I’m now seated inside the Burmese Tuk Tuk travelling to our last tourist attraction in the Town of Tachileik, Myanmar. Below is a Slideshow of photos of the Town of Tachileik taken from where I’m seated :

We arrive at a Burmese Jewelries & Souvenirs Boutique where there’re different kinds of jewelries such as the Blue Sapphires, Red Sapphires, Green Sapphires & many other colored gems. There’re also other local Burmese souvenirs such as scarves & wooden handicrafts etc.

We spend some time looking at the gems helping Mom to select her Blue or Green Sapphire Necklace, but they’re either too elaborate or not suitable for her. And I personally like Red Sapphires or Rubies but too bad the designs here are not what I like, besides Mom & Dad are hungry so we decide to make a fast move.

One tip for those who like Burmese gems & are thinking of buying some when in Burma or Thailand – always be brave to bargain on the prices. Well, cos the calling price of one of the Blue Sapphire Necklaces which Mom picks is originally 7 thousands bahts. But in the end the Boutique sales personnel is willing to let us have it for 3k! Well, I ask for 2k and she says no, no…..then she gives in a little & says 3k!! Wow, that’s more than half the original 7k price!!

Well, I’d some experiences in negotiating with the Thai vendor in Mae Sai last December when I bought my Red Rubies set…..& I know they really mark up their prices very high! So this time I’m really smart!! And I’m sure they’ll let us have it for 2k in the end, but cos the Necklace is really not too pretty for Mom, we decide not to take it at all.

We’re now leaving the gems Boutique & taking our Tuk Tuks to go for lunch.

We soon arrive at the above Burmese Noodle Shop, which is very near the Myanmar Thailand border. And below photo shows one of our 3 Tuk Tuks which we rode on to tour around the town of Tachileik since we arrived in Myanmar this late morning.

Well, we all had a very wonderful time travelling in the Tuk Tuks. It was really comfortable & very windy during the rides, though sometimes sunglasses were needed cos the sandy particles from the dusty roads tend to get into our eyes as we rode on – but all in all, it was alot of fun & a very cool transportation!

Well, we thank the Tuk Tuk drivers & Dad pays for our whole tour of 900 bahts, giving the Tuk Tuk drivers an extra 100 bahts tip, which make them pretty happy! 

Wow, the time now is about 2.15pm, & we’re all kinda starving as we step into the Burmese Noodle Shop :

We immediately order 5 bowls of Noodle & Kway Teow Soups, specially requesting that the Soup be cooked real steaming hot!

Besides selling Noodles, this shop has got a variety of already cooked Burmese cuisines too, & they all look pretty yummy! Too bad we’re all tired & hungry that we forget to order some of the dishes to try, which we only realise later when we’re about to leave!!

Thai & Burmese writings about the food on sales & their pricings on the wall inside the Shop :

See the many varities of Burmese delicacies :

Wow, is that Burmese Curry Chicken below?! Hmm…..they all look kinda spicy & real delicious!!

Some of these cuisines look like what we have in Singapore – Stewed 3-layer Pork (or Pork Belly) with Eggs, Fried Sunny-side-up Eggs & Fried Fish :

The Burmese vendor preparing our noodles :

And the younger Burmese is preparing our drinks :

Hey, there’re Burmese desserts too - looks like Yam in Coconut Milk!! Yummy Yummy!

And this below looks like Sago with Sweet Potatoes in Coconut Milk!! Mmmm, we shall try them all after our noodles heheh!

After a while, we’re served the below saucers of salted Vegetable Pickles – I assume these are to be mixed with our Noodle Soups, or just eaten on its own :

Here come our Thai friend’s Noodle with Fish Balls Soup :

And here below is my very own Burmese lunch - Kway Teow Fish Balls Soup with Coke – though it’s a Thai Coke & not Burmese as I’d hoped to see!

Wow!! the mild Soup base is really tasty, & very steaming hot too!! There’re diced Chinese Parsley, Minced Pork & even White Carrots (or White Raddish) in it! I’d already noticed that the Thai people like to use White Carrot as an ingredient in the dishes they cook, & now I see that the Burmese also do the same! And all the time I eat the Thai & now the Burmese cuisines, they all taste really good – guess it must be the White Carrots that make them so tasty ha!

A close-up view of my Kway Teow Fish Balls Soup – well, after eating the Fish Balls, I realise they’re pretty special & not entirely made up of Fish, but also mixed with Sotongs (Squids), making them really springy & yummy!

See, my Kway Teow Fish mixed with Sotong Balls Soup is so delicious I finish eating everything, leaving behind a pretty much empty bowl :

Haha, you must be wondering why I take photos of my empty bowl?! Well, cos I like the round red & green logos with the Elphant & Tiger on it, & best of all, there’re Burmese wordings written on the logos heheh!!

Now, the Burmese vendor is scooping our Burmese Desserts – a mixture of the 2 types! 

Our Burmese Desserts 2 mixed into 1 in each bowl – well, I don quite enjoy it after taking the 1st spoonful cos it’s neither just sweet nor salty, but a combination of both! Well, according to our Thai friend, that’s their Thai & Burmese way of balancing the 2 tastes! But I personally like it either way, & not in between!!

And yes, they’re Coconut Milk & those round transparent balls are Sagos, but the yellow pieces are not Sweet Potatoes as we’d guessed, but Jackfruits! And the light pale colored bigger soft pieces (which is mixed from the other dessert) are not Yams as we’d thought, but Bananas (which I later find out is the popular ”Mon Banana Pudding” or ”Kluai Buat Chi” in Thai – inspired by the Mon State in Myanmar). And all in all, I find the combination, plus its kinda little sweet yet salty flavour, rather strange tasting!!

We’ve just finished our lunch & we plan to go shopping now!!

From just outside the Noodle Shop is the large Street Market of Tachileik, where there’re shops selling all kinds of Burmese handicrafts & goods & food.

Below show the many pretty handmade Burmese Straw Hats, & in this Stall I also see small Burmese Deer Horns on sales :

Beautiful huge fresh Burmese Grapes (called “A-ngoon” in Thai) :

A Nutty Stall with all kinds of Burmese Nuts :

Close-up view of the many types of Nuts :

Burmese Preserved Fruits :

A mobile Drinks stall :

Mom & Dad standing in the middle of the Tachileik Street Market :

Well, Mom & Dad decide to walk back to the Noodle Shop where we just had our lunch to take a rest inside there while our Thai friend, my brother & I go shopping in the Street Market!

Soon after seeing Mom & Dad leave, I immediately start exploring the Tachileik Street Market on my own, leaving my brother & our Thai friend to go on their separate ways :

I soon see many beggars on the Street – see bottom right the small boy squating on the floor under the dark shadows of the tree – unfortunately I’d been adviced never to give anything, especially money, to the beggars unless I wana end up being mobbed by their whole gang (

Another mobile Street Vendor, which looks in pretty good business as there’re some Burmese locals waiting around to be served :

A Nuts & Tit-bits stall – see its very big fat Chestnuts in the front :

A pretty high-rise rather narrow building with balconies pearched on top of the ground level Street shop :

I soon stop by the below Burmese gem stall to look at its Red Rubies :

And I bought the following 2 sets of Burmese Red Rubies (Sapphires) with 14k gold - one for my 2nd twin sister who loves my Red Rubies Set I bought in Mae Sai last December. However, these ones are not as pretty as the ones I have from Mae Sai, & there’re no matching rings, but they’re the best I can find here in Myanmar so far : 

This below Set is for my sister :

And here below are of brighter red color & they’re for myself :

After buying the Red Rubbies, I walk around the Street Market looking for Burmese Souvenir Magnets, & I’m glad I find these below Miniature Cultural Doll Souvenir Magnets – well, they look like the ones I bought from Chiang Mai 2 days ago, but to me, these are different cos they’re the Burmese ones from Myanmar )

My colorful Cultural Doll Souvenir Magnets – just look at the beautiful details of their cultural costumes & headdresses!

I’ve now come to one end of the Street Market where the Myanmar Thailand Border Bridge is just above, & I see there’re actually other streets to the Market!

And this part of the area seems more rowdy & dark & it suddenly dawns on me that this is Myanmar, Burma, Tachileik; the rough town where illegal Opium production & smuggling are still going around!! And I’m suddenly filled with a certain level of fear that I’d better be more extra careful since I’m all walking alone down here!!

And as I’ve no time to explore further, I make a u-turn back to where I came from.

Well, the Street Market consists of all kinds of shops selling Burmese crafts such as lacquer & wood carvings, brass artifacts, toys, electric goods, CDs & VCDs etc. And there’re many counterfeit goods such as handbags & clothings too! And there’re also vendors who walk around carrying & trying to sell their goods stored in big plastic containers with cloth handles slinged across their shoulders!

And I again see many poor beggars on the Street either walking around or squating on the floor begging for money :

Below is a Burmese building with 2 dragons at the top – I find it really cool & unique!!

I’m now walking back to the Burmese Noodle Shop where my Mom & Dad are resting & waiting :

And along the way, I notice more side lanes leading from the main Street Market – too bad I’ve got no time to walk further!

2 Burmese vendors seated & selling their goods on the floor – see the glistening yellow Thanaka powder on their faces :

As I’ve taken more photos of the Street Market & its Burmese buildings, I’ve put them in the following Slideshow, inclusive of a Burmese Video which is made up of 5 Burmese Songs of which some of the tunes sound kinda familiar to me as if I’ve heard their Chinese or English versions before :

Now, I’ve just joined my Mom, Dad, brother & our Thai friend & we’ve decided to make our way back to Thailand.

We’re now walking back to the end of the busier Street Market where I’d walked to (by myself earlier on) so that we can climb up the stairs to the Bridge where the Myanmar Thailand Border is located.

And WOW, the sizable marketplace is now becoming more packed with locals & tourists – & I’m glad I get to see how the local Burmese people go about their daily lives!!

We’re now up on the Bridge where the Myanmar immigration office (below) is - leaving the very bustling Burmese Street Market far below us :

The below photo shows the staircase leading to the below ground area where we took our Burmese Tuk Tuks at the beginning of our Myanmar tour when we first arrived here in the Town of Tachileik this morning :

We’re now walking towards the Union of Myanmar Gate & just before we leave Myanmar, I ask to stop by the below Tachileik Intershop at the Golden Palace Plaza to have a last look at Burmese products :

We’re now inside the Burmese Liquor Shop at the Golden Palace Plaza :

And I bought 2 cans of German Light & Dark Beer – they’re so cheap cost only 65 bahts in total!!

We’re now leaving the Golden Palace Plaza :

My brother standing infront of the Union of Myanmar Gate :

Passing through the Union of Myanmar Gate, we’re now walking out of Myanmar towards Thailand :

Well, I’m really glad we made it to Myanmar today & get to see quite alot of the Town of Tachileik & the culture & lifestyle of the Burmese people. In fact, my brother & I were almost here last December with my hubby when we visited Mae Sai with our Thai tour guide, but unfortunately we couldn’t cross over cos we left our passports in our Chiang Mai Hotel! And today, if it’s not for our Thai friend being with us, this trip to Myanmar would not be possible cos we’d be too scared & worried & not dare enter Myanmar all alone!!

We’re now a little away from Myanmar & almost reaching Thailand now – walking half way on the “No Man’s Land” on the Myanmar Thailand border Bridge where only the Myanmar Flags can be seen on the railings of this half side of the Bridge :

See the below left side of the Bridge where the Thailand Flags are, beside the Myanmar Flags towards the right - as you can see, we’re but only tens of steps away from Thailand across the Bridge on No Man’s Land!!

Well, we shall see you soon in Thailand! See ya later!!

Arriving at the Regina Hilltribe Village - a combination of the Karen Padaung (or Long Neck) & Akha Hilltribes Village, perched on a beautiful serene hilltop. 

A huge wooden Long Neck Hilltribe Painting on the left side of the main entrance :

And the wooden Akha Hilltribe Painting to the right of the entrance :

We’re soon met & welcomed by the Burmese Hilltribe Village tour guide, who’s now leading us on a pathed slope up the village :

Our 1st stop is a small hut where there’s a Long Neck Hilltribe lady seated on the floor weaving a scarf. Well, the Long Neck Hilltribe people are the skilled weavers among all Hilltribes.

Mom gives a pretty loud exclamation when she sees this Long Neck Hilltribe weaver!!

Well, I’d actually been telling Mom about the Long Neck Hilltribe before this trip, yet Mom kept telling me that she’d seen these tribal people before as she’d been to Thailand & Chiang Mai a few times years & years ago!!

But now, guess she’s never seen one in real person cos she looks really surprised!!

We’ve now stepped into the hut to be nearer the Long Neck Hilltribe weaver – see the many Brass Rings around her neck, arms & legs (covered by cloth).

Well, Legend has it that the Karen (or Long Neck or Padaung) Hilltribe people have the culture of wearing the Brass Rings cos they wana protect themselves from the attacks of tigers which kill their victims by 1st breaking their necks!

Later, the Brass Rings are added to the arms & legs. And the custom & tradition of the Long Neck Hilltribe has its girls as young as 5 years old start putting on the Brass Rings. One Ring is added onto the neck after every each year, & the more Rings the girl has, the more beautiful she’s considered to be. 

And by the time the girl grows up, she’ll have more than 20 Rings around her necks, & Rings on her arms & legs too. It seems that these womens’ necks are stretched, but in actual fact, their collarbones are weighed down by the many heavy Rings & distorted as a result.

And today, these Long Neck Hilltribe women continue to wear their Brass Rings as a form of attracting world wide tourists to come visit them, & buy their handmade handicrafts, so that they can make good livings out of them.

Well, I personally have met the Long Neck Hilltribe women last December when I visited Chiang Mai. Though I’d heard & seen them on TV, the real experience of meeting them life in persons actually made me cry (but I hid my tears from them), as I felt sad & pity for them thinking of how heavy all those Brass Rings are, & how much they must have suffered with the Rings on them throughout the days & nights, weeks & months & years!

But guess they feel otherwise, cos they all seem very happy & cheerful & readily posed for photos with us with their prettily made-up (with cosmetics) faces.

Well, & here I am again, posing with this elderly Long Neck Hilltribe weaver, who’s surrounded by displays of her hand woven scarves & clothes for sales :

Mom standing beside the Long Neck Hilltribe weaver :

Mom beside a younger Long Neck Hilltribe vendor :

Our lovely Burmese Hilltribe Village tour guide :

The following is a Slideshow containing photos taken while we’re walking uphill, such as of the beautiful Banana trees, colored plants & greeneries that line the hill slope of the village - & you must have noticed my very special unique Long Neck Hilltribe Souvenir Magnet on the right side of the Slideshow right?!

That’s my most precious World Souvenir Magnet that I found last December when I visited Chiang Mai – the Magnet depicts so well & so real a typical Long Neck Hilltribe woman – truely amazing :

We’re now following the Burmese tour guide walking further up the hill :

Now we see more stalls lined up along both sides of the sloped up pavement – & there’re so many colorful handmade embroidered Hilltribe Bags here :

And there’s an Akha Hilltribe woman who happily poses for my camera. This Akha woman is dressed in the style of “PhameeAkha” – her hat looks like an armor’s hat & is adorned with silver coat buttons, silver coins & small beads.

And if you see behind this woman, there’s a seated man in blue t-shirt - well, he’s a pretty handsome Akha Hilltribe man but he’s not wearing the traditional male costume.

Hey, aren’t these below Deer Horns?! Oh dear Yes, they are! In fact Tachileik has retained the habit of allowing vendors to openly sell endangered animal parts!! No wonder it has the reputation of being a rough town!

See the many lovely handsewn colorful beaded with silver coat buttons & bells Bracelets & Anklets on sales – pretty ha?!

Well, of course I can’t resist & got one of these Anklets for myself too – here in Tachileik, Thai bahts are used instead of its own Burmese Kyats.

Anyway, the Akha Hilltribe vendor immediately helps me to put on my Akha Hilltribe Bell Anklet.

And haha I’ve now become rather noisy with the many ringing bells as I walk, & the Hilltribe villagers looking me up & down & smiling heheh!!

We’re next met with another Long Neck Hilltribe woman who shyly smiles at me from afar upon seeing me :

And then here’s another elderly woman whom I guess must be a Long Neck Hilltribe woman too, though she has none of the Brass Rings around her neck etc, cos her neck seems elongated!

Then come another 2 young Akha Hilltribe girls whom I think have just come back from school, & they cheerfully smile for my camera :

Look closely at the hat of the below Akha Hilltribe girl – this is in the style of ”LomueAkha” too in which the hat is adorned with small beads, with alternate silver coat buttons & coins. And surrounding the girl’s face are round fat silver balls – very adorable!

Below are beautiful Scroll Paintings locally handpainted by the Hilltribe villagers :

And the following are 4 Scroll Paintings I just bought -

Padaung (Karen or Long Neck) Hilltribe Scroll Painting :

Akha Hilltribe Scroll Painting :

Hmong Hilltribe Scroll Painting :

And of course being right here in Myanmar right now, I’ve got to have a Burmese Lady Beauty Painting too :

Mom & Dad with the 2 young Akha Hilltribe girls :

Myself with more Akha Hilltribe women in their embroidered costumes & elaborate headdresses :

Then there suddenly comes a very cute little Hilltribe girl all dolled up & dressed in a bright yellow dress & scarf, & wearing Pearl necklace & earrings, & she even has makeup on her face – how sweet how sweet!!

And she also knows how to pose for my camera by showing the “Peace” sign with her tiny fingers!

More Akha Hilltribe women & girls soon join us, & behind them stands a Long Neck Hilltribe woman :

And taking the opportunity of these Hilltribe villagers gathering together, Mom & I join them for a photo shot :

Then Mom & Dad start to give away tips to these Hilltribe young & old, & here below are some photos taken of them gathering around us :

And I myself personally give some tips to this youngest Hilltribe girl after taking photos with, & of her :

Isn’t she a doll?!

She’s just so lovable - look at her so smooth & colored face!

We’re now walking to the top of the village hill & we see beautiful scenic views of the surrounding hill as we walk up the slope further away from the Hilltribe village stalls.

I’ve put in the following Slideshow photos taken when we’re walking to the hill top – on the right side of the Slideshow is my most beautiful Akha Hilltribe Souvenir Magnet which I bought in Chiang Mai last December :

Well, we’re actually here for the Long Neck (Padaung) & Akha Dancing Shows - no wonder I saw the sign outside the village entrance! Ha, there’re only 5 of us in the audience, yet they’re still performing for us – how wonderful!!

Mom & Dad sitting happily on the wooden bench waiting for the show to start :

The show soon begins & I’ve taken a Video of the 1st very cute & leisure Akha Hilltribe Dance by the 2 young Akha Hilltribe girls with whom we took photos with earlier.

Next is another charming Akha Hilltribe Dance by the older Akha Hilltribe women whom we met earlier………..

Surprisingly, the dance song they use here is the Burmese version of the very popular Hokkien song “Ai Piah Jia Eh Yia” which when translated in English means “Got to Fight then can Win!”! In fact, as I later listen to more Burmese songs when I’m back home in Singapore, I realise they’re mostly versions of popular Chinese, English or Hokkien song oldies heheh!

Then there’s the last Dance by the Long Neck Hilltribe women, including the youngest adorable girl in yellow dress - they all dance very relaxingly & beautifully, especially the little girl who dances so well, & at the same time singing along with the song as she dances – she really warms my heart!

The dancing show was really heartwarming & entertaining! Now, the dancers sit around the stage waiting to take more photos with us. 

Mom & myself with the young Akha Hilltribe girls :

Mom with the Hilltribe girls again, whom I think look really alike & I wonder if they’re sisters :

And now my turn – haha the girls seem kinda tired – or are they irritated cos we take too many photos with them! Oops!!

Well, these 2 girls give me a strange feeling about them - sometimes I see them smiling really happily at me, sometimes they look kinda sad, & sometimes they look really angry…………

Somehow they make me feel that they’re unhappy about their living conditions, or that they’re tired over their school work, or that they’re tired cos they’ve to study yet work & perform?!

Or is it cos the tips we give them are too little perhaps?! I wonder…………….

But who am I to judge them huh, & may be I’m just so wrong about all my guessings, cos may be it’s just the way they are normally with their usual looks & behaviours. Well I sincerely wish them the very best in life, & that they grow up strong & happy.

Well, below’s the Akha Hilltribe woman from whom I bought my Anklet earlier – she, of all the Akha Hilltribe people I met today, gives me the best impression cos somehow she seems a very good woman, & always so quiet & happy & she also gives me the feeling that she’s really pleased & contented with her life & the way things are, which is really comforting. 

Mom with the little “yellow“ girl, who’s holding some money she’s just been given by Mom – heheh think today this little girl has got the most tips from us!! 

Well, think she must be only 3 to 4 years old now?! Well, I really really hope that by the time she’s 5 to 6 years old, she won’t be made to wear those heavy Brass Rings around her neck – that will really be so sad & heartbreaking!

But looking at the way she’s being trained so well in her dancing & singing & the way she mixes & poses so well with us, I bet she’ll be one of those Long Neck Hilltribe women to put on Brass Rings to attract tourists as she grows older…………..

Oh dear, that’s really so saddening………..but guess she won’t feel sad at all but happy cos she’s being brought up this way & that she may only understands that such culture & tradition of her Hilltribe family is the most beautiful thing that she ever wants in her life.

Well, I later ask around for the mother of this cute little “yellow” girl cos I wana take a photo of both of them together, & here they are below – Mother & Daughter of the Long Neck Hilltribe :

Well, it’s now come to the end of our Long Neck & Akha Hilltribe Village Tour & we’re now making our way downhill after saying “thank yous” to all the dancers & the Burmese Hilltribe Village tour guide.

Along the way downhill, the little “yellow” girl waves goodbye to us & she really melts my heart, & I wish she can come with me!

The Akha Hilltribe people also follow us downhill & stand around to bid us farewell as we walk further down the village, leaving them :

And here’s one of those 2 young Akha Hilltribe girls - & as I hand sign to her & tell her that she’s beautiful in English which she seems to understand, she waves goodbye to me with a faint smile on her face – & that makes me a little less worried about her as I leave her further to walk downhill :

Below is a Slideshow of photos taken when we’re walking downhill :

We’ve now reached the bottom of the hill where we’re leaving the Regina Hilltribe Village - hopping onto our 3 Burmese Tuk Tuks :

Below shows the main entrance to the village with the 2 wooden Long Neck & Akha Hilltribes Paintings on both sides of the gate (on the left & right sides respectively which I’ve featured above), & in the middle is the young Akha Hilltribe girl pushing her bicycle up the slope into her village as we’re leaving :

Well, it’s been a really fun & exciting tour of the Myanmar Hilltribe Village, though I feel it’s pretty commercialised in their main intention of attracting tourists.

But guess the Hilltribe people also benefit from such tourism arrangements as they have stable breads & homes now, compared to being left alone to fend for themselves in the highland wilderness in the military-torn country.

And well, though I’d actually entered & seen a little of a Long Neck Hilltribe village house last December when I visited Chiang Mai, how I again wish (since I’ve always been very fascinated with the ethnic minorities’ culture & lifestyle) that I’ve got more time here in this Village today so that I can revisit the homes of the Long Neck Hilltribe, as well as experience a visit to one of the Akha Hilltribe houses may be!?!!

And if only I’ve got more time here, I’ll shop around more & buy more stuffs from them, such as their pretty hand woven scarves, or their handicrafted souvenirs like the embroidery bags etc! Well, too bad I can’t, cos Mom & Dad are feeling hungry & we need to go grab lunch asap!!

Hmm………may be next time I’ll be back in Myanmar again, if chances allow…………till then, I’ve to be just contented with the several Hilltribe Dolls & the many Hilltribe Post Cards that I have, as well as the many Hilltribe Souvenir Magnets that I’ve got so far in my World Souvenir Magnets Collection!

Good morning Chiang Rai - it’ll be another exciting day today cos we’re going to visit Myanmar!!

I’m now having buffet breakfast at Wiang Inn Hotel (in Chiang Rai City) with Mom & Dad – Mom enjoying her breakfast below :

My Western plus local Thai breakfast :

A plate of Potato slices & Chinese Crullers (or “You Tiao” in Chinese), except that this Thai version is sweet instead of salty. And here in Thailand, these Twin Delights Crullers are called “Pa Tong Ko” in Thai.

And beside the plate is a bowl of my favourite steaming hot Thai Fish Porridge garnished with Chinese Parsley, Spring Onions & Fried diced Garlics – yummy yummy : 

My next favourite Thai breakfast consists of the very fresh crunchy Salads :

And a plate of freshly half peeled red Rambutans (how convenient to eat!), Water Melons, & Dragon Fruits - the Rambutans are especially fresh & sweet, with some so tiny seeds – really good :

The following is a Slideshow of all the other photos taken inside the Hotel restaurant :

We’re now going to the local Thai Bank, just across the street outside Wiang Inn Hotel, to change some Singapore dollars into Thai bahts.

Now, we’re beginning on our journey to Myanmar (or Burma) by driving (by our Thai friend) to Mae Sai – a border town some 65km North of Chiang Rai. From there, we can cross over to the town of Tachileik (or Tachilek) in Myanmar from Thailand!!

We’ve now just arrived in Mae Sai after more than an hour’s drive from Wiang Inn Hotel in Chiang Rai City. As Mae Sai is just at the border to Myanmar, many Burmese goods & handicrafts can be purchased here at this pretty long side street (as shown below). In fact, I was here shopping for half an hour last December during our day tour from Chiang Mai, & that was far too short too short! And now, we’ll have to forgo the shopping here again cos we wana cross over to visit Myanmar as soon as possible!!

Below is the Thai Boundary Post – Mae Sai Customs House - the start of the Thai border crossing to Myanmar. However, further travel into Myanmar (Burma) from this Thai border crossing in Mae Sai is not possible for non-Burma Nationals.

Before crossing over to Myanmar at the Thai border, & upon checking, we’re advised to leave behind all our passports (4 Singaporean & 1 Thai) at the Thai Boundary Post – Mae Sai Customs House, instead of bringing them across the border to Myanmar with us. This is for safety reasons cos the Thai immigration officers say that our passports may be confiscated & taken away from us by the Burmese immigration side if we bring them with us, as it’s happened in many cases whereby foreign passports are taken away or stolen in Burma! So without hesitation & out of fear, we decide to heed the Thai officers’ advise to keep our passports with them at the Mae Sai Customs House, instead of bringing them into Myanmar!! And upon crossing back to Thailand from Myanmar, we’ll have our passports back safely. Well, sadly, this means that I won’t be able to have Myanmar stamped in my passport ((

Well, guess safety is the top priority here!! Anyway, we’ll have to photostate copies of all our Singapore passports & have some paperwork done at the Mae Sai Customs House to leave our passports behind with them in Thailand, & then we’ll bring over these photocopied documents with us for entering into Myanmar. Upon which, we’ll have temporary Burmese travel permits with 1-day passes issued for us at the Burma Customs in Tachileik.

And for this administration work at the Mae Sai Customs House, we’ve to pay 100 bahts for each Singapore passport. And to enter into Myanmar, we’ve each to pay a separate 500 bahts. For our Thai friend, it costs only about 20 bahts or so to enter. WOW, it’s all so expensive & everything costs money!! But as we’re all very determined to enter Myanmar, we’ve no choice but to part with our money!! 

Here they are, our photostated passport copies (with Mom’s on the 1st page), with notes of “VIP” as the “Signature of Passport Holder” attached :

Here’s a copy of my passport – see the so short hair I’ve got in my photo taken 8 years ago!

We’re now walking on the Thailand-Myanmar Bridge crossing the small Mae Sai River. 

Actually, we’re standing on “No Man’s Land” in the middle of the Bridge, between Thailand & Myanmar. No Man’s Land is a term for land that’s not occupied or under dispute between countries or areas that will not occupy cos of fear & uncertainty. It’s also a term for the stretch of land between 2 border posts, when one exits one country at their border post, & then enters the next country at the other border post, usually just a few metres or kilometres away.

And if you look closely at the below photo, there’re beggars who later come harrassing us as we’re crossing the Bridge, but they soon lose interest in us when we ignore them. And if you see more clearly, you’ll notice that there’re the Thailand Flags & Myanmar Flags lined up along the side railings of the Bridge, with each country’s Flags occupying half the Bridge.

The Mae Sai River at the border crossing  – Thailand is on the left, & Myanmar is on the right :

Below are 2 photos overlooking the Thai Boundary Post - Mae Sai Customs House, with its Thai flag :

About to enter the Union of Myanmar Gate now, on which there’s a big sign on its right that reads “The City of Golden Triangle”. The Golden Triangle is the borderline between Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) & Laos, & it’s infamous throughout the world for its Opium production (Opium being the plant that Herion is made from). Myanmar has since been seen as having a relaxed Drug policy as its illegal Opium trade in the Black Market makes the country rich.

Now Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The country is bordered by the People’s Republic of China on the Northeast, Laos on the East, Thailand on the Southeast, Bangladesh on the West, & India on the Northwest, & the Bay of Bengal to the Southwest. The Burmese political system remains under the tight control of the SPDC (State Peace & Development Council), the military-led government, led by Senior General Than Shwe, since 1992. 

Map of Myanmar :

From the Union of Myanmar Gate, we enter the Burmese immigration office on its right side to have our travelling documents examined. At the same time, photos of our faces are taken, after which we’re then allowed to enter the town of Tachileik inside Myanmar. The Burmese people in this town speak Thai for commercial & communication reasons, since they’re so close to Thailand.

Tachileik (or Tachilek) is a town in the Shan State of East Myanmar. It’s directly located South on the other side of the Mae Sai River, & it’s the seat of Tachileik Township in Tachileik District.

And as it’s a major distribution point for Herion & Ya Ba moving from Myanmar to the World Market, Tachileik has a reputation that it’s a rough town! So we’ve better be extra careful when we’re here!!

Once we step out of the Myanmar immigration office, we’re swamped by a huge group of Burmese tour vendors who have all come to sell us their Burmese day tour packages. Seem that all their tour packages are similar, & our Thai friend who’s always come here to shop with friends, picks the 1st vendor we meet. Our whole tour consisting of a few Burmese places of interests, plus transportations, cost us about 900 bahts in total, which we will only pay at the end of the tour.  

Now, the following is a Slideshow containing photos taken from where I’m seated inside the Burmese Tuk Tuk, with our Thai friend, travelling in the town of Tachileik, to our first Burmese tourist attraction - along the journey, we see young cute Burmese school children walking to school carrying their small stainless layered food containers with their school bags - so cute so cute :

We arrive at the Temple of Enrobed Elephant, also known as the Union of Myanmar – Township Dhammayon – Tachileik (or Community Hall) :

We’re now inside the Township Dhammayon, & we see the walls painted with beautiful murals depicting different scenes of Buddha :

The Buddhas at the end of the Hall :

And most amazingly about these below smaller golden Buddha statues, as our Thai friend tells me, are that their faces & eyes will travel the direction you’re going – eg, if you’re seeing the Buddha on his left side now, the Buddha will be facing you at his left. And if you move towards the right side, the Buddha’s face will follow you in the right direction, which means that the Buddha’s face will also be directed at you even if you’re standing on his right side next!

I try it out by moving right to left, & left to right, & true enough, the Buddhas’ faces are always fixed on me throughout my movements!

I’m now standing on the right side of the Buddhas, & see the following Buddha’s face is also directed at me towards his right side :

After praying to the Buddhas, we’re now leaving the Township Dhammayon to our next destination : visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda. Below is a Slideshow containing photos of our Tuk Tuk journey from Township Dhammayon to the beautiful hill top where the Pagoda stands :

Upon arriving at the hill top where the Shwedagon Pagoda is located, we see beautiful sceneries of the town of Tachileik : 

A barefooted Burmese woman selling flowers & baskets which I wonder what’s inside there?

See the below gorgeous shinny golden Shwedagon Pagoda – it’s actually a replica of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda (known as the Golden Pagoda) located in Yangon, Myanmar.

A young Burmese vendor grilling Sausages & Eggs over burning charcoals (called “Kai Ping” in Thai, or Roasted Eggs) :

A store with flowers & more of that cute Baskets on sales before the entrance to the Shwedagon Pagoda :

Once we’re about to enter the Shwedagon Pagoda, we’re swamped by a huge group of young & old Burmese vendors trying to sell us flowers & whatsever!!

Now, have you noticed the glistening yellowish powder on these Burmese people? Well, the powder is called Thanaka, made from a mixture of tree bark & water, & the Burmese men & women (young or old) apply it to their faces & bodies to beautify (tighten) their skins & protect them from the sun.

No shoes are allowed into the Pagoda area : 

Shoe Shelves for rental for our shoes, & it costs 2 bahts for each pair of shoes :

We’re now facing the Shwedagon Pagoda – in which the golden dome rises 98 metres above its base & it’s covered with over 60 tons of pure gold! And the large central spire is flanked by many small spires surrounding it – simply spectacular!!

There’re Gods of the daily birthdays from Monday to Sunday, & if you know which day (between Monday to Sunday) that you were born, you can offer prayings to that particular day’s God.

We’re now being swamped by more & more vendors all trying to earn a living for themselves by selling us more flowers or sheltering us from the rather glaring sun with their umbrellas etc. We’re all being treated like kings & queens & I begin to feel a little uneasy & bad for being sheltered, & one of the Burmese women starts saying to me ”It’s free, no money, it’s free, no money!” Heheh she’s so cute, but well, being soft-hearted, Mom & I start giving most of them tips!

Me holding some stalks of fresh Burmese flowers for praying :

An elderly Burmese helping my brother (who was born on a Tuesday) light up some incense sticks for praying :

Below is the Tuesday God Altar where my brother just offered his prayings :

The raised-up Praying platform infront of the Tuesday God :

Well, after offering flowers & incense & praying to the Tuesday God, my brother has to hit this below Bell 3 times with the wooden stick lying by its side : 

These below 2 young boys are really hardworking cos they keep following us everywhere we go!

2 bubbly Buddhas carrying Bell with a behind tag that reads “Union of Myanmar – Tachileik Shwedagon Pagoda” :

Dad really likes these 2 holy statues & asks me for a photo shot with them, with Mom beside him :

Here below I’m holding the cute basket which I bought (out of pity) from the youngest Burmese boy who’s following us. And well, now I finally know what’s inside them!! Guess what?! Small tiny Sparrows!!! Yes, & they’re so cute, think there’re 2 or 3 of them inside the basket waiting to be released.

However, cos I remember after telling my Godmom how my hubby & I had released some sparrows in such way last December when we were in Chiang Mai, she told us that we shouldn’t do that cos after releasing the birds, we’re supposed not to eat the eggs or the birds! So this time round, I remember not to release these sparrows from my basket, & then I give the whole basket with the birds inside, to our Thai friend, which I’ve no idea later what she does with them heheh!!

But hey, I just realised, what eggs & what birds was my Godmom or I talking about?! Think I must have told Godmom we released pigeons instead of sparrows last December when she told us to abstain from eating pigeons & their eggs!! But sparrow eggs or the birds?! I don think we ever eat sparrow eggs or the birds right?!! So there shouldn’t be any problem to my releasing the sparrows here!! Haha, so funny, what a miscommunication!!

Beautiful Shwedagon Pagoda against the bright blue with white clouds sky : 

Me standing infront of the brightly lit up under the sun Shwedagon Pagoda – I’m wearing the Beaded Mother of Pearl Shell Necklace which I bought at Sabun-Nga Souvenir Shop last night :

A photo of myself with Mom, Dad & brother :

The following are Myanmar Post Cards which I’ve just purchased from the vendors : 

And I’ve put the close-up photos of the Myanmar Post Cards in the following Slideshow :

Below are the Burmese gifts which my brother just bought for me from the vendors – a Special Set of Myanmar Coins, with the Shwedagon Pagoda Post Card & Myanmar Money Note on its reverse side :

And 2 Sets of Myanmar Old & New Money Notes, with Myanmar Post Cards on their reverse sides :

On the below left side are the Myanmar New Money Notes, & on the right side are the Old Myanmar Money Notes :

The reverse sides of the Myanmar New & Old Money Notes :

I’ve also put close-up photos taken of the Myanmar New & Old Money Notes in the following Slideshows for your viewing.

The Myanmar New Money Notes Slideshow :

The Myanmar Old Money Notes Slideshow : 

I’m by now so excited & happy cos I’ve just got so many Burmese Souvenirs to add on to my World Souvenirs Collection!! And what rare & valuable Souvenirs I’ve just got from Myanmar!! Yippie Yippie!! I’m one real pleased lady today!!

We’re now about to leave the Shwedagon Pagoda – Mom standing beside the Burmese Tuk Tuk :

Leaving the hill now :

I’ve included all photos taken at the surroundings of the Shwedagon Pagoda, as well as of us leaving the Pagoda in our 3 Tuk Tuks, in the following Slideshow, with an interesting & charming Burmese song about the beauty of their glistening Burmese yellow powder “Thanaka” which they apply on their faces & bodies. And in the Burmese Song Video, you can also see how the powder is made from the tree barks - enjoy!