Burma 2016: Hsipaw Highlighs: A picture tells a thousand words

February 2016

Hsipaw has been special for us in so many ways. Our hotel is more comfortable than anywhere we've stayed; and the meals the hotel chef has made have been some of the best we've had so far on this trip. It's also somewhat cooler than other places (a little higher elevation), so instead of spending good parts of the day seeking shade or hiding from a relentless sun, we've been able to get out and really enjoy the town and the surrounding area, which is beautiful, and at times spectacular.

Here are just some of the wonderful places we've gone and things we've seen....
Hsipaw itself is small, friendly, and interesting. We explored it thoroughly, venturing down small alleys and into places like a little used family park.

Mr. Perfect, my marvellous travel - and life - companion.

Heating tar for road repair

Weaving bamboo mats for floors and walls

Boys having fun in the shade of a truck

All tuckered out...

Little girl with thanaka paste on her face to protect her skin from the sun

Family park near our hotel

With an unusual mermaid sculpture

And some dubious looking paddle boats

There are lots of colourfully painted buildings, gates, walls and fences throughout the town ... evidence of both private and civic pride in their environment. I wondered if this person was being paid to paint this little wall, which was in a public area, or just decided to do it because... why not?

Wall around a small grassy area off the main road through town

Wonder if this is a sign of what this person does or sells...?

There's nothing like a pink wall!

Even the animals are artistic!

In addition to shops and markets, there are countless motorcycle vendors selling mostly fruit and vegetables, which are wonderful and fresh. Evidently there's no shortage of plastic bags here....

Some of these fruits and veggies come from farms and fields not far out of town. We wandered around several, at times trying to figure out what was being grown.

Cabbage and lettuce?

Beans, beans, beans

Treading carefully around newly planted fields.

On one of our walks we came across a noodle factory - oodles of noodles drying in the sun.

On another we were invited into a tea factory. Hsipaw is the centre of the main tea region in Burma. There was tea for sale in all of the shops but not here in the factory. The workers were thrilled, albeit a little surprised, that we cam in to take a look.

And we walked to and along the river, at one point accepting a ride with a boatman in his canoe. To a fancy dancy resort on the other side.

We also visited monasteries and monk houses. Buddhism is alive and well in Burma.

Many, indeed most, children between the ages of 10 and 16 go to live in a monastery for a period of time, dressing as monks or nuns, and studying Theravada Buddhism. The boys wore the same deep chocolate-red robes as their older counterparts. These boys are doing dishes.