lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

286WESTERN MYANMAR RAKHAING STATEL’amitie Art GalleryART GALLERY(paintings $35-100; h7am-7pm) Located in asimple hut opposite the Dukkanthein Paya,L’amitie (French for ‘friendship’) is hungwith attractive canvases in oils and pastelscreated by the 54-year-old ex civil servant,Shwe Maung Thar and his son, Khine MinnTun (29).The paintings are of landscapes and pastoralscenes (that skillfully capture the lightand tranquillity of Mrauk U), still-life compositionsof vegetables, and portraits. ShweMaung Thar also painted the ceiling panelsin the central hall of Shittaung Paya.In 2000 Trevor Wilson, Australia’s ambassadorto Myanmar at the time, met ShweMaung Thar and was so impressed with hiswork that he helped arrange gallery showsin Canberra in 2005 and 2007. Shwe MaungThar’s canvases have also been displayed ata gallery in Vienna and a couple of galleriesin Yangon.Whether you buy or not, Shwe MaungThar is very happy to chat.8InformationIn case of an emergency, the hospital at Sittweis your best bet. For minor bruises and stomachupsets, friendly Dr Aye Maung Zan (%24200,ext 50032; Main Rd), south of the market,speaks English.Mrauk U’s only internet connection is at theMrauk U Princess Hotel ($4 per hour).The town shares a handful of telephone lines,so most local numbers add on an extension. Tomake an international call head to stalls aroundthe market offering connections via cell phones.8Getting There & AwayBOAT For information on boat services to MraukU, see p 279 .The Mrauk U Jetty is about half a mile southof the market. If you don’t want to get back bygovernment ferry, it’s often possible to jumpaboard a fellow traveller’s boat and share costsfor the ride. Negotiating a one-way ‘private boat’ride may be possible too ($20).8Getting AroundHORSE CART Rides around the temples costsabout K10,000 per day (the stand is just southeastof the palace site).JEEP Usually fi tting four plus a driver, a jeepride (arranged by your hotel or from the standon the north side of the palace site) should beK4000 between the jetty and hotels, K18,000around Mrauk U, or K30,000 to the Lemro Riveror Mahamuni Paya.TRISHAW & BICYCLE Rides between the jettyand hotels are K2000. Hotels can get you abicycle for K2000 or K3000, or you could rentone for K1500 from the shop south of the bridgeleading to the central market.Around Mrauk UThe temples are only a part of the area’s attractions.Tack on a few extra days here to enjoya relaxing boat ride down the Lemro Riverto Chin villages, or to venture out to a coupleof archaeological and religious sites north ofMrauk U that are of particular pride for locals.CHIN VILLAGESThe day trip from Mrauk U to various Chinvillages scattered along the nearby LemroRiver is recommended. The boat ride is nicerthan the one to Mrauk U from Sittwe becauseof the chance to observe life (up close) on andalong the river. You can usually stop off at oneof the peanut, chilli or bean farms – locatedon islands or on the riverside – that you passon the way. Time your trip for Tuesday or Saturdayto attend the busy morning market atthe village of Pan Mraun.These boat trips don’t quite reach ChinState, but they do provide an opportunity tomeet elderly Chin women who have tattooedfaces (p 310 ). This traditional practice ended acouple of generations ago; unlike the sad situationof Padaung women (p 192 ), these chatty,proud, old women are the last of their kind.You may feel ambivalent about takingphotos but the women we met didn’t seem tomind posing, having made a conscious decisionto use their unique and soon-to-disappearlooks as a way of attracting tourists andearning money for the betterment of theirimpoverished communities. Simple weavingsare sold in the villages and without touristdonations (you should plan on donating afew thousand kyat) it’s highly unlikely thatthere would be a school building, let alonesalaries for the teachers who work there.8 Getting There & AwayBOAT Typical trips, which your guesthouse orhotel can help arrange, begin at 7am or 8am andinclude a two- to three-hour boat ride each way,and an hour or so at a couple of villages. Thecharge is $90 and includes jeep transfers to theboat, a simple lunch and an English-speakingguide for a boat accommodating up to four passengers.There’s not much in the way of foodor drink to buy in the Chin villages so pack anyextra snacks and water you’ll need.