Los lugares turísticos en Myanmar

Esta semana ofrezco algo para mis amigos hispanohablantes. El siguiente es un proyecto de mi clase de Español 4. Lo publicamos en Edmodo y compartimos conversación con otros estudiantes alrededor del mundo. ¡Disfruta!

• Los lugares turísticos en Myanmar

Por nuestro tema elegimos cuatro lugares preciosos en Myanmar. Hay mucho que podemos describir pero empezamos con los lugares turísticos que les pueden interesar cuando vengan a este maravilloso país. Esperamos que les interesen lo que hemos escrito y estamos entusiasmados para contestar sus preguntas abajo.

Kyaikhteeyo (La piedra dorada)

-       Profe

Kyaikhteeyo, en myanmar, o la piedra dorada, es un lugar especial. A la vista es exactamente como se imagina, una piedra grande y dorada. Está encima de una montaña unas horas de Yangon. Su aspecto brillante llama la atención, pero su historia es mucho más interesante.

Los budistas cuentan que había un viajero que conoció al Buda y él le dio al hombre dos de sus pelos como reliquia por su homenaje. Después se hizo lo que ahora reconocemos como Kyaikhteeyo, un área sagrada. Los dos pelos hacen que la piedra flota y no se cae de la montaña. ¡Es realmente increíble!

Muchos budistas quieren visitar este lugar especial para rezar o meditar. Los turistas vienen para observar, sacar fotos y experimentar un poco de la cultura myanmara.

Hay dos maneras para subir al cima, en camión o a pie. Cada opción ofrece su propia experiencia y aventura. En al camión estás al aire libre y el carro va rápidamente por las curvas mientras sube. La primera vez que fui subí en el camión y el cielo abrió y cayeron gotas de agua todo el rato que subíamos.

La segunda vez que visité la piedra dorada, caminé para llegar al punto más alto. La excursión tomó seis horas pero las vistas eran impresionantes y había muchos lugares a dónde parar y descansar.

Si visitas Myanmar, recomiendo que no olvides de conocer Kyaikhteeyo.

El lago Inle

• estudiante X

El próximo lugar que recomendamos es Inle. Inle es un lago en el estado de Shan. Lo interesante sobre este lugar es que la gente vive encima del lago en barcos y casas altas. Típicamente, esos barcos y casas son hechos de madera. Es, básicamente, un pueblo en el agua. ¡Todos deben visitarlo! Recomendamos que vayan allí en noviembre o diciembre. No hace mucho calor ni frío durante esos meses. A cambio, hace un poco de fresco (mi clima favorito).  Normalmente, los turistas vuelan desde Yangon a Heho por avión y después van a Inle en coche o autobús.

Ngapali

• estudiante M

En Myanmar, hay tres playas famosas: Chaung Tha, Ngwe Saung y Ngapali. Chaung Tha y Ngwe Saung están en la región Ayeyarwaddy en el sur de Myanmar y Ngapali está en el estado Rakhine al oeste.

La playa que nos gusta más es Ngapali en el estado Rakhine por su arena blanca y agua cristal.

Puedes viajar a Ngapali por avión de Yangon (la ciudad más grande) o Nay Pyi Daw (la capital). El vuelo dura 55 minutos a Thandwe Aeropuerto. El pueblo Ngapali está a 15 minutos en coche de la playa.

La comida de Ngapali, Thandwe es muy deliciosa. Tiene muchos mariscos y pescados por ser una playa. Los hoteles tienen restaurantes buenos también pero la comida cuesta mucho más que en los restaurantes del pueblo de Thandwe.

La marea está alta durante la noche y el mediodía desde la 1 hasta las 3. Podemos nadar en el mar por la la mañana o por la tarde. ¡Pero, podemos tomar el sol todo el día!

Hay muchas actividades que puedes hacer en Ngapali también. Unos hoteles ofrecen equipo para kayak, parasail, bucear, andar en barco o visitar las islas cercanas.

Bagan

• estudiante A

Bagan es una ciudad antigua de Myanmar. Del siglo nueve a siglo trece, Bagan fue la ciudad capital de Myanmar. Hay más de 10,000 templos budistas en la región en el pasado pero ahora, hay solo 2200 templos y pagodas en la zona. Rey Pyinbya encontró la ciudad en el siglo siete. Después, en el siglo nueve, los birmanos entraron en la ciudad y en el siglo diez, Bagan se convirtió en la ciudad capital de los birmanos. Bagan era la ciudad que tenía muchas oportunidades educativas  y la religión del budismo era muy fuerte. El reino de Bagan se cayó en el siglo 12 cuando los mongoles lo atacaron.

Hoy Bagan es un lugar popular entre los extranjeros que están visitando Myanmar. La gente viene para las vistas de las puestas del sol, para explorar las ruinas de la ciudad y para aprender sobre la historia de Bagan. Ahora, Bagan tiene muchas hoteles y restaurantes para las visitantes, especialmente para los extranjeros. No vas a arrepentir tu experiencia en Bagan. Es definitivamente un viaje especial.   

Trekking to Kyaiktiyo!

My loyal readers will remember my trip to Golden Rock, aka Kyaiktiyo, in November 2014 (for a refresher, check out the post here).

As I am now well into my second year in Myanmar, I definitely miss nature and being able to get outside and hike. So, when I saw that a three day weekend was approaching, I asked my friend HPA for recommendations to get my outside fix. She suggested Golden Rock and the idea of a road trip to the base and a hike to the top took form. The rock, by the way, is said to be floating on the edge of the mountain due to one of Buddha's hairs underneath it.

Sunglasses, seatbelts, let's go!

We left Saturday morning and it took us about six hours to get to the town at the base of Golden Rock (yes, we stopped for snacks and lunch). We filled the car with girl talk and good tunes as we made our way out of Yangon, through small towns, twisting and turning until we reached Kinpun.

The Road.

We arrived late afternoon, checked into the adorable Golden Sunrise Hotel (the same place I stayed before) and wandered into town. The town was buzzing with activity and we made our way to the main street, admiring locally made snacks, sandals and souvenirs. We both bought Kyaiktiyo t-shirts and I tried on a lot of locally-made sandals, but none of the Asian sizes were big enough to fit my US size 8 feet.

Kinpun at dusk

I discovered a new vegan gluten free food that I love, ka dett. This snack is made from a finely shredded tree root, which is then fried with chilis or garlic. There are many stalls with mounds of ka dett, which you can buy for less than fifty cents per package. It tastes a little like a potato chip and it's crispy with a chewier texture.

Ka dett - my new favorite snack!

After our walk, we returned to the hotel, relaxing in the room and later sharing vegetables, fish and rice at the hotel restaurant for dinner. Although we giggled and talked like young girls at a slumber party, we knew well enough to tuck ourselves into our twin beds and turn off the lights early enough to get a solid 8 hours of sleep before our trekking adventure. I think we both felt excited, but nervous, about our upcoming uphill climb. 

Our hike begins!

On Sunday, we woke up around 7, got dressed, packed and enjoyed a breakfast with fresh coffee at the hotel before stepping out onto the road at 8:11 to begin our hike. We smiled and chatted as we followed the street to town and then pushed past where we had shopped the evening before to step onto the dirt path that slowly rose way up the mountain. 

The steps were the most challenging physical aspect of the hike for me. 

We passed many small shops, traditional homes, children playing, stray dogs and we crossed paths with hikers descending, who must have started the climb down shortly after sunrise.

We are headed the right way!

Downward dog

On the trail

I was wearing my new hiking boots and backpack that R helped me pick out in Bangkok. They both worked great! Backpack felt like it floated above my shoulders and I didn't get any blisters. You may notice my skirt... I've preferred hiking in a skirt since I have been hiking, which in my family means since I have been walking (my dad and some family photos can vouch for this - pink frills on top of Angel's Landing in Zion).

The path varied between cement steps, stones and dirt.

We slowly twisted higher and higher. The way up was gradual enough most of the time. There were shady spots to rest and enjoy a cool drink and it felt amazing to be outside of the city breathing fresh mountain air.

Shops are common

In some ways this trek is an easy one - it's a well-trodden route and there are many shops along the way, so it's easy to buy snacks, water tissues and even hot food. We tried deep fried gourd battered in lentil flour at one rest break. 

Up I go...

The views keep getting better.

We took our time, resting frequently, eating snacks and drinking water. My favorite part of the hike was the ridge, offering stunning panoramic views. After climbing upwards all morning, it was nice to be on a flat-ish trail for awhile.

I <3 Myanmar

Selfie from the ridge, getting tired, but still happy!

The last part of the hike was the most grueling, the sun was at its hottest, our bodies were growing tired and the trail worked its way to a steep incline. But, we never got cranky and we both agreed that the challenge was more in the mind, than the body. We just had to keep going!

Rest stop!

And then... we pushed up one more hill and looked to the left and we had arrived!!! We walked past the trucks that bring most people up and made our way in.

I had to stop at the office and pay the foreigner's fee, but we used the opportunity to get a victory photo.

We officially made it!

Next stop was a restaurant for a late lunch of vegetarian fried rice, lephet thoke (Burmese tea leaf salad) and tea. From there, we wandered around, taking in the whole scene (and taking lots of photos - let me know if you want to see more the next time I visit you or you visit me). As women, we are not allowed out onto the platform to touch, or add additional gold leaf, to the rock.

Sitting at the top

In front of the monastery

Good hiking partners below the rock!

And one more.

As the sun dropped lower in the sky we knew it was time to head back down. This time, we would be riding, though! We piled into a truck, squeezing next to other visitors (mostly locals, though you do see foreign visitors as well), happy to sit for this leg of the journey.

Transport to and from the top

Here's a little video to give you an idea of what the ride is like. Don't worry, Mom!

Sunset views on the way down. 

After descending, we did the short walk back to our hotel. My shower felt amazing and we did a little bit of gentle yoga before tucking into another great dinner at the Golden Sunrise and then stretching out into our beds. 

The next day was mostly our trip back to Yangon, but I can't wait for our next road trip and trek, HPA!!!

So, what are we listening to on our road trip? From my iPhone:

• CHVRCHES - Every Open Eye
• Bomba estéreo - Amanecer
• Purity Ring - Another Eternity
• and a mix of pop, rock and electronic from HPA's library. 

Exploring Myanmar: Golden Rock

Back in November, a friend's friend making his way through Asia stopped in Myanmar. This was the perfect excuse for me to play tourist in this country which is fast becoming home. Even with less than four months here (back then), the details of the day to day and the comfort of routine had begun to settle in so this was an ideal opportunity to get out of Yangon and see some more of the Golden Land.

In order to maximize what we could do and see, I worked with a travel agent to design an itinerary and we hired a driver. This is pretty common here and definitely affordable. He picked us up at 7am Saturday morning and we were off - road trip!

View from the window

It takes about 45 - 60 minutes to get out of Yangon and we enjoyed watching the city go by in the early morning. We stayed on the freeway for awhile, but then turned off onto smaller and smaller roads, passing villages and countryside.

After checking into our hotel, packing daypacks and a delicious Burmese lunch, our driver dropped us off at the base of the mountain. You take a truck to the top of the mountain and then walk the rest of the way to Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock).

On the way to Golden Rock

We got caught in a rainstorm on the way up, even though it was November (supposedly the end of rainy season). Needless to say, there were no pictures, even with our electronics buried deep in my water resistant REI backpack, we were worried they would get ruined. We were all soaked, but the weather didn't seem to dampen the pilgrims' spirits.

Official entrance. From here on no shoes or socks.

While Golden Rock certainly isn't "undiscovered," there aren't a lot of westerners there. Our visit to this spot was as much a sight as the surroundings. One of my colleagues compares it to being a B-list celebrity. Stares, shy smiles, "hello's" and requests for photos are common. The best thing to do is smile and say yes.

Taking a picture of their picture at the entrance to Kyaiktiyo.

The rain had stopped and the views were breathtaking from the top. The space is huge and there are pilgrims everywhere. While westerners are not permitted to camp out, this same rule does not apply to locals and most make the most of their time here, staying overnight, preparing food, praying, meditating, napping and of course, there are kids playing.

The panoramic mode on my iPhone!

We wandered, taking in the whole scene of this sacred space and eventually made our way to the Golden Rock. Legend says that it is not resting on the edge of this cliff, but floating, since a strand of the Buddha's hair rests there. It is covered in gold leaf, tissue paper thin sheets of real gold which devotees press on.

Here it is!

Unfortunately, only men are permitted to cross the small bridge out to the rock and touch it. There are security guards and an airport style detector to walk through, so I didn't push and try to get out on the ledge, but I really wanted to touch the gravity-defying rock. 

Another angle - it's mesmerizing.

We made our way down and around the rock. The other interesting thing about this site is that there are donation boxes everywhere. Most are made of clear glass and stuffed full of kyats. It's quite the combination to see so much cash against the background of this religious site.

Meditating next to a donation box...

Setting up bowls for candles - these are Myanmar letters, but I don't know what it says. 

The plaza above the rock.

Rainbow reward after getting drenched.

Storefront selling potions on the way up.

Although sunrise and sunset are supposed to be special and beautiful times at Kyaiktiyo, we didn't want to miss the last truck down so we squeezed into the back of a pickup and enjoyed the sunset views on the switchbacks working our way back to town.

Snaking our way back down the mountain.

Sunset ride back.

For more information about Kyaiktiyo, check out: http://www.go-myanmar.com/mount-kyaiktiyo-kyite-htee-yoe-the-golden-rock/

So, this was one full day! Stay tuned for the next entry about Bago as our trip continues - pagodas, buddhas and one very old snake.