Myanmar Adventure Guide by Shota

The Ledo road journey has started from Myitkyina in Kachin state.
We drived to Tanai from Myitkyina.


Fermented soybeans in Tanai market


I have read 1 article about Tanai written by Japanese writer who travelled Nagaland
on foot in the raining season.
He had travelled about 3 years before.

He had described Tanai as the place of the last which can do collected
shopping by Ledo road.


Various kinds of local food in Tanai market

There were many guest house for local peole in Tanai.
And many restaurant & Karaoke,too.

Tanai was booming up from gold rush around Tanai.
Many Chinese were coming from Mainland China.

When I visitted Tanai,even daytime was noisy by Karaoke in the restaurant.
The market in Tanai was quite big.

Road conditions were quite OK as remote area of Myanmar.
Even no 4X4 could drive well.

I rememberred many pepole had said to me how bad conditions Ledo road is.

And I thought this is just normal road.
Franckly speaking ,I was going to be disappointted about Ledo road.

It's nothing special thing I can see.

That was big misunderstanding.

There is road from Ledo in India to Muse where is China & Myanmar border via Bamaw
& Myitkyina which is the capital of Kachin state in Myanmar.

This road was constructed by US army & Brith army during WW2.
It is called Burma road.

We can find many interesting historical town on Burma road.

For Exsample,Namkan where is 1 hour drive from Muse was the big Japanese army camp
during WW2.
They established Even Japanese language school there.
I met old Shan man who was former Japanese language lecture in Namkan.
His Japanese was still excellent & his life was full of interesting .

One American surgent established hospital in Namkan before WW2.
This American doctor wrote book as The Surgent in Burma.
We still can look this building in Namkan as government office.

I was surprised at the descriptions of Kaya people in this book.
Preacher order murder to his people.

Bamaw is entrance for Cane business for China.
If you can use from Myitkyina to Bamaw by boat,you can see the different view of
Ayeyarwaddy river.


Elephant is still useful around Nanyun .Especially in the raining season.
This elephant photo was taken at after we cross Tanai river

But most interesting part of Burma road is the one where is called Ledo road where is from Pansat pass to Myitkyina via Hukawng Vally

.
market in Tanai where is booming up by gold rush

There are full of legend for Ledo road as former head hunter Naga tribes,Elephant move from India to Myhanmar with group called Elephant immiguration,the last palce for tiger in Myanmar,crashed US aircrafts during WW2,etc

Naga tribes pole in Shinbunyan where is 2 days distance from India border

I'm dealing in Naga new year festival since 2000.
Naga new year festivasl was hold at Hkamthi on 2000.

Foreigners were only 1 French tourists & 2 Japanese .
Naga new year festival was organized by Naga people.

And Naga people marched with channting & hanging big sword in the city.
I repeat there was almost no tourists.

All Naga people's activity during Naga new year festival was not for tourists.

Since that,Naga new year festival has been changing.
Organized by tour operator owned by army.
And nowdays it oraganized by tour operator .

Since tour operator organized it.
Naga people have to wear T shirts,short panths,sock,etc.
I hope those things are their wish.

We had to pay the fee for tour operator who oraganize Naga new year festival.
The fee for Naga new year festival 2006 on Layshi is US$1,200/pax from/to Yangon
for 4 nights 5 days withoud guide.

Hope local Naga people can get some benefit from such a expensive fee.

Mr.Jamie &His wife Jean

I have one teacher regarding Naga.
He has been visitting Naga new year festival since 2001.
His name is Mr.Jamie Saul.

Nowdays I'm dealing to visit Naga people's villages besides Naga new year festival.
Sometimes the village is looks like just normal village.
It look like not so much interesting.


Naga village

But Once Mr.Jamie explain about the origin of villages,history.
I know that village has very interesting history & culture.
The view of village also looks like different if I compare it before Jamie's explanation.

I'm not antuque handicrafts dealer.
But sometimes I look for something in Naga.

But Once I hear Jamie's explanation ,that's much more interesting than any kind of antique handicrafts for me.

On occasions I feel I'm lucky because I'm tour operator for the remote area in Myanmar .

The travel with Jamie in Nagahills is exactly the one of occasion I feelit.




Mr.Jamie has published his own Naga book now .
The book details are as follows.

The Naga of Burma-Their Festivals,Customs and Way of Life-
Author :Jamie Saul
Publisher :Orchid Press
ISBN :974-524-065-6

I found out many Naga people's name on the page of Acknowledgements.
Mr.Jamie put all Naga people's name he had interviewwed on his book.
Those names are more than 40.

It's sounds like easy things.
But actually it is very diffucilt things.

I find his sincerely for Naga people on this book.

If you are interested in Naga people in Myanmar,I strongly recommend this book.

Laytsu Chin lasy with spider net faced tattoos

There are many minorities in Myanmar has tattooes.
I felt there are people from Europe are very interested in tattooes .
It seems to be interested in tattooes as first ,and tribes.
I didn't expect this .

Naga tribes have special tattooes which indicate head taker.
I didn't feel those people has tattooes indicate head taker are brave.
I just felt those people had killed peple before.


Luckily many of those Naga people with tattooes are old men.
I was not scared of them.
But some of them has fierce eyes & make me scared.
Actually they were just nervous because they met foreigners.

I read some articles regaridng faced tattooes about Chin tribes.
Many of articles mentioned faced tattooes had done to prevent burmese
soldier bring Chin ladies.

But I 'm quite doubtful for this articles.
It's really nice tattooes as art.
If they need to ttattoes to show as ugly ladies ,they don't need such a complicated designed faced tatttoes.

I don't feel the ladies who has faced tattooes are beautiful,too.

If you are interested in taking photos of tribals in Myanmar,you should not avoid t visit Laytu Chin villages.

To visit Laytu Chin villages is just by boat.
We don't need to trek or drive by jeep long hours.

They are living in the remote area ,but it's easy to access.

Mt.Phangrum from the base camp

I took this photo on Apr/2004.
Unfortunatelly we had too much snow & couldn't reach to the summit.



But Mt.Phangrum has the most beautiful shape I eve seen in Myanmar.
The view from base camp is really looks like we are in Himalaya religion.

And I saw many Thakin & bear foot prints during trekking.

I met the local people who hunted Thakin.
They like to drink Thankin blood.

It was terrible scene.

They are some eagles on our heads at the base camp.

We could see the the border India/Arunachal Pradesh & Myanmar.
It was look like just snow capped mountain.

I really like to see the view from the summit.
I try the summit on Dec/2005.

Shota

Dear sir & madam

My name is Taro .
I'm tour operator specialized for the remote area in Myanmar.
I 'm going to show the photos I & my staffs took when we visitted the remote
area in Myanmar.

I really appreciate if you can send any comments.

This photo was taken at one of Munn Chin tribes's village on the Mt.Victoria in Chin state on 2000.

We can meet 3 different kinds of Chin tribes for Mt.Victoria trekking from Mindat.
Munn Chin,Makan Chin,Dai Chin.

Each Chin tribe has different costumes & language.

This lady is Munn Chin tribes.
Does she looks like she scared camera ?

By Taro