Yes, sitting here at a computer in above 100 degrees F (42 ish) I have just found out that volunteering in Bangalore IS ON and hanging around in Himalayan ashrams is off. I am very excited and will be spending the next 10 days gallivanting south, quite the opposite direction from any other right minded traveller. The monsoon hit the south last week so it should be an interesting month or so.
The organization that Dave and I will be working for is the Parikrma Foundation, a nonprofit company "aiming to help the poorest of the poor break their cycle of poverty". When a German lass called Steffi described how much she enjoyed her time there and how worthwhile the organisation is I decided I had to give it a go. Her feedback stood out amongst the numerous not so satisfied stories and I hope it will live up to it. You can judge it for yourself by clicking on the link on the right margin of this page.
I just can not wait for another 26 hour train ride across the heart of India at the hottest time of the year in what may be described as a human oven. Delightful.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Back in India
Ah yes, I find myself back in the shere craziness of Calcutta with another 6 fascinating weeks ahead of Dave and me in this nutty sub-continent.
No more Burmese internet restrictions. I shall therefore resume this blog with out concern of that bastard of a regime.
Just off to see the famous symbol of old empire known as the Victoria Monument then relax into to another overnight train journey to Varanasi, just as I undertook with Thilo in early March. A fascinating place like no other and I can not wait to get there.
Then where...
The north or south, only some people in Bangalore know as we must wait for news of voluntary work. I can not think of much a more interesting place to wait.....
to Varanasi!!!!
No more Burmese internet restrictions. I shall therefore resume this blog with out concern of that bastard of a regime.
Just off to see the famous symbol of old empire known as the Victoria Monument then relax into to another overnight train journey to Varanasi, just as I undertook with Thilo in early March. A fascinating place like no other and I can not wait to get there.
Then where...
The north or south, only some people in Bangalore know as we must wait for news of voluntary work. I can not think of much a more interesting place to wait.....
to Varanasi!!!!
Burmese Days
An important area that I must delve into. This country is famed for its oppressive regime and indeed many choose to avoid it for that very reason. How far was I able to investigate the situation? How informed an opinion could I attain? The truth is not far and not much. That though is compared to the standard of knowledge that should usually be expected to give a reasoned opinion, but this is not an ordinary scenario. The whole situation can not be grasped from the hand-full of areas that are on the tourist map or from a people who are generally too scared to speak up. This I believe makes it even more important that those who can, publicise the snippets of information they can gather.
Firstly from what I saw with my own eyes. I saw a strong military presence, propaganda and an undoubtedly suppressed people who were noticeably cautious in speaking out. Freedom of speech is curtailed on airwaves and with closed access to Hotmail/Yahoo/news sites etc. Overall it reminded me a lot of western parts of China and that was a key point in my thinking. Here we have two oppressive governments that act secretly, strangle free-speech, suppress minorities, open-up some areas for foreigners to see how well everything is getting along while closing off other large regions where god-knows-what goes on. Many similarities. Why then is the rich world treating them so differently? Surrounding countries seem to treat Burma comparably openly (compared to how the West treats it) - as can be seen in the streets of the capital laden full of East Asian products. The West has chosen a policy of shutting-off the country while at the same time opening their arms to China.
From the little I can see, a policy comparison that deserves closer attention so to avoid hypocrisy. I repeat I have not seen much, but it has raised questions in my mind.
Now to what I heard with my ears. In particular, two individuals opened up politically to me (their names or roles of course kept confidential – people are scared to speak out for a reason). From them I heard stories of killing and suppression in the cut-off areas. Of child armies, drug-wars, and immense human rights violation. Of friends in jail and an increasingly powerful and paranoid government/military structure. The impression I received was far from a government weakening under western constraints, but rather one that is constantly consolidating power and a people with ever less heart to openly fight it. The situation was described as hopeless up until alcohol took effect and one man stressed the need to find a leader to give hope.
It is hard to have any settled opinion from only a few weeks in this country but from what I have guaged there is little hope for short term political freedom in this country. As I left, the "Lady" as she is known (Aung San Suu Kyi) was put under house arrest once more, but for most people I spoke to she gives little hope. In fact one side of the argument goes that she is as much a hindrance as a help. Yes she does bring publicity to the struggle, but provides a convenient excuse for the West to do as she asks - isolate the regime and officially sanction the government - while at the same time largely forgetting about the situation. The policy is not working. On the surface the situation does not appear to be improving. The government does not seem to be weakening but digging in further. I just cannot see a successful revolution coming from the mass of these peaceful people in the near future.
Either way, the idea in the West that if we strangle the government the people will revolt and fix the situation so that the West can fling open their arms seems incredibly narrow sighted. On the one hand it seems unlikely as the government entrench and the people lose heart and on the other, if it were to come about, imagine the likely humanitarian crisis in the process of the “normalization” of relations. Revolutions can go down in history as glorious successes, but they can also go down as bloody failures and either way may take many souls with them. These people need assistance.
A policy rethink is needed for a huge problem. If the correct policy for China is to open arms and carefully guide it away from its negative side then why not for Burma. To be honest I do not know what policy is best but I am sure there needs to be a RETHINK!!!!
Now to what I heard with my ears. In particular, two individuals opened up politically to me (their names or roles of course kept confidential – people are scared to speak out for a reason). From them I heard stories of killing and suppression in the cut-off areas. Of child armies, drug-wars, and immense human rights violation. Of friends in jail and an increasingly powerful and paranoid government/military structure. The impression I received was far from a government weakening under western constraints, but rather one that is constantly consolidating power and a people with ever less heart to openly fight it. The situation was described as hopeless up until alcohol took effect and one man stressed the need to find a leader to give hope.
It is hard to have any settled opinion from only a few weeks in this country but from what I have guaged there is little hope for short term political freedom in this country. As I left, the "Lady" as she is known (Aung San Suu Kyi) was put under house arrest once more, but for most people I spoke to she gives little hope. In fact one side of the argument goes that she is as much a hindrance as a help. Yes she does bring publicity to the struggle, but provides a convenient excuse for the West to do as she asks - isolate the regime and officially sanction the government - while at the same time largely forgetting about the situation. The policy is not working. On the surface the situation does not appear to be improving. The government does not seem to be weakening but digging in further. I just cannot see a successful revolution coming from the mass of these peaceful people in the near future.
Either way, the idea in the West that if we strangle the government the people will revolt and fix the situation so that the West can fling open their arms seems incredibly narrow sighted. On the one hand it seems unlikely as the government entrench and the people lose heart and on the other, if it were to come about, imagine the likely humanitarian crisis in the process of the “normalization” of relations. Revolutions can go down in history as glorious successes, but they can also go down as bloody failures and either way may take many souls with them. These people need assistance.
A policy rethink is needed for a huge problem. If the correct policy for China is to open arms and carefully guide it away from its negative side then why not for Burma. To be honest I do not know what policy is best but I am sure there needs to be a RETHINK!!!!
Burma: From the hills to the Bay of Bengal
TREKKING THROUGH THE SHAN HILLS
A two day trek took us up, down and over valley from the hill-station of Kalaw to the fishing and farming communities of Inle Lake. Ascending lung-bursting fir-tree covered hills and transversing patchwork valley that would look ever so much like the south of England were it not for the huge water-buffalo and paddy fields.
We passed through numerous villages seeing people of varied and proud Shan hill tribes. This is an area that has been at ends with the government for a long time. It is technically off-limits but we went after ascertaining that it was relatively safe for foreigners. The political situation in the immediate locality of our route has calmed down in recent years with less open aggression and an undertaking from the locals to stop growing the opiates that the region is famous for. The people were very friendly and on the first day we ate lunch in a local house with a birthday celebration before setting off again through the heat.
Part of the reason I enjoyed the trek so much was undoubtedly because of the beauty and tranquility of the area we trekked. The other part of the story is the group we trekked with. A really fascinating group of Simon (English doctor to be who has been volunteering in East Timor), Israelis (interesting), Belgian (funny) and "Ladies Love Larry" (hilarious – he even inspired me to cycle from England- Greece, watch this space), made the walk and the few days relaxing afterwards a pleasure.
Overnight we stayed in a monastery half way up a hill in the middle of nowhere. A shower outside with a bucket, some great food, great chats, local card games and a floor in the corner of the prayer-hall combined with the utter peacefulness of the place refreshed the legs after the 25km of the first day.
Around the hill we trudged to be greeted with a series of simply blissful views. Those who have trekked mountainous areas will recognize that moment when from passing next to and betwixt the mountains you turn a corner and are blessed with a sudden clear view of valleys stretching are far as the eye can see. A precipitous point of elevation that allows you to view the earth as if from the air and even more satisfying after having to break a bit of a sweat to get there.
Only a couple of clicks on we once again were given the most bonita vista. A similar elevated panorama of valley stretching below, twin hills rising dramatically but broken in the middle by space for Inle lake to proudly show itself, glittering in the afternoon light.
Down again we went past numerous small villages. Past children guiding buffalo and women reaping the fields before we broke through the trees and slowly descended to the lake.
After some more ancient pagoda watching, we took the long narrow boat through the little river ways (literally jumping over the small ingenious dams) out into the expanse of the lake and across it to the main village of the valley. In the center of the lake you are quite a distance from the high hills that line the valley on two sides. The gently sloping plain that adjoins these parallel rises spreads from you in all directions as watery mass before being engulfed by read, village, paddy and eventually hill. The lake communities fish and farm from huts with legs surrounded by this blue and green.
Four days we spend just chilling out here. OK, I watched some monks play football (precarious with those robes), went on a couple of magnificent walks past dead snakes up into the hills (over the rim to the border area with Thailand – strictly off limits where much is grown in abundance) and around the plain (some locals I think thought I was a bit mad wandering aimlessly all on my own in the middle of nowhere), played chess, watched both big cup finals, played Pro Evo (big local favourite here), downed caipirinhas with the crowd, laughed at Larry’s footie jokes, hanged around with Tom Cruise, progressed my juggling and ate copiously, but in general just relaxed. Bliss after running around for so long.
One by one we said goodbye to the trekking company until it was just Dave and me. We jumped on the 20 odd hour bus accompanied by a whole contingent of monks to the soon to be disposed capital Yangon (more politics – the government apparently fear US invasion and are retreating inland in their paranoia). A couple of hours for lunch and then on another 6 hours to an overnight stop at a big fishing town and some more Pro Evo before the final 2 hours across the vast delta to a beach…… a beach….. exactly what I have needed since leaving all those in South America heading for the golden sands of Brazil for the hot, dry expanse of central northern India.
BEACH TIME
There is not too much to say about 5 days spent at a mostly cloudy-rainy Chang Tha beach. It is a nice, reasonably developed palm-clad beach that looks out onto the emerald Bay of Bengal. More of a family place then for party, with Burmese walking into the sea mostly fully clothed in much smaller numbers then usual partly because the rainy season has just arrived and largely because the largest hurricane in 40 years had ripped through the location as we landed in the country and devastated much of the vegetation and construction. Fortunately there was early warning so no-one was hurt. It was a bit weird coming in the aftermath of such a thing but, support where it is needed, we could assist the clean up with our almost nightly fires on the beach burning excess debris.
In fact I believe that was the highlight of our time. Learning fire bush skills from Dave while others played guitar, sang (on my part attempted to), talked, drank whisky and whiled away the dark hours under the beautiful array of bright stars that chose to show themselves every so often through the cloud.
There were very few people around, but those that were were good company to accompany my headlong dive into David Copperfield. In fact the only negative companion was a bottle and more of very evil local whisky (we are talking can’t move uber hangover) and some fishy stomach bug that inhibited my partaking in a veritable lobster feast which, from the corner of my eye, I watched Dave devour as I squatted on all fours in the mud removing the contents of my stomach.
On the one sunny day I got suitably burned after swimming across the delta to an island and giving the whole sun-bathing thing a go found my “travel-tan” is fundamentally insufficient. Otherwise there were walks into the surrounding villages and swims into the sea, but most importantly exactly what I need from beach time - not sunshine or party, but the knowledge that there is nothing I have to do except lie back and hear the mighty ocean lap against the shore – BLISS!
A two day trek took us up, down and over valley from the hill-station of Kalaw to the fishing and farming communities of Inle Lake. Ascending lung-bursting fir-tree covered hills and transversing patchwork valley that would look ever so much like the south of England were it not for the huge water-buffalo and paddy fields.
We passed through numerous villages seeing people of varied and proud Shan hill tribes. This is an area that has been at ends with the government for a long time. It is technically off-limits but we went after ascertaining that it was relatively safe for foreigners. The political situation in the immediate locality of our route has calmed down in recent years with less open aggression and an undertaking from the locals to stop growing the opiates that the region is famous for. The people were very friendly and on the first day we ate lunch in a local house with a birthday celebration before setting off again through the heat.
Part of the reason I enjoyed the trek so much was undoubtedly because of the beauty and tranquility of the area we trekked. The other part of the story is the group we trekked with. A really fascinating group of Simon (English doctor to be who has been volunteering in East Timor), Israelis (interesting), Belgian (funny) and "Ladies Love Larry" (hilarious – he even inspired me to cycle from England- Greece, watch this space), made the walk and the few days relaxing afterwards a pleasure.
Overnight we stayed in a monastery half way up a hill in the middle of nowhere. A shower outside with a bucket, some great food, great chats, local card games and a floor in the corner of the prayer-hall combined with the utter peacefulness of the place refreshed the legs after the 25km of the first day.
Around the hill we trudged to be greeted with a series of simply blissful views. Those who have trekked mountainous areas will recognize that moment when from passing next to and betwixt the mountains you turn a corner and are blessed with a sudden clear view of valleys stretching are far as the eye can see. A precipitous point of elevation that allows you to view the earth as if from the air and even more satisfying after having to break a bit of a sweat to get there.
Only a couple of clicks on we once again were given the most bonita vista. A similar elevated panorama of valley stretching below, twin hills rising dramatically but broken in the middle by space for Inle lake to proudly show itself, glittering in the afternoon light.
Down again we went past numerous small villages. Past children guiding buffalo and women reaping the fields before we broke through the trees and slowly descended to the lake.
After some more ancient pagoda watching, we took the long narrow boat through the little river ways (literally jumping over the small ingenious dams) out into the expanse of the lake and across it to the main village of the valley. In the center of the lake you are quite a distance from the high hills that line the valley on two sides. The gently sloping plain that adjoins these parallel rises spreads from you in all directions as watery mass before being engulfed by read, village, paddy and eventually hill. The lake communities fish and farm from huts with legs surrounded by this blue and green.
Four days we spend just chilling out here. OK, I watched some monks play football (precarious with those robes), went on a couple of magnificent walks past dead snakes up into the hills (over the rim to the border area with Thailand – strictly off limits where much is grown in abundance) and around the plain (some locals I think thought I was a bit mad wandering aimlessly all on my own in the middle of nowhere), played chess, watched both big cup finals, played Pro Evo (big local favourite here), downed caipirinhas with the crowd, laughed at Larry’s footie jokes, hanged around with Tom Cruise, progressed my juggling and ate copiously, but in general just relaxed. Bliss after running around for so long.
One by one we said goodbye to the trekking company until it was just Dave and me. We jumped on the 20 odd hour bus accompanied by a whole contingent of monks to the soon to be disposed capital Yangon (more politics – the government apparently fear US invasion and are retreating inland in their paranoia). A couple of hours for lunch and then on another 6 hours to an overnight stop at a big fishing town and some more Pro Evo before the final 2 hours across the vast delta to a beach…… a beach….. exactly what I have needed since leaving all those in South America heading for the golden sands of Brazil for the hot, dry expanse of central northern India.
BEACH TIME
There is not too much to say about 5 days spent at a mostly cloudy-rainy Chang Tha beach. It is a nice, reasonably developed palm-clad beach that looks out onto the emerald Bay of Bengal. More of a family place then for party, with Burmese walking into the sea mostly fully clothed in much smaller numbers then usual partly because the rainy season has just arrived and largely because the largest hurricane in 40 years had ripped through the location as we landed in the country and devastated much of the vegetation and construction. Fortunately there was early warning so no-one was hurt. It was a bit weird coming in the aftermath of such a thing but, support where it is needed, we could assist the clean up with our almost nightly fires on the beach burning excess debris.
In fact I believe that was the highlight of our time. Learning fire bush skills from Dave while others played guitar, sang (on my part attempted to), talked, drank whisky and whiled away the dark hours under the beautiful array of bright stars that chose to show themselves every so often through the cloud.
There were very few people around, but those that were were good company to accompany my headlong dive into David Copperfield. In fact the only negative companion was a bottle and more of very evil local whisky (we are talking can’t move uber hangover) and some fishy stomach bug that inhibited my partaking in a veritable lobster feast which, from the corner of my eye, I watched Dave devour as I squatted on all fours in the mud removing the contents of my stomach.
On the one sunny day I got suitably burned after swimming across the delta to an island and giving the whole sun-bathing thing a go found my “travel-tan” is fundamentally insufficient. Otherwise there were walks into the surrounding villages and swims into the sea, but most importantly exactly what I need from beach time - not sunshine or party, but the knowledge that there is nothing I have to do except lie back and hear the mighty ocean lap against the shore – BLISS!
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