Pampet a Padaung village in Kayah State

Pampet, a Padaung village, is about an hour from Loikaw in Kayah State. The Padaung women are famous for the many brass rings they wear which elongate their neck considerably. Brass is made from an alloy of copper and zinc. However there is much more to the village as we found out. The chief (who is elected by the people) met us at a junction and advised as to what we should take to give to the villagers. He does not want them spoiled by money, so suggests we take ten bottles of cooking oil and washing detergent. We also take exercise books and pens for the village primary school. Pencils are not so useful, we learn. They are only used until Standard 2. After that it’s pens.

We take two of the glasses kindly provided by Raksha. They are well received, as they are everywhere we go. However, I miss an opportunity! At the end of our walk around the village I am introduced to the oldest woman who is 79. I should have kept one pair of glasses to give to her as the oldest inhabitant – I will know better next time!

We drive along a valley where in places the vegetation reminds me of the New Forest in England. In other places Lantana reminds me of Australia. I remember how hard it is to get rid of in my Queensland garden! It is thriving here too, but at least has not taken over.

The villagers’ farms stretch down both sides of the dirt road with plenty of room for buffalo, pigs and cows in between. There is an age stipulation set as to how many years old cattle must be before they can be slaughtered. Apparently cows may change hands many times, making their owners a little money each time, before they eventually end up on the butcher’s block.

Well into the distance, spreading over terraces, padi is layering the contours of the land. It reminds me of the rice terraces in Bali and it glistening after last night’s rain.

In addition to mango trees and bamboo that crane over somewhat smaller banana palms, there are trees that remind me of caster oil plants. They are jessu that people were compelled to grow to produce bio-diesel, but we have never heard that it actually produces any.

Pumpkins, cucumber, chillies and beans are scrambling over each other.  

Here they are growing a crop that I’ve not encountered before. It resembles sweet corn and sugar cane though looks taller and slimmer than either. I learn it is corn, but not the cob variety. They plant in May and harvest it eight months later. The cattle and pigs receive the leaves and stems and the women winnow the small tassels to remove the husks. They cook and eat the grain in much the same way they do rice and there is another use to which they put it that pleases all who try it. They make alcoholic khaung yee. They put some of the grain into an earthenware pot then pour over boiling water. They leave it to cool for half an hour. After this they siphon off the liquid and drink it. The first brew is quite potent. The next and final four times they repeat the brew, it is still alcoholic, but less and less potent!

 The neck rings weigh 12 kg.

 Backstrap weaving

Full baskets are suspended from the forehead.

Pampet, a Padaung village in Kayah State

Pampet, a Padaung village, is about an hour from Loikaw in Kayah State. The Padaung women are famous for the many brass rings they wear which elongate their neck considerably. Brass is made from an alloy of copper and zinc. However there is much more to the village as we found out. The chief (who is elected by the people) met us at a junction and advised as to what we should take to give to the villagers. He does not want them spoiled by money, so suggests we take ten bottles of cooking oil and washing detergent. We also take exercise books and pens for the village primary school. Pencils are not so useful, we learn. They are only used until Standard 2. After that it’s pens.

We take two of the glasses kindly provided by Raksha. They are well received, as they are everywhere we go. However, I miss an opportunity! At the end of our walk around the village I am introduced to the oldest woman who is 79. I should have kept one pair of glasses to give to her as the oldest inhabitant – I will know better next time!

We drive along a valley where in places the vegetation reminds me of the New Forest in England. In other places Lantana reminds me of Australia. I remember how hard it is to get rid of in my Queensland garden! It is thriving here too, but at least has not taken over.

The villagers’ farms stretch down both sides of the dirt road with plenty of room for buffalo, pigs and cows in between. There is an age stipulation set as to how many years old cattle must be before they can be slaughtered. Apparently cows may change hands many times, making their owners a little money each time, before they eventually end up on the butcher’s block.

Well into the distance, spreading over terraces, padi is layering the contours of the land. It reminds me of the rice terraces in Bali and it glistening after last night’s rain.

In addition to mango trees and bamboo that crane over somewhat smaller banana palms, there are trees that remind me of caster oil plants. They are jessu that people were compelled to grow to produce bio-diesel, but we have never heard that it actually produces any.

Pumpkins, cucumber, chillies and beans are scrambling over each other.  

Here they are growing a crop that I’ve not encountered before. It resembles sweet corn and sugar cane though looks taller and slimmer than either. I learn it is corn, but not the cob variety. They plant in May and harvest it eight months later. The cattle and pigs receive the leaves and stems and the women winnow the small tassels to remove the husks. They cook and eat the grain in much the same way they do rice and there is another use to which they put it that pleases all who try it. They make alcoholic khaung yee. They put some of the grain into an earthenware pot then pour over boiling water. They leave it to cool for half an hour. After this they siphon off the liquid and drink it. The first brew is quite potent. The next and final four times they repeat the brew, it is still alcoholic, but less and less potent!

At last we reach Kayah State

We decide to leave Pin Aung early next morning in case there are another few mountain ranges that our informants had not factored into the two-hour drive.

We shall see… 

The drive starts in Pin Aung where the roads are bordered with flowering plants. Pointsettias are covered with red bracts and Canna Lillies with red flowers. We are still in Southern Shan State. We notice some of the women wearing black outfits with bright orange turbans. They are Pa O. However, all the men are not wearing Shan Pants but longyis, as indeed are most of the women. 

I know I’m getting old when I find myself asking the manager of Wine Wine Le Motel if there are mountains between Pin Aung and Loikaw and am delighted when I hear there are not! I did appreciate yesterday's mountain tops because however high they were, they still had forests right to the top. Most mountainous countries no longer have that.

The red flowering plants end as we leave the little town and fields of arable land take their place. Row upon row of vegetables are hemmed in with corn on the cob growing profusely. Then come acres of padi turning the landscape a luminous green.

A huge sign in red and gold informs us in Burmese that we are leaving Southern Shan State and entering Kayar State.

From Pyay to Pin Aung in Southern Shan State

From Pyay  (also noted on the map as Pyu). We set off early, intending to reach Loikaw the capital of Kayar State that afternoon. “You’ll be there by midnight or anyway by 10 o’clock” said a helpful man. As by 8.00pm it is dark, we thought we might not make it that night after all. We would stay somewhere en route. But there are very few hotels on that route let alone hotels that have a license to take foreigners.

Another helpful man told us that the shortest route we could take, is not allowed to be taken, because due to ‘misunderstandings’ there is often fighting between the armies.

It didn’t look far on the map and we were in good spirits as we climbed the Bago Yoma. Little did we know what was to come. 

The map gave no hint of a mountain, let alone a mountain range, let alone several mountain ranges. The view was magnificent and terrifying in equal portions.

After Win Kyaing had driven for more than 11 hours we descended the last range and reached Pin Aung in Southern Shan State. Although it was only a two-hour drive (so we were told and we wait to confirm this) we decided to be ‘sensible’ and stay the night. The fact that Wine Wine Hotel had no air conditioning, we guessed it was cool all year round: indeed I wore a cardigan to go out to dinner, unimaginable only a few hours before

We agreed to leave Pin Aung early in case there were another few mountain ranges that our informants had not factored into the two-hour drive. We shall see.

Tooth Relic Festival at Paung-de near Pyay, Full moon day of Tawthalin

Tooth Relic Festival at Paung-de near Pyay, Full moon day of Tawthalin

Next day we leave earlier on the one-hour drive from Pyay to Paung-de and fortunately we are able to park closer to the Buddha Tooth Relic Pagoda than yesterday. Once inside we find a stunning display of the Relic. It is floodlit and around the base is a mass of flowers.

We learn that the Relic arrived relatively recently in Myanmar (Burma) on 8 September 1897. The then Sayadaw (Abbot) of the Paya (Pagoda) U Wimala, asked U Pho Mya and his wife Daw Nu and some other chosen people to journey to Sri Lanka, then called in Burmese Thi Ho, where the original and true Tooth Relic had been preserved by more than 100 kings down through the ages in that country. Once there and having paid their respects, the group supervised the making of a copy of the Tooth using the inner part of an elephant’s left tusk. This ivory replica was then placed beside the original Tooth and left for 15 days. After this, the Tooth Relic was transported to Myanmar, doubtless with much ceremony. Now, every year, there is the Tooth Relic Procession in the Buddha Tooth Relic Pagoda in Paung-de. The Relic is shown around the town carried on an elephant and escorted by suitably attired soldiers of older times.

The festival is on the Full Moon Day of Tawthalin. This year it falls on 28 September with two days prior festival days. An hour’s drive away, not far from Pyay and the Ayeyawady River, is Golden Guest Hotel, which is reasonably priced and has attentive and helpful staff.