Tapp's Travels

About 10 minutes after we were all back on board we set off up the Yangon River and after a few minutes we branched off left into the Twante Canal.  This  35 km long canal was dug by the British in 1881-3.  In 1935 it was dredged to allow larger vessels to sail from Yangon to Mandalay without going out to sea.  We eventually found the Irrawaddy River just as we sat down to dinner at 7 pm.

Dinner for eight in the private dining room with Jeff & Catherine and Charles & Amanda and Jahn & Paul from Melbourne.  The menu, devised by Luke Nguyen, consisted of three starter dishes, one soup, two mains and a dessert.  Very complex mixture of traditional Myanmar dishes.  Very delicious.  Slightly too much wine accompanying the meal.  … and rather late finishing so, sadly, we missed part 1 of the film “The Lady”.  Part 2 is tonight – so that’s a bit of a problem!  It’s a supposedly fairly true account of the life of Aung San Syu Kyi.  Maybe we can get it on catch-up!

This morning we were woken as the anchor was lifted at first light and we steamed on upstream to Danyphyu.

Here we were levered into Trishaws again for a trip to the local market. I say “levered into” because the seat width on these things is less than in BA economy – and that’s saying something!  My solution is to add extra cushions until I’m sitting above the height of the side rails.  Does nothing for lateral stability – but, hey, aren’t we supposed to be living on the edge?

The market sold everything we didn’t need. Flowers; fruit and vegetables (some vaguely recognisable); dried catfish; meats (including rat); chicken and heaven knows what else!

You could buy sections of tree branches which are ground to a powder which is then made into a paste and plastered onto ones face. Sunscreen local style!

There was just one stall deep in the middle selling notebooks and pencils – our target purchases. We need something like this to take to the school tomorrow to give to the children.

There was also a pile of shirts on sale for 1,500 kyat – about half the price of having one shirt laundered on the ship! Tempting!

Afterwards we were treated to a visit to a cheroot “manufacturing” operation. Four ladies (the youngest, just 16) rolling tobacco leaves in corn husks in a dark shed beside the road. Apparently they earn the equivalent of 2-3 $US a day… The minimum wage hereabouts.  Here is the lead lady smoking some of the profits.

Onwards and upwards round the back of town to the local monastery where we were due to have a brief audience with the Abbot – the senior monk in residence at 87 years old. There are apparently 40 monks permanently living here. Novices from 4-19 years, monks 20 years and up plus one big cheese. Apparently anyone can be a monk for a week or so. Indeed, virtually all Buddhist men will attend a monastery at least once in their lives. A week stay is quite normal. To be accepted you have to prove your wife or parents are happy with the plan, that you are not on the run from the authorities and that you are not bankrupt and deep in debt! Then there’s the small matter of house rules. There are some 270 of these. No gardening, no cooking, no this, no that… But at least you can leave anytime you want – allegedly!

The buildings were beautiful but in an advanced state of dilapidation. The resident population had previously been much higher. Now a lot of the buildings were shut up and falling down. Sad.

We never did get to meet the main man, but the local children who followed us everywhere were delightful.

It’s Saturday today, so no school. Which does raise the interesting question about our visit to the school tomorrow. We could be flying home with stacks of notebooks and pencils!

We have just passed a small boat with two men aboard. One driving and the other swinging a measured pole about and (presumably) testing the water depth.

We have been told that the water level is rather low at present and that sand banks come and go.  Apparently we have a pilot on board each day (and by chance, we just rammed the bank to take on board just such a pilot) who is supposed to be up on the latest news from guys in small boats waving red and white poles about. It’s true to say we haven’t hit anything surprising yet – but we have been zigging and zagging backwards and forwards across the river and dodging around little sand islands. Long may it stay that way!

Anyway, to finish…

BEER TROUBLE

A guy goes into a bar and says, “Quick, gimme a beer before the trouble starts!” The barman looks around the sleepy bar, shrugs and hands the guy a bottle of beer.

The guy drinks it fast. “Quick! gimme another beer before the trouble starts!”
The barman looks at the guy oddly but hands another beer to him.

The guy drinks it fast. “Quick another beer before the trouble starts!”
The barman hands him another beer, with a frown on his face, but hands it over reluctantly.

Again, the guy drinks it fast. “Quick another beer before the trouble starts!”
The barman replies, “Look pal, exactly what trouble are you talking about?”

“I haven’t got any money!”