North Myanmar and Mount Hkakabo Razi
is Kachin State and Sagaing Division bordered by India and China. There are no much problems with India but plenty with China because Chinese are notorious poachers and looters and also active in various crime activities. This started to grow real big after their government stopped logging and other negative activities against nature now they do it in Myanmar.
When visiting Myanmar the north is highly recommended, there are daily flights to Putao which is the only bigger town in this region.
North Myanmar travel |
Hkakabo Razi |
Road and river travel from Myitkyina all the way up to the icy peaks which are extending down from Tibet is a tough challenge. The plains of Hkamti Long, or Putao, closely surrounded on three sides by the high mountains with snow on top get lots of water from innumerable streams, a pristine destination but not a very pleasant place during summer.
Trekking in north Myanmar |
At the map you also can see Hpakant or Pharkant, thats the area where most jadeite jade is mined.
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Ruby mine at Mogok |
Hpakant or Pharkant jade mines |
Jadeite is mined in Kachin State,
this is one of the most famous mineral the country is know for most is exported to China, rubies are mined further south east.
Kachin people |
Irrawaddy tributary |
Plenty of snow is around all
year long, glaciers form
a pristine environment and
are the source of the countries water.
No cable cars, no roads,
only Himalaya trekking, nothing
gives disturbance to
mother nature. There are
talks with some Thai
investors to open a ski
resort for winter fun
all year round, but
nothing happen yet, its
probable better when it
stays like this.
Snow-capped mountains and glaciers |
Here is still something to discover for
a "green enthusiast", botanist; zoologist, entomologist
and the ornithologist
also score. Exotic birds are
not far away in the
trees and other animals
are bear, tiger, deer,
wild dog, plus other
creatures.
Tigers are almost
gone, all killed by a
Chinese poacher mafia
who
sell certain parts of
the tiger as ingredients
for medicine, the same is
also with the bears
bladder.. Actually since a few
years now Chinese and
Koreans are rapidly
depleting the forests with the usual hit and
run tactics for quick
cash. Most prime forest
everywhere in the
country is already gone
by that business. The Chinese already
destroyed most of their
country and the
government in Beijing
imposed a logging ban
some years ago now they
fall into to Myanmar and leave a trek
of destruction, they
just bribe their way
through.
Monkeys
are still
plentiful and several
kinds of squirrel
inhabit the hill jungle,
from the giant black Ratufa, as big as a cat,
to the little striped
Tamiops, which is
smaller than our red
squirrel, one sees
often. It is only
necessary to sit quietly
for half an hour to be
pretty sure of seeing
one or the other.
Kind of rest house |
There are some rest houses to stay at night,
they are usually
comfortably furnished
and dry. But their roofs are thatched with fan
palm leaf and harbored
much assorted
live-stock, from
solitary wasps and other
insects, to snakes,
lizards and several
kinds of birds; probably
also bats.
Insects still make
life a burden both by day and by
night. Mosquitoes were
perhaps the least
venomous, but also malaria is still a
problem. Actually almost
all adventure tours use
their own tents for trekking camping. Sometimes it is possible
to stay in some native
houses it is advisable to take some
mosquito repellents with
you, mosquito nets are
supplied anyway.
In this rather cool climate
you
will cover most of your
body anyway, means no
much skin available for
mosquito bites. But the great views
across the valleys and
the ranges
compensates the
problems. To the west
are the huge ones dividing the watershed for the Irrawaddy River and Brahmaputra. Also the
Chindwin river which joins between Mandalay and Bagan has
the sources in this
area on the west side.
Insects, like all
life, crave salt of
which there is a lack here; butterflies are
notable salt consumers,
and that is why they are
to be found on the
droppings of animals and
where cattle gather. In
spite of the heavy rain,
butterflies, and in fact
all insects, are far
more abundant here
throughout the hot,
moist summer than they
ever are during the
winter, in spite of
almost continuous
sunshine.
Rare Myanmar Butterflies |
Immediately when the rain ceases out butterflies are coming in
countless numbers to
dance and feed in the
sunshine for a few
hours, before seeking
cover once more.
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