Burma: the mists of dawn | France 5 | Les Routes de l'Impossible

The Burma of a thousand pagodas. A country that was inaccessible during half a century of dictatorship. Today, the country is opening up to the world and revealing its unseen landscapes of staggering beauty. And curiosities still preserved from ancient times, such as the giraffe women, the last survivors on the planet. Only a few hundred still live in freedom in their villages. They are poor, but dignified. The others have chosen to leave their village and live off tourism, on the shores of Lake Inle or in Thailand. A few months ago, the Burmese government permitted foreigners access to the North, as far as the Indian border. Ko Soe Moe, a tour guide, is for the first time covering this part of the country, which is new to him. He wants to add a new tourist circuit to his catalogue. He wants to link Mandalay, the great metropolis of the North, to Lake “Ridge Hill” on the Indian border. It’s a difficult route, especially during the monsoon season. Rivers burst their banks and flood the road. At times the trails are turned to mud and impossible to pass. But the journey is worth the effort. Ko Soe Moe discovers a reserve of semi-free elephants. It’s the first time that “foreigners” have seen them up close. A little further on, in the depths of the tropical forest, he shows us a strange encampment. Some hundred men are struggling to extract oil. Using the most derisory of equipment, they drill up to 200 meters into the earth to seek the black gold. It’s treated in makeshift refineries and sold all over the country. It’s a way of surviving in their enforced isolation. The journey to the “Chin” mountains is by way of the city of “Kalaymyo”. Here, you have the impression that time came to a halt fifty years ago. The trucks that roll along the streets date back to the last World War. But then, you must realize that for half a century under the dictatorship the city remained cut off from the world. So the inhabitants had to make do. They repaired, patched up and cannibalized their trucks perhaps a hundred times. The result is a hotchpotch of vehicles out of another age. And amidst all this scrap metal, there are brand-new jeeps. A model that cannot be found elsewhere. Vehicles entirely produced by hand in workshops like that of Mr. Htin. A crazy engineer. With a dozen mechanics he makes everything: clutch, suspension, bodywork. Everything except the engine, imported from India. Made in Burma “Jeeps”, cheap and ‘unbustable’. They are made to last more than 30 years! Kalaymyo is where Aung Ko lives. He’s a young truck driver who owns a truck that is twice as old as he is. Aung Ko is going to drive 220 kilometers to fetch a load of timber. The problem is that he has competition. If Aung Ko arrives at his destination too late, he will lose money. Another problem is that Aung Ko’s truck has no front wheel drive. And yet he must confront the poor trails, drive through the mud to reach his destination. Meanwhile, Ko Soe Moe, the tour guide, has managed to reach the foothills of the “Chin” mountains. He is not the only one. Locally made jeeps also take this route. They must face rain, fog and ravines. The road is hazardous and highly dangerous. Frequent subsidence and landslides make it the worst road in the country. And yet, it cannot be avoided. The majority of trade with India passes this way. Will Ko Soe Moe manage to overcome the dangers of this route and succeed in creating his new tourist circuit?