Mon 14th - Thurs 17th April (Week 30)

Mon 14th - The cousin/sister who was meant to be taking us on the trek tomorrow apparently couldn't do it after all, so we got fed up of being messed about and found another recommended company in town and booked with them and it was cheaper anyway ! Wandered around Kalaw, watching all the Water Festival activities - mainly kids stopping motorbikes in the street and throwing buckets of water over them. We managed to get away with just a few splashes, but enjoyed watching the stage show and a group of kids spraying anyone and anything with hosepipes ! Walked up to a monastery on a hill to get great views all over the valley. Walked 45mins to find Shwe Oo Min Paya - a long cave with hundred of buddha statues in every nook and cranny - much more impressive than I was expecting and pretty much had the place to ourselves, but as we left, bus loads of locals came as part of Water Festival activities.

Tues 15th - Headed down to Golden Lily Guest House, met the French couple who would also be on the 3-day trek and set off at 9:30. Apparently the guide we were meant to have didn't want to do it due to the Water Festival, so our guide was actually normally the cook, but would be both for our 3 days. This meant we didn't get a separate cook and therefore we had to take turns carrying the heavy food bag all day. We came across loads of kids throwing buckets of water, Brandon got soaked and the rest of us got bowls tipped down our backs ! Walked until 12, had a lunch stop, then carried on until 5pm. Lots of different scenery - English type fields, paddy terraces, good views over valleys, and even passed some white raspberries which were a nice snack along the way. Our guide said there were usually a lot of snakes along this walk, and he found a Cobra skin, but no sightings of any live snakes - much to Brandons relief ! My sandals I bought in Chile decided to break, but its far too hot to wear walking shoes and socks, so I just carried on in sandals ! The guide was doing the whole 60km trek in flip flops, so I thought I could manage ! The boys played some rattan ball game with the locals at 5pm then continued on to our homestay at 6pm. Small hill village with wooden/woven palm leaf houses, and just one tap which the whole village uses to wash in and collect their daily water. This meant no shower for us and had to wash our hands and do our teeth around this one tap ! Had a nice dinner by candlelight in the kitchen/dining room, sitting around a low table on the floor. All pretty shattered after our 22km walk today so in bed by 10pm. We had mattresses on the floor and thick blankets, and the local family slept in the room next door.

Wed 16th - Woke up at 5am as requested by the guide, only to find he was still fast asleep and hadn't prepared breakfast ! Woke him up, and eventually got breakfast at 6:15, and left at 7:15 - after he'd been very clear that he'd wanted to leave by 5:30am to avoid the hot sun ! Some beautiful scenery along the way today, green rice terraces, rivers, mountains, children riding buffalos and giving them a wash in the rivers. Stopped at a monastery at 10:30 and as part of the Water Festival, we sat down inside and got free green tea, biscuits and rice cakes, and they kept bringing us more and more ! Chatted with the head monk, then watched as more and more locals arrived for the 11am pray/chant. The monk invited us to stay on for lunch, but we were all really full, and anxious to get going as already late, so politely declined. Stopped at another monastery for lunch, which was even busier, and again got green tea, crisps and nuts ! Decided to eat the free lunch they served as it was too busy to use their kitchen for our food, so had red rice and bamboo soup with the locals. Stopped at a river at 4pm and watched children playing in the water with their buffalos, using them as diving boards and generally climbing all over them, until the parents turned up, then they quickly got on with scrubbing the buffalo, and washing their clothes ! Arrived at our homestay village at 6pm, after 24km of walking and were all shattered. No running water or electricity at all, so a quick hand wash in the washing up bowl had to suffice ! Had another nice candle-lit dinner on the floor, and went to bed at 8:30 !

Thurs 17th - Woken up by cockerels at 3:30am, then got up at 5am. Discovered several blisters on my feet, including a huge water blister under my foot, so had to try and pop it with a blunt safety pin ! Switched to socks and trainers today as too many blisters to carry on with my broken sandals ! Left at 6am and began the mostly downhill section to Inle Lake. Very dry and arid landscape with dry, red dusty soil and boulders in old river beds. Came to the top of the final hill, and saw a huge valley below with tin roofs glinting in the sun, and a hill with golden stupas in, which was were we were headed. Arrived into Inn Dein village at 11am, the boys had a refreshing swim in the river, and had lunch at 12. Got in our longtail boat at 1pm and began the 1.5hr trip up the river and lake to Nyaungshwe town where we were staying. Lovely views along the lake - traditional fishermen using the unique leg-rowing technique, wooden houses on stilts, riding the boat down bamboo dams and waving to all the friendly locals along the way. Got to our hotel at 3pm and dumped all our sweaty, dirty, smoky clothes in the laundry and had a long, hot shower ! Met up with Steph and Vivi again as they hadn't been able to get a bus to Yangon due to the Water Festival so had to stay here longer than expected.