A visit to Kyobintha village (1)

The village is the native of Than Lin Tun, a Myanmar youth who lives with me. It is located inner part of dry-zone of Myanmar. I had once visited the village. But the driver didn’t know the new road. So, we called in him at lower price than normal. He didn’t seem to work eagerly. The car was stuck in the sand. The driver said that we couldn’t go further along the old road. Than Lin Tun and the other man had to go on foot from the place to the village. It would take them at least an hour and a half to get there. But, it was also possible for me to walk for about an hour in the wilderness full of sand. But we would have to take trucks from other villages on our return. So we went back to Bagan from the place where we were.

During vacation of the university in July, we went to the village again with my room mate Mr A. We went up to Bagan by bus. I had been to Bagan for six and seven times. The trips were made by air. But, this time I went there by bus for the first time like Myanmar people together with Than Lin Tun and Mr A. The bus companies seemed to be competing each other in rendering good service. Each passenger was given complementary bottled water. We could also watch TV. We could ride comfortably. It was up to Magway through Pyay. And we continued the trip. Then, we came to Daung Thay Chaung (A stream where peacocks die when they cross it in swift water.) The place was just a low ground when it was not the rainy season. We got there when the rain was very heavy. It had become like a river because of heavy rain. I had heard that such flash floods could be seen in deserts in Africa. But, I had come across it for the first time in practise in Myanmar. We could do nothing but to wait for the water level to lower. If it is a river there is a bridge. If it isn’t so we can cross by a ferry although it takes a little longer. But, it was said that it sometime takes three days for this place to return to normal. There were four or five teashops and a restaurant because flash floods occur here very often. It was also funny to have a chat with local people this and that during a trip. They always asked me nationality, marital status, why I could speak Myanmar and why I learned Myanmar language which seems to be a minor language.

The night had become darker and darker. I couldn’t sleep because I drank a lot of coffee. And the sky was full of stars. It was great to see the sky. I had looked at the sky full of stars from the cottage of a friend of mine in Japan. I once did so from Asuram of India. It had been dawn while I was looking at the stars for hours. Water had become rather little. But it was flowing swiftly three or four metre away from the bank of our side. Rocks were carried and out at the place. Men were working in the river putting rocks and earth there. When their the whole day’s work became nearly finished, the water had gradually decreased. Then, a tractor came. Passenger cars started to cross the creek with the help of the tractor.

First, small cars crossed. But our bus hadn’t left. I thought it would cost a lot if it was pulled by the tractor. The bus driver decided to wait till water level completely decreased. And I ate Monhinga at the stall after reaching clear-cut decision just to wait. We left the place in the afternoon after waiting for about a half day. When it was lunch time the bus conductor asked us if we wanted to rest for lunch. We all said “No”. The will of all the passengers to get their destination as soon as possible was the same. After three hours’ drive we arrived in Bagan safe and sound. We stayed there for a night.

A visit to Kyobintha village (2)

In Bagan, main tourist destination, there are many hotels and guesthouses. The cheap guesthouses are around Naung U market about four high-class hotels in old Bagan and other new hotels in new Bagan. The only identity I had was a student identity card although I had lived here for a long time. I stayed at Aung Mingalar hotel at the rate of 15 US$ per night after looking up in the guide book “Chikyu no arukikata. Facility in the hotel was not very good. But it had good location. It is located in front of Shwezigon Pagoda where any tourists visit. There are a lot of souvenir shops and restaurants. Stands for trishaw and horse carts are also at the place.

On the third day of my stay there, many visitors came to near by rooms and they made a lot of noise. I checked out because I no longer tolerate the noises and there were no other vacant room at the hotel. When I checked out I gave a 50-dollar note for three nights at the rate of 15 US dollars per night. They said they had no change. I asked the two girls at the counter if they didn’t have any FEC, dollar or Myanmar Kyat. They said no again. I took out the guide book “Chikyu no arukikata” and said it would be better for me to write this incident in this book because Japanese tourists came after gathering information form this book. After threatening them a bit, there came a 5-dollar note onto the counter. Some staff from hotels in tourist zone Bagan often played tricks on guests and asked tips. They need to avoid such manners.

I came across an interesting man who was inviting guests for their hotel. I went to the hotel. The rate was three US dollars per night. To compare with the Aung Mingalar hotel, it was not bad and there were eight rooms. The manager, Khin Soe who called guests and persons from the owner’s house behind hotel were very helpful. Since then, I stayed at the guesthouse. San Yeik Nyein, the name of it, was very difficult for a person like me who was studying Myanmar to read out.　When, I asked the meaning of it they said it meant a quiet and peaceful place. I took some of my friends there and introduced it to them. But, I could not pronounce it correctly. So, I told them the hotel was near Oasis Guest House. I told them to change the name of it whenever I went there. Systematic naming is really needed. There are many goods that sell only the names even in Myanmar. Restaurants can maintain their success by naming.

The prominent hotel in declining in hotel business recently was Mya Yeik Nyo Hotel. Meaning of it was “the shelter of emerald”. Anyway, any Myanmar can pronounce the words which has beautiful meaning. It would be a good naming. But, the best three hotels in Myanmar are Strand Hotel, Sedona Hotel and Traders Hotel. Hotel business is an international one. Names of hotels should be given international ones, I think. Chojo Hotel in Taunggyi is aimed at Chinese people and it is like hotels in China. It does not mean a hotel should be given an English name if you want visitors of all over the world to come. A name which is easy for any nationality to pronounce with any language should be given. For example, Aung Mingalar Hotel. No need to say that a hotel will become a good one like home if there is good accommodations, cleanliness, warm service with a goodwill. Only the name is not important.

A visit to Kyobintha village (3)

We visited the office of BAJ (Bridge of Asia to Japan) in Bagan before we went to the village. Mr. A seemed to make contact with the office in advance before we came.

A lovely Japanese girl gave an account of tube well sinking projects in 30 villages of inner part of Bagan region being implemented by BAJ. Tube well sinking work in five villages were successful, she said. Such kind of projects in the region were previously implemented by UNICEF and other organizations. A project of UNICEF that irrigated water from Ayeyawady river with the use of underground pipes to the inner part of villages finished 20 years ago, according to local people. The project was a success for sometime and could irrigate water for sometime. But water supply was stopped. They couldn’t say for sure that it was because of leakage of water or broken pumps. We could see pipe valves from underground pipes between Kyobintha and a nearby village Kudo. Water used to flow at a fast speed from this hose. Now there was an iron pole in rust that could not supply water in the sand at the junction of Kutho village. Sinking well and installation of pumps for other projects have also finished. But some villages couldn’t afford even to repair the broken pumps. And they left them as they were. Some wealthy persons from the village bought the well and accessories and sold water to the villagers. It was difficult for volunteer teams that they couldn’t manage to do as they were instructed when they install pumps at the villages. I once heard difficulties in volunteer work from a Myanmar student who was doing a course in Japan. He came from Meikhtila. He was an outstanding student. Once, a bank offered Mr. M to donate second-hand uniforms to Myanmar. Boxes with the uniforms in them were sent to Meikhtila. It may have ended as a respectful matter if it finished with it. Mother of Mr. M was informed to collect the uniforms from Mandalay post office. His mother had to collect them after hiring two trucks in Mandalay three hours’ drive from Meikhtila. She had to pay 60,000 Kyats as tax. It was equal to 40,000 Yen because it was five years ago. Goods are never delivered to houses by post office in Myanmar. The uniforms were culotte’s skirts. Myanmar girls never put on such skirts. Myanmar girls who own the most beautiful dresses never wear those that are the same with others. In the end, it came to an end by sending a large amount of cost from the bank to Mr. M’s mother.