Map or Guide? Map
/After arriving in Hsipaw by bus we quickly looked for a place to stay so we could at least get a few hours of sleep. Our bus left Inle Lake during the day, and throughout the night we tossed and turned on winding roads up and down mountains until we reached our destination (at 3:30am). While it might have been possible to sleep with the right amount of drugs; you would also need multiple layers of clothes to keep you warm. I think the bus drivers in Burma like to keep the bus as cold as possible to help them stay awake.
Luckily the nice folks at our accommodation allowed us to check in very early to get some rest. Once we awoke we chatted about our options to make it out to Pankam Village. Go it alone with a hand drawn map, or go with a tour, for more money of course. We opted for the map, and set out early the next day. The hike took a few hours and took us over mountains, through villages and to a tiny hot spring.
People always say it's the journey, not the destination; I've always agreed, and this journey certainly didn't disappoint. The hike while extremely hot, was lovely and filled with friendly people and happy kids. When we arrived at our destination we were blown away by the hospitality we were greeted with. A hot meal upon arrival to our host's hut and too many smiling kids to photograph. To this day, after two years of traveling this might still be one of my favorite memories.
We filled the rest of our day relaxing and chatting with our hosts and their guests as well as running around with the local kids photographing their smiles. That night we slept on the second floor with mats and a few blankets to keep us warm. All of this was made even more special since we traveled with Inaki and Aires who quickly become wonderful friends for the next few days and still good friends now. We were also able to reconnect with Aires in Melbourne a year later.
