{"id":24805,"date":"2019-05-06T15:01:56","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T19:01:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=24805"},"modified":"2020-09-29T15:25:53","modified_gmt":"2020-09-29T20:25:53","slug":"the-road-to-mandalay-a-journey-through-burma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/the-road-to-mandalay-a-journey-through-burma\/","title":{"rendered":"The Road To Mandalay – A Journey Through Burma"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Burma is a hidden country. Sandwiched between India, China, and Thailand, along with a bit of Bangladesh and Laos, it is essentially the drainage basin of the Irawaddy River, rising in the glaciers at the southeast corner of the Tibetan Plateau and flowing south for 1,350 miles to the Bay of Bengal.<\/span><\/p>\n

This article was published in the Escape Artist Weekly Newsletter on May 06, 2019. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, please click here.<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All photos by Jack Wheeler<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"TheOut of a welter of tribal regions and warring principalities, it emerged into history only about a thousand years ago with the <\/span>Pagan Empire<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 It established Buddhism throughout what is now Burma, and constructed over 10,000 Buddhist temples during the 10<\/span>th<\/span>-13<\/span>th<\/span> centuries.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

2,200 remain on the plains of Pagan today, one of the world\u2019s most wondrous sights \u2014 as you can see by the picture above.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The History<\/h3>\n

The Mongol invasions of the late 1200s wiped Pagan out. Various kingdoms warred, rose, and fell for the next 500 years until the Brits arrived, who in a series of Anglo-Burmese Wars from 1824-1885 colonized and created Burma as a Province of British India.\u00a0 The capital was Rangoon, built by the Brits into a flourishing city known as The Garden City of the Orient. <\/span><\/p>\n

Way upriver on the Irawaddy was the city they were all lyrical about \u2013 Mandalay. \u00a0It was Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) who made Burma the ultimate of the romantically exotic with his poem <\/span>Mandalay<\/span><\/i><\/a> in 1890.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin\u2019 lazy at the sea,<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>There\u2019s a Burma girl a-settin\u2019, and I know she thinks o\u2019 me;<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>For the wind is in the palm-trees, and the temple-bells they say:<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>“Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay!”<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>Come you back to Mandalay,<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>Where the old Flotilla lay:<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>Can\u2019t you \u2018ear their paddles chunkin\u2019 from Rangoon to Mandalay?<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>On the road to Mandalay,<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>Where the flyin\u2019-fishes play,<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>An\u2019 the dawn comes up like thunder outer China \u2018crost the Bay!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ironically, there never was a Bob Hope-Bing Crosby “Road” movie to Mandalay.\u00a0 It was the original title for their very first in the series in 1940, but changed to <\/span>The Road to Singapore<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Burma remained the ultimate hidden lure of the East until World War II when the Japanese invaded.\u00a0 It took the Brits, Americans, and Burmese killing 170,000 Japanese soldiers to get rid of them. \u00a0Yet even though the Brits granted Burma independence in 1947, it remained hidden and withdrawn from the world under a Soviet-aligned Military Marxist dictatorship until very recently.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ethnic Burmese inhabit the Irawaddy basin, while the jungle-clad mountains surrounding it have been the abode for millennia by the China, Kachin, Shan, Wa, Karen, and Karenni tribal peoples \u2013 with guerrilla war rebellions against the dictatorship breaking out by them all. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the 1980s as a private operative for President Reagan\u2019s strategy to terminate the Soviet Empire, I clandestinely crossed from Thailand into Burma on more than one occasion with Karenni and Karen guerrillas. \u00a0\u00a0Meanwhile, the Burmese themselves began demanding freedom and democracy with huge demonstrations in Rangoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The military junta resisted, even changing Burma\u2019s name to “Myanmar,” Rangoon to “Yangon,” and moving the capital to an empty plain called Nay Pyi Taw in 1989.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Ten years ago the junta began relenting and freeing up the country, so much so by 2015 I was confident enough to take a small group of friends to explore the country. \u00a0We had a wonderful enlightening time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now I\u2019m thinking of doing this again next year, as a number of you have asked if I would. What I\u2019d like to show you is a small sample of what we saw \u2013 just a hint, a taste of all there is in this extraordinary land. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Burmese devotion to Buddha is the most spectacular in all Asia. \u00a0An example is the giant reclining Buddha at Bago.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Laying<\/p>\n

On a mountain top nearby is the Temple of the Golden Rock, where, the legend goes, a strand of the Buddha\u2019s hair under the base prevents the “gravity-defying rock” from tumbling off the mountain.\u00a0 It is covered in gold leaves pasted on by devotees.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At Heho in Shan State are the <\/span>Pindaya Caves<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 For centuries, Buddhist pilgrims have venerated these caves by placing gilded statues and images of the Buddha along the cave walls and in the crevices.\u00a0 There are now over 8,000 golden Buddhas. \u00a0You climb to the caves in a series of covered steps\u2026 and enter a cavern world that is simply unbelievable\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a roadless remote valley way up in the Shan Hills, we come to a series of villages collectively called Pan Pat. \u00a0Here we will find the Kayan tribe, whose women practice a unique tradition of beautification.\u00a0 Starting at age five, girls have a few brass coils placed around their necks, adding to them progressively as they grow until they are wearing as many as two dozen \u2013 becoming what the world knows them as <\/span>Giraffe women<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 (The Shan people call them “Padaung” meaning “long-necked,” but they call themselves Kayan.)<\/span><\/p>\n

We are not here to gawk.\u00a0 We are here to make friends, treat them respectfully, and learn about their traditions.\u00a0 It is an intensely memorable experience to meet these ladies.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Elsewhere in the Shan Hills is the <\/span>Taung Kwe Zedi<\/span><\/i> \u2013 the Stupas of the Cleft Rock \u2013 where Buddhist monks congregate to meditate and pray in the early morning light.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Hopong Valley<\/h3>\n

In the nearby Hopong Valley is a mysterious site sacred to the Pa-O people called <\/span>Kekku<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many centuries ago, thousands of stone temples and towers decorated with stucco statues were built here by no one knows who.\u00a0 Kekku is an unknown remote place where the only people will be local Pa-O and monks coming for veneration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now we come to Burma\u2019s iconic <\/span>Inle Lake<\/span><\/i> \u2013 famous for its extraordinarily calm serenity, the homes on stilts of the Intha people, and their unique leg-rowing fishermen. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As we immerse ourselves in the peaceful beauty of Inle,\u00a0 we spend time with the Intha fishermen as they row their canoes with a leg wrapped around the paddle leaving both hands free to fish with their conical nets.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

North on Inle is one of the world\u2019s greatest wonders \u2013 <\/span>Ancient Pagan<\/span><\/a> (now called Bagan).\u00a0 There are over 2,200 massive temples here remaining spread over 40 square miles.\u00a0 It frankly leaves Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Borobodur in Java in the dust.\u00a0 There is nothing that matches it on the planet.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Our first stop is Shwezigon, completed in 1102 and thoroughly re-gilded as it is thought to contain a tooth of the Buddha. \u00a0I couldn\u2019t resist this shot of a monk taking a picture with his cell phone.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next to it is the Ananda Temple with its gigantic Buddha statues of gold. \u00a0My best shot of Ananda is in its reflecting pool.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The View From Above<\/h3>\n

The ultimate way to experience Pagan\/Bagan is to see it in the early morning light from above \u2013 in a hot air balloon. Floating silently above this wonderland is indeed one of those “experiences of a lifetime.”\u00a0 When we land, we have a champagne breakfast amongst the temples.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We end in Mandalay \u2013 at the temple on Mandalay Hill where everyone in town meets for the sunset over the Irrawaddy.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
\u00a92019 Jack Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Again, this is just a small glimpse \u2013 there\u2019s so much more to Burma. \u00a0The best time to go is February \u2013 so I\u2019m thinking of February 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If this is what you\u2019d like to experience yourself, let me know at <\/span>Jack@WheelerExpeditions.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Carpe diem<\/span><\/i>. If not now, when? Life is short. The time for a great adventure is now.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jack Wheeler is the founder of\u00a0<\/b>Wheeler Expeditions<\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Click here to get advance notice of expeditions you can join & stunning photos of Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventures<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This article was published in the Escape Artist Weekly Newsletter on May 06, 2019. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, please click here.<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Burma is a hidden country. Sandwiched between India, China, and Thailand, along with a bit of Bangladesh and Laos, it is essentially the drainage basin of the Irawaddy River, rising in the glaciers at the southeast corner of the Tibetan Plateau and flowing south for 1,350 miles to the Bay of Bengal. This article […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":366,"featured_media":24818,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[2395,2394,2393,2399,1822,1815,2397,2396,1753,1814,1811,2190,2189,2398,1819,1812,2400,1820,1825,2191],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/image11.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24805"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/366"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24805"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42375,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24805\/revisions\/42375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24805"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=24805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}