236
NORTHERN MYANMAR
MYITKYINA & THE UPPER AYEYARWADY
dry land. That’s especially true of the big-
ger, slower (government-run) Inland Water
Transport (IWT) ferries. A phrase book and
a bottle of Grand Royal can be useful tools to
help break the ice.
Note that the Ayeyarwady isn’t scenically
dramatic in the way of, say, the Nam Ou in
neighbouring Laos, but the landscape does
reach several modest crescendos as rolling
fi elds and distant sand banks alternate with
forest-dappled ‘defi les’.Myitkyina
̈mc'äkI"n;"
%074 / POP C40,000
The capital of Kachin State, Myitkyina lacks
much in the way of real sights but it’s an en-
gaging multicultural place, home to Kachin,
Lisu, Chinese and Burmese. The low-rise ar-
chitecture is predominantly bland but many
mature trees give shade and there’s a fair
scattering of part-timber houses. Citizens
seem unguardedly keen to assist visitors,
with local Christians particularly keen to
practise their English.
Most visitors jump straight onto an Ay-
eyarwady River boat out (see boxed text,
p 239 ), but the town is also host to two of
Myanmar’s most colourful ‘ethnic’ festivals. 1 Sights & Activities
Produce Market MARKET
(h5am-5pm) This riverside market specialis-
es in colourful heaps of Chinese fruit and lo-
cal fresh vegetables. Many of the latter arrive
by canoe and are then lugged up the rear
stairway on shoulder poles. At dawn this
creates an unforgettable scene with more
open boats gliding in across shimmering
golden water backed by a rising sun.
Directly southwest is the architecturally
drab main market (h8.30am-5pm).Hsu Taung Pye Zedidaw BUDDHIST TEMPLE
This gilded ‘wish-fulfi lling’ pagoda is the
town’s most eye-catching religious building,
sitting on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River
at the north end of Zaw John (Strand) Rd.
Opposite its stupa, a 98ft-long reclining
buddha and nearby standing equivalent
(both ‘housed’) were funded by a Japanese
soldier who had served here in WWII. They
partly commemorate 3400 of his comrades
who died.Kachin State Cultural Museum MUSEUM
(Yon Gyi St; admission $2; h10am-3.30pm Tue-
Sun) Displays Kachin and Shan costumes
and the usual assortment of instruments,
farming tools and ethnological artefacts.Aung Ze Yan Aung Paya PAGODA
Just east of the airport, this pagoda is note-
worthy for its arcing ranks of around 1000
little buddhas sitting in the grounds. T To ur s
U Myint Oo (‘Marcus’; %23009, 09 240 1314;
[email protected]; A2 Construction
Bldg, Yan Aung Mien St) Born in Italy, ‘Marcus’
speaks excellent English, arranges car
rental and leads upper-range private tours,
some using a snazzy new 4WD SUV-truck.
Snowland Tours (%23499; snowland@mpt
mail.net.mm; Wai Maw St) Two blocks east of
the station, this helpful agency can book
flights and arrange customised tours.
Sher Mohammad Khan (%09 4700 0174)
English-speaking driver who can take you
around in his 1940s US Jeep, a vehicle
that his father originally drove here across
the Ledo Rd during WWII. z Festivals & Events
Lisu New Year CULTURAL
Started in 2011 this big three-day bash
unites Lisu folks from all across KachinNAVIGATING MYITKYINAThe town spreads for miles but the cen-
tral area is a manageably compact grid.
Walking out of the train station, Waing
Maw St heads east reaching the river
bank in fi ve short blocks. Parallel but
four blocks further north is Zei Gyi Rd,
the junction marked by one of Myitky-
ina’s two clock towers. Zei Gyi runs east
to the market and river, west across the
tracks passing very close to the YMCA
(follow the tracks north), Hotel United
(second block then north), Three Star
Hotel (fi fth block then north) and plenti-
ful restaurants. Parallel to Ze Gyi four
blocks further north, Si Pin Thar Yar St
also crosses the railway. The main road
then swerves northwest to become Pyi
Htaung Su Rd, the road to the airport
and Sinbo ferry jetty. But if you instead
continue in a northerly sweep on Thakh-
in Phay Net St, you’ll reach the museum
and, eventually, Manao Park and Jing
Hpaw Thu restaurant.