Hpa-an

As we arrived in the rural town of Hpa-an we were greeted by a frenzy of friendly locals, albeit utterly surprised and bewildered at our existence! The town is a tiny market town that doesn't seem to attract many tourists - much to our amazement. Surrounding the village there is a panorama of picturesque countryside that spans from mountains and caves over the rice fields and extensive pagodas to the river which flows out to sea. The caves house galleries, centuries old, of Buddhist paintings, statues and monuments. Truly breathtaking, these caves are a reason enough to visit Burma. After slowly wandering through the entrance of the cave, with walls adorned with clay markings in red and gold, its well worth trudging through deeper into the mountain while slipping on bat shit and the threat of Gollum jumping out at any moment, to find a tiny thread of light peering through the other end. As we drew closer to the small hole that was our exit, we were greeted by the sun setting over a secret lake and a single fisherman diving in to catch his supper which made for a delightful picture. Together with a solitary hut that perched on the lake side accompanied by a little old lady and her two dogs made an idyllic setting. The gentle walk back topped off an already magical day.
In the mornings there is a delicious and lively market housing all fresh foods from bright exotic fruits and vegetables to fish still flopping and chickens still clucking - although not for much longer! And after stocking up on fresh fruits, we climbed aboard the little fishing boat, seating six in big reclining car seats, we sailed down the river towards the sea, to a coastal town called Mawlamyine. Stopping once at a beautiful, tiny village to see a traditional wedding, it was unfortunate that everything was put on hold as we proved to be more interesting than the happy couple! And only a few hours later, we arrived in Mawlamyine, the colonial capital during the British rule of southeastern Myanmar.