THE ROAD TO MANDALAY  with Pat of Silk Road Adventures
Burma is a country with two names and a controversial history. Anglophiles mostly use the old colonial name Burma but in 1992 the government re-established the traditional name Myanmar which is phonetically correct Burmese pronunciation in pre-colonial times. Which name to use is not my greatest concern as I wait at the Ruili-Muse border between China's Yunnan province and Myanmar's Northern Shan State where a recent and conditional agreement between the two countries that allows properly authorised western travellers to cross this border is about to be tested.

The point where the famous Burma Road crosses from China to Myanmar is marked by an arch in typical Chinese monumental style and a group of inscrutable Chinese border police. Up to this moment every travel guide I have read suggests that this could be the end of journey that has brought me overland down the Burma Road through Yunnan. Accounts of other travellers tell me that the English vocabulary of the Chinese gentleman now approaching me amounts to just five words, ?sorry border closed to foreigners?. Not today though, our Chinese and Myanmar agents have done the paperwork, our documents are in order.

It takes just a few steps to get to the Myanmar immigration post where our colleague from Yangon is waiting. Those few steps have landed us in a time warp, about 30 years removed but only one hundred meters distant from the steel and glass tower blocks on the Chinese side of the border. It's a rare experience to find somewhere in Southeast Asia that hasn't succumbed to the onslaught of the west and we are relieved to leave the incessant bleating of mobile phones behind on the Chinese side of the border.

From Muse our route traverses the Shan hills to Bhamo via the Ledo-Muse Road, infamous as the ìman a mile roadî after those who died during construction in the later stages of WWII. Not much has changed save that we tackle the jungle choked track in a 70's vintage Toyota Corolla wagon with beefed up rear suspension. The air is filled with huge butterflies and exotic scents. We stop often at police checkpoints and restore circulation by occasionally walking ahead amongst the butterflies until the car catches up. Our colleague TunKoKo is apologetic for the heavy police presence, he tells us that the area is completely safe for travellers but increasingly less hospitable for smugglers. The infamous Green, White and Black road backdoor route into China along with its illicit trade in jade, opium and guns is being choked off by vigilant police along the frontier.

It takes about 7 hours to reach the historic trading post of Bhamo on the Ayeyarwaddy River where we are to board the scheduled river boat service down to Mandalay. The town seems to crouch on the south bank of the river, just above flood level yet submerged in magnificent avenues of spreading trees. In the leafy shadows there is a new guesthouse with sporadic electricity for foreign travellers and the riverbank boasts a barbecue restaurant that serves chilled handles of Yangon Larger for NZ$0.50 a pint. Next morning as day breaks we join a cast of hundreds on the river bank for a ìCirque de Soleilesqueî performance as the Inland Water Transport Company vessel loads passengers and freight for the 30 hour run down to Mandalay.

Our cabin is a simple but comfortable 2 berth affair a deck above the throng of local passengers and the bales of Chinese consumables that were manhandled onto the vessel under conditions that would definitely not pass muster with OSH. Two blasts of the horn signal the end of the captainís patience with enterprising longshoremen who are trying to sneak cargo aboard even as the lines are cast off. Departure is a celebration rather than a farewell, particularly for the co-conspirators on board who have secreted away at least 12 bales of illicit freight before the crew could toss it overboard.

On the river our floating village slips gracefully through the sandbanks, glides past villages, stops occasionally at towns and overtakes the ageing maritime relics of the historic Irrawaddy Flotilla Company. Toward the end of our second day on board, Mandalay Hill appears on the horizon. Itís too soon for us but clearly not soon enough for our Burmese travelling companions who have anticipated the end of the trip since early morning. All are dressed for the occasion of arrival in best Longyi, the traditional unisex sarong like tube of cloth wrapped around the waist and the faces of women and children are freshly daubed with yellow Thanaka bark paste.

Mandalay emerges from the jungle as a dazzle of golden spires and white pagodas that seem to float above this low-rise city; the cultural centre of Myanmar and last capital of Royal Myanmar prior to the British invasion in 1886. The city was also trashed during the Second World War but time and reconstruction has revived this 'Golden City' of Buddhist teaching so that it has regained much of its former glory. Our programme takes us around the city to the Aladdinís cave-like National Handicrafts Centre, to the spectacularly photogenic U-Bein bridge, the artisan quarter to see gold leaf beating and marble Buddha carving and finally up Mandalay Hill for the sunset over the Ayeyarwaddy River.

We are reluctant to leave Mandalay to make the short flight Southwest to Bagan, however ancient Pagan is the goal of our journey down the Southeast Asia Silk Road from Yunnan and we are keen to see what brought Marco Polo here in 1235. From the moment I get a glimpse of Bagan Archaeological Zone through the window of the French turbo prop I realize that there is no possible way to describe the place adequately. It is said that some 13,000 temples and pagodas were built on the Bagan Plain over a period of just 200 years prior to the Mongol invasion. The 2000 that remain today are a spectacular legacy to Myanmarís era of temple builders and a World Heritage as significant as the Pyramids of Egypt or Chinaís Great Wall.

At Bagan you can do as much or as little exploring as you want although a relaxed approach generally takes two days along with a bit of retail therapy at the lacquer ware workshops and some excursions to Shwesandaw pagoda for the mind blowing sunset.

After an early start to greet the sunrise over Baganísìpagoda fields we leave for the airport enroute to Heho, gateway for Inle lake and 30 minutes flying time away in Southern Shan State. Our hotel on the lake shore is a 'floating pavilion' of traditional design and construction nestled on stilts in the crystal clear water of a shallow lake that I imagine must contain every drop of clean water in Southeast Asia. Inle is the home of the famous Intha leg rowers and their floating gardens and stilt villages so they have a vested interest in water quality, a matter celebrated in extravagant style at the Phaung Daw U festival each September. Our arrival coincides with the festival of Shin-Pyu, the day each year when young boys are initiated into the order of monks. At the nearby monastery the party rages all night, decibels amplified to a point that raises the lake surface into a chop.

From Inle Lake it's off to Yangon, an hour and a leap into the tropics away by air. Its hot and definitely steamy at the latitude of Burmaís old colonial capital Rangoon where we have a short programme that includes the spectacular gold Shwedagon pagoda of Rudyard Kiplingís ìLetters from the Eastî fame before flying out to Bangkok. Yangon may be a faded dowager amongst Southeast Asian capitals but it has retained sufficient character to ensure that western influences remain subservient to the indigenous culture. We exit via Yangonís humble international departure terminal with the fervent hope that the consumer culture of the west won't drown the intriguing atmosphere of Myanmar any time soon.

FACT FILE An Ethical Question
Forty years ago Burma pulled down the shutters on the west to follow General Ne Winís 'Burmese Road to Socialis'î. It was a path that would ultimately lead to decades of martial law and a shocking record of socio-economic failures and human rights abuses. Now after two decades of sustained international pressure reform is underway and much of it seems positive. As a member or ASEAN Myanmar is now under the scrutiny of its economically powerful neighbours and this may signal a shift towards more progressive policies.

The role of tourism as an agent for change in Burma has been a hot topic of international debate. There are two schools of thought, one advocates a complete boycott while the other argues that the presence of foreign travellers may also help to curb the excesses of the military junta. This is a pragmatic response that appeals to informed travellers but there are compelling arguments either way. In any event there has never been a better time to visit Myanmar, travel restrictions have been lifted, closed areas are now open to foreigners and private sector tourism development is underway.

Travellers who know Burma also know that the spirited people, spectacular natural and cultural heritage and priceless atmosphere will endure long after the present political landscape has been consigned to history.

GETTING THERE AND AWAY
We flew from Bangkok to Kunming, capital of Chinaís Yunnan Province with Thai International Airways. and continued overland down the ìBurma Roadî from Dali to Ruili ñ Muse on the China / Myanmar border and on to Mandalay.

Myanmarís principal gateways are Yangon and Mandalay. Thai International Airways operate scheduled services between Chang-Mai and Mandalay and Bangkok and Yangon.

ENTRY VISA
A valid Passport with entry visa is required for all visitors to Myanmar. 30 day tourist visas are available on presentation of a pre arranged tour invitation (of any duration) which SRA can provide.

TOURISM FACILITIES and SERVICES
At the main tourist destinations, services and infrastructure are well developed and provide great value for money with quality joint venture local and international hotels. Joint venture private sector airlines Air Mandalay and Yangon Airways provide safe and efficient domestic air travel and all tourist centres have a great selection of restaurants serving local and international cuisine.

WHEN TO GO
It is possible to travel in Myanmar at any time however July through September and November through January are best. In the north most rain falls during late September and early October.

Travel arrangements were made by Silk Road Adventures New Zealand Ltd. www.silkroad.co.nz

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