee was truly (forgive me for this...) a pisser! I live in NYC and have had to deal with pigeon poop from time to time, but have never had to take cover from monkey pee!
Thank for sharing -- I'm looking forward to experiencing the trip with Cheryl's photos now, too.
Nov 30th, 2015, 04:02 PM
#37
Thanks for the link to Cheryl's photos - please tell her they are fabulous as usual. They are reminding me that it too long since I visited Asia!
BTW, what constitutes the "off season"? And is too hot or too cold?
BTW, what constitutes the "off season"? And is too hot or too cold?
Nov 30th, 2015, 04:34 PM
#38
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In general, in Burma high season is Nov/Dec/Jan For cruises in July/Aug/Sept/Oct you can get discounts. Look at the Pandaw site for details about each cruise. Off season is rainier and may be hotter at times.
I will convey your comments to Cheryl. This was such a different type of trip she was a little concerned that her photos would be "boring."
I will convey your comments to Cheryl. This was such a different type of trip she was a little concerned that her photos would be "boring."
