We spent the Christmas holidays with Matt, Weina and William in Yangon, Myanmar. This was our second Christmas in Myanmar. Last year we toured the temples of Bagan and Inle Lake. This year we were hoping to do some touring closer to Yangon that didn't require an air flight. We heard from one of Matt's colleagues about a local tour guide who takes you around his home township of Dala, which is just across the river from Yangon. We contacted Htoo Htoo (pronounced two two), the owner of The Beyond Yangon Tuk Tuk Tour, and arranged a day of adventure.
You might wonder what a Tuk Tuk is. Well, take a look:
Our day started bright and early. The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Htoo Htoo met us at the American Club with two taxis. After a short drive through downtown Yangon, we arrived at the ferry dock. We arranged our round-trip tickets and waited for the boat to board. There are two ways to get across the Yangon River. One is by large ferry boat and the other is by small dugout canoe with a loud diesel engine. Because the canoes are easily tipped over, foreigners are not permitted to ride in them. So, it was the big boat for us.
The Yangon River is a marine estuary that runs from Yangon to the Gulf of Martaban of the Andaman Sea. The channel is navigable by ocean-going vessels. We saw a number of large oil tankers and shipping container vessels as we made our way across. Once we docked in Dala, Htoo Htoo introduced us to our Tuk Tuk drivers, and we began our tour. We drove past this colorful temple on the way to a traditional Myanmar marketplace.
After walking around the open air market, Htoo Htoo took us to one of his favorite villages for breakfast. We learned that Dala Township contains at least 50 separate villages. After filling up with spicy noodles, fresh fruit and tea, we continued to explore. Every village has it own temple, some are more ornate than others.
The longest manmade canal in Myanmar is Twante Canal. It is a shortcut waterway from the Irrawaddy Delta to the Yangon River. It is over 21 miles long. There is only one bridge that spans the canal. Walking out on the Twante Bridge gave us panoramic views of the Irrawaddy Delta. The teak plantations and mangrove swamps have all been cleared for rice production.
After photo ops on the bridge, we Tuk Tuked our way over to Hmwe Paya, more famously known as the Snake Temple. Before meeting the snakes, we stopped in a local tea shop for a bit of a rest stop. Here, Sir William learns the fine art of balancing your way across a bamboo bridge.
Htoo Htoo makes a point of bringing snacks and candies for the local school children we meet along our tour. The kids are friendly and curious.
Unfortunately, the kids can be a bit enthusiastic. William got a flower from the flower market which he carried around all day in a water bottle. The bottle was sitting on the table when a young girl accidentally decapitated it. William was devastated.
After apologizing profusely, the young girl ran off and came back with an even better flower. Here we are with Htoo Htoo and the two flowers.
Hmwe Paya or Snake Temple was founded in 1974 when a Buddhist monk was tending the old pagoda. Inside, the monk found two large pythons wrapped around a statue of Buddha. The monk dutifully carried the snakes out to the jungle and returned to clean the pagoda. Within a day the snakes were back, and a third had joined. Each time, the monks would carry the snakes out to the jungle, and each time they would return. Eventually the monks came to see the snakes as holy, possibly the reincarnated souls of monks who used to tend to the pagoda. The monks stopped removing the snakes and instead began taking care of them.
The temple building is surrounded by a lake. The locals sell fish food which you can buy to feed the large carp and catfish that live in the pond. The fish must have already eaten by the time we arrived, because not a one came up to eat our crackers.
True to its name, the Snake Temple is filled with snakes. Some are so large, it would take two people to lift them. A couple of them were moving about the building, but most were just content to sit and soak up the sun.
After the Snake Temple, we visited a local monastery known for their buddha statues. There were hundreds and hundreds of them all lined in rows.
The statues are all sponsored by various family members in the community. On special occasions, the family will visit their buddha and wrap him in silk and leave offerings.
After communing with the buddhas, it was time to Tuk Tuk over to a nearby village. Twante Township is known for their clay pots. We stopped at a small pottery factory. Here the bowls are waiting their turn in the kiln.
The potter took us over to his workshop where he prepares the clay. Once the clay is the correct consistency, he throws it on the wheel. He showed us a couple of bowl designs that he makes and then he let William have a turn at the wheel.
Sir William proudly displays his creation. While we couldn't purchase that exact bowl since it still needed to be kiln dried, we did come home with one that looks just like it.
After the pottery shop, we stopped at a recycle center. The local artists take all sort of recycled materials from bike tire tubes, plastic bags, tarps, broken umbrellas and turn them into usable products like door mats, wallets, backpacks and table cloths.
Our last stop was Htoo Htoo's home. His mother and father invited us in and we met his two younger brothers. We finished our tour with a delicious homemade lunch.
We had a wonderful adventure. If you are ever in Yangon and want to get out and see the country side, we highly recommend The Beyond Yangon Tuk Tuk Tour.
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