Shangri-La , Paing Toddy Farm

It is very hot in summer in Burma.

Sometimes, the temperature reaches above 45 degree celsius which is very unpleasant for every one.

We usually stay in at that time. It is worse when the light is out. No light no water so everything is disorder.

Nowadays countryside is better than the big cities in Burma due to seriously lack of electricity.

I miss a lovely toddy farm on the way to Nyaung U which is between Kyaukpadaung and Nyaung U, belong to Ayi Than. He has hundreds of toddy palm trees so he climbed them up, collected the juice and made palm sugar, homemade alcohol & gifts. He also grows peanuts and sesame for cooking oil.

He grinds them in the wooden mortar using a bull which is legend in the west nowadays. The european children were very interested in that toddy farm so we usually stopped there.

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Sometimes, Ayi Than showed his ability climbing up the toddy tree with longy. Tourists were amazed and look up him. At that time I remind them not to look at his longyi because burmese in countryside never wear underwear. When he came down from the palm tree he showed toddy juice in the clay pots. He let them try the juice. He came of age now, he can’t climb up but his sons follow his father’s foot step.

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Ayi Than is very friendly and helpful to everyone. Whenever I arrive he always greets with smile without front teeth. He upgraded his farm now. Some more rest houses, his statue in the middle, garden , traditional music room & library are at the back of compound. Fried gourd, salad, gifts, different type of gifts. He also arranges changing room with circular grinding stone called Kyaukpyin and Thanakha for ladies. Everything is perfect for visitors who want to stress out.

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Ayi Than said that I never think of local visitors will pay a visit to my farm. I set up this farm only for tourists at first. Everything is upside down now. I’ve to rely on the local visitors.

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A few years ago, he grew very long gourd vines in his compound and share in his Facebook which is longer than a metre gourds. Hundreds of long gourds are very good attraction for the local people across the country. Later his farm is more and more popular.

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Whenever I arrive there I order two pots of toddy juice, one is sweet and another bitter. Mixture them and sip with fried chicken in the rest house. As long as I was there I forget every inconvenient things and happy. Sitting under the good shady neem, acacia & tamarind trees where the fragrance of neem flowers drive my stress away.

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Hey….friends

You’ll feel you are in the Shangri-La

Hey….friends, if you are uneasy to live in the big city. Please do go to Bagan and stop at Ayi Than’s toddy farm called ” Paing toddy farm ”, you’ll feel you are in the Shangri-La.

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Travelling’s goes the life Young.

~Written by Pro Tourist~

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