WT041 - BORDER

It was a long way before we were able to cross the border to Myanmar, as we decided not to take the normal route from Chiang Mai. We left from Pai at 8 a.m. with a bus in direction to Mae Hong Son, about 2 hours drive, and then waited at the station for the next bus to Mae Sariang, another 3 hours on the road. Since we arrived late afternoon, there was no more busses to the border and we had to spend the night at this small but friendly town.

Next day, we woke early to take a pick-up transport to the border with Myanmar. Accordingly to the schedule, this pick-up from Mae Sariang runs every hour from 6.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., but in reality we waited one hour (from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.) until someone showed up to confirm if there were clients awaiting the transportation. So do not trust completely the timetable. We then took it and short after stopped in a garage for more people to arrive. Someone wished to transport his motorbike and so we went all together with no protection whatsoever against the pouring rain (only after 2 complaints).

The arrival in the Myanmar couldn't have been easier. The pick-up left us somewhere in a road a couple of km far away from the border and we had to take a cab for the last part of the way. Directly at the entrance for foreigners, we met Mr. Beauty (several people in Myanmar have funny names, like Ms. Popcorn, Mr. Pizza, Mr. Shake and so on), a really friendly travel agent that help us to travel to Hpa-An, our first destination in Myanmar.

Hpa-An is the capital of the Karen State and a small picturesque town with a backpacker feel. The natural landscape is breathtaking and hides many caves, which are worth your time. Although chaotic the town has potential to grow and many new infrastructures, like a riverfront walk with viewpoints, are now in planning.

Since we only had a couple of days to explore, we rented a motorbike to be quicker and went straight to the cave we thought would be the most interesting, the Saddan Cave. The trail to reach the cave was not an easy one. It had rained before and instead of a dirty road we found a muddy road, being almost impossible to drive as the motorbike slips all the time. Anyway, Andre rode the bike and I walked until the terrain was safe once again. The cave itself is gigantic to the point of having pagodas and Buddha statues by its entrance and along the way. In absolute darkness (for a donation of 3000 MMK they’ll turn on the lights for you), you can walk for 20 min through chambers as high as a cathedral and past car-sized stalactites, cross bridges and walls of crystal. Adding to the general atmosphere, thousands of bats cling to the cave roof and make a lot of noise. As you emerge at the cave’s far side the surprise only increase: the sunlight reveals an idyllic secret lake hidden between a valley. There's another cave on the far side of the lake that's actually half flooded, but local fishers occasionally paddle through it for 10 minutes to yet another lake, from where you can walk again to the main entrance (no shoes are allowed inside but do not forget to take them with you, for the track back). There's a small entry fee of 1000 MMK (about 0,70 EUR), but if you to take the boat inside the cave, then it adds 1500 MMK (1,10 EUR) more. Nonetheless it's an experience to remember.

Driving back the same road, we found the Garden of one 1000 Buddhas with Mount and Monastery Zwegabin in the background. The climb up the mount is quite steep and exhausting but according to visitors, you will be able to meet smiling monks there, as well as, observe a nice sunset.

Our next stop was the one of the most famous monuments in Myanmar, the Kyat Kalat Pagoda, a stunning stupa-topped limestone pinnacle, set on a tiny island with monastic buildings in a lake.

We then crossed the river and drove in direction to the Bat Cave. The reason it is named like that is due to the fact that millions of bats live inside it and fly out after the sunset. So if you wish to see an endless stream of bats, just wait until it darkens. Besides the bats, the view above the river, after some dangerous stairs, is already worth the voyage.

We only visited 2 caves, but there's some more to be discovered - the Bayin-Nyi Caves, the Kawt Ka Thaung Cave, the Ya Thay Pyan Cave, or the Kawt Gone Cave.