Katha Myanmar
Myanmar
Frequently Asked Questions
Simply against the bank, with a gangway laid on the sand, as everywhere on the upper Irrawaddy. The town starts right there: a sloping lane, teak houses on stilts.
Because Eric Blair, the future George Orwell, was posted here in 1926 and served two years in the British imperial police. This is the setting he transposed into his first novel, Burmese Days, published in 1934.
The British club, the police station, the jail, the tennis court and the official residence he occupied, recognisable by its weathered colonial frame. Some buildings can only be seen from the outside.
On foot, by trishaw or by cart. The town has no tour coaches and no souvenir shops.
Half a day covers the Orwell circuit and the market, provided you walk without hurrying.
Myanmar's national soup, made with fish and lemongrass. From first light the pots steam between the market aisles.
The traffic of boats: dugouts loaded with bamboo, crowded ferries, teak rafts drifting down towards Mandalay. The bank serves as public square, laundry and playground all at once.
No, no reliable ATM on site. Bring kyats in small notes, obtained before departure or from the ship's staff.
Yes, at first light: monks in maroon robes cross the lanes in a silent line and residents wait for them on their knees. Watch from a distance and avoid photographing too closely.
Yes, paths lead out into a countryside of rice fields and bamboo villages. Some routes reach a hilltop pagoda and a bamboo bridge rebuilt every year after the monsoon.
