Thursday, April 24, 2014

First day on the train back

Wednesday, April 23

We’ve now been on the train for 26 hours. This train ride is turning out to be the most magnificently relaxing experience I could imagine. Since it’s low season, we have our 4-bed cabin to ourselves. The train is rather empty and we’re not really interested in the other passengers (there are maybe 10 other foreigners on board, mostly retirees!) Every few hours there is a very short stop in a station, but mostly there’s nothing to see or buy, and not much time.
 

First breakfast on board
Our last night before the train was short since we had so many last things to organize before disconnecting for a week – so we spent the first day on the train napping on-and-off. It turns out that sleeping on the train is HEAVENLY. The repetitive sound of the train’s motion and otherwise silence, along with the slight rocking offers one of the best sleeps I’ve had in a while.

The view outside is extremely dull. That’s why it’s low season – blue skies and yellow fields don’t offer much excitement. But maybe that just adds to the full relaxation – there’s nothing to make us jump up and grab the camera.

I’m also surprisingly not bored at all. Today we are getting off the train for 24 hours of a nature horse-back trip in Mongolia – I’m looking forward to it but could gladly also stay on in the train. Reading my book, napping, sipping tea and chatting with Arne is just so much fun.


Last night we stopped at the border between China and Mongolia – it was supposed to be a 3-hour break where we thought we’d get a good local dinner and also experience one of the highlights of the trip, where they lift the train (while you’re in it!) to change the wheels of the train to fit the Mongolian tracks. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. After the on-board passport check, we were shewed off the train and into the passport control area which had a mini-market and waiting room (and that’s it – no local vendors or restaurants). After buying our snacks and waiting a few minutes it was getting a bit dull so we decided to go back to the train – only to discover that we were locked in this building while the wheels were being replaced! Everyone else just made it back to the train (how did they know?) – and we had to wait 2 hours in this dull bureaucratic building while the fun was happening outside. We made a short excursion out to the other side of the passport control, but it wasn’t too relaxing since we weren't sure when we’d have to go back on the train, no one talked English, and we didn’t have our passports or train tickets (these were all taken from us..) Outside, we quickly found a Mongolian restaurant and ordered a (delicious veggy) dish for takeaway, and ate it in the dull building. It was a somewhat uninspiring experience.

Me, cold stairs, migrane.

Arne, Yummy fake Mongolian food: everyone's happy.
This morning, I wanted to make Arne coffee in bed, using one of the coffee sachets we had bought at the border minimarket last night. Imagine his delight when it turned out that while the smell was mocha-ish, the taste was.. very salty!! Actually, that might be a better wakeup call than boring ol' caffeine.

Doesn't it look like coffee?
After a short sunny stop at an abandoned railway station, we checked out the new restaurant carriage – last night they changed the Chinese restaurant into a glorious Mongolian carriage that not only has incredible décor but served me a delicious breakfast with one of the best omelettes I’ve ever had.

Oh, yes.


With only three more hours to Ulan Bator and our horsey trip – I’d better get to my book.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Work: training in Shan state

I’m spending a week in Shan state. I came here as part of the beekeeping project I’ve been involved in for the past few months. This time I developed a training on business skills and group formation for people who have just completed a basic beekeepers’ course and are about to form community-based beekeeping businesses. So I came to “train the trainers”, give feedback on the first training sessions and make sure they’re on the right track to deliver the content.

From Yangon, I didn’t expect to have any fun in Shan state. In Yangon it’s hot these days, the internet and aircon are moody, and it’s hard to imagine that an hour’s flight away there’s a haven of a cool, clean, quiet countryside.


The trainings take part in primary schools in small villages, some of which are not connected to the power grid. The schools all seem to have gorgeous views..

Great views from both schools

Training in Myanmar isn’t easy, because both students and trainers only know one training method: frontal teaching. The teacher talks, the students nod (and don’t take notes), and that’s it. So it’s quite challenging to try and introduce more participatory approaches, which require the class to contribute their ideas, practice new skills, and in fact verify that they are learning – not just staring!

But it definitely has its rewards. It’s easy to get these people excited  about marketing or about simple group games.. I guess it’s a big deal for students when instructors want to hear what they have to say.. they’re definitely not used to that.


I’ve already been to Pindaya before - the town where we’re staying. Last time I left thinking it’s just a crappy little town in the middle of nowhere; this time I love it. It is beautifully natural, and has the best trees I’ve ever seen. In the evenings, town people go down to the lake to bathe, do laundry and let their animals drink..


Really, the best trees. Does anyone know what these are called?
My hotel demonstrates what low standards I’ve come to have. It is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon: I have a beautiful private balcony; The internet is just good enough to read and write emails; The tiny TV shows American movies in the evenings. For breakfast today I managed to get a delicious Burmese fried rice with some sort of tomato curry.. yum.

On Sunday I'm heading back to Yangon for the final ten days of packing and farewelling..