Myanmar.....I love this place...:-)

I sit here now on a boat, chugging our way down the Irawaddy river, my first opportunity  to catch up with this blog. The internet is really slow here, I have trouble getting online sometimes......so another excuse, but this is really my first chance. It's a ten hour trip, I've taken a break from bloody buses and mini vans, saw the chance to get either a train or boat to my next stop Bagan...I choose the nice quiet care free option, so here i sit after a week of being in Myanmar on a boat cruising down the longwinding river surrounded by mountains, local fisherman, small villages and more temples than you can shake a stick at, what an amazing place. This is definatly on my top 5 favorite places in all the world, ive been blown away by the scenery, the people and culture....these have to be the most humble, polite and smiling people I have ever seen.

I landed in Yangon on the 24th after a long day, I had a stop over for a couple of hours in Bangkok but the flight was smooth, not a packed plane, and a few more westeners than I thought would be here. The airport was quite modern, very small but well organised. I went through passport control no problem...(makes a change) collected my bag and decided to get some local currency at the bank, I changed up 100 euros, got given 40 euros back as the bills were 'faded'?? don't ask....so 60 Euros was changed into local Kyat.....Honestly I get so confused with all this money....I never know if its kip, dollars or beans.....anyway she handed over a wad load of Myanmar money, and I mean a wad load... I could have clubbed a whale to death with it!...'I'm rich!!!!':-).... and it was thousand Kyat bills!!!!...I put some in my wallet till it bulged....some in my money belt (it looked like I was pregnant) and the rest I put in my bag.....I felt like a millionare..;-) not for long though as I got a taxi from the airport that cost 10000....I soon realised the money wasnt as big as it seemed. Oh well....The taxi ride was nice, it was 45 minutes to the down town area where I had my hotel booked, the driver was polite and explained the sites as we went passed them, I already had a good feeling about this place. It struck me as odd that there was no motorbikes....every city ive been in South East Asia you are practicaly mowed down by one of these things....but nothing...."i'm going to miss not being asked...... 'motorbike???' The hotel; called '20th street hotel' was very much a backpacker hostel, I liked the set up, it was cheap but clean....(mom wouldn't approve ;-)) right in the down town area, there was travellers from all walks of life, they served tea in a big urn in reception all day for free......tea all day for free!!!!! I love this place! After sitting huddled round the urn for the next couple of hours, (and going to the toilet on a regular basis) I decided to take a wander about Yangon.....(Rangoon). I had a good feeling about it, It felt safe, the people smiled at you, it was still busy as most Asian cities are with street vendors cramming the pavements, traffic honking, markets busy....the place really felt alive. I walked from the old 'China town district' to the big Pagoda at the end of the road, passed monks and nuns, I stopped for something to eat, id not eaten most of the day and was starving, I thought I'd try some Myanmar fare, ....turns out it was bloody fried rice and chicken again...oh well. The day had caught up with me finally, and decided to go back to the hotel and get my head down, the way back was easy enough, hard to imagine that each day I'm walking the pavements in a different city....it's abit like 'Mr Ben' remember the old kids programme? Here I am in Yangon, Myanmar walking with the locals...I love travel! ;-)

Next morning I had my breakfast and a cup of tea....or two..I slept really well, showered in the communual bathroom...got my stuff and headed out. I went to the Pagoda again, the park which is surrounded by colonial British buildings, through the markets, to the river where I stood and watched water taxis ferrying people across the river, a fantastc place. The people here ask you where your from, most speak good English, I got interviewed by a young lad in the park who worked for the local paper....after the previous places Cambodia, Laos you think it's some sort of scam ...but i've learnt it's genuine, they are pleased to talk to you and want to practise there English they smile all the time and always wave....I love this place. Reading up on the things to do around Yangon I decided on the train around the city, the big Pagoda and the lake and the war cemetary. I'm coming back to Yangon so decided to see the other places first then do these as the last part. There's elections here on the 8th November, i'm witnessing history so want to see as much as I can until this date....you never know..if it does get ugly i can pack up and go.....Ive seen the elections in progress....passed convoys of Aung Suu Kyi supporters, she is popular you can see it everywhere, the people love her, they wave and dance and are covered in red flags, you pass truck loads of people rallying her on the roads, huge convoys and they are happy....the other party, theres about 4 trucks...people standing to attention waving a flag like a robot...no passion. Lets hope the military relent and let her run the country....the 8th of November we find out....

I booked a ticket to Inle lakes, Ive read all about the fisherman and this floating village....it will be an over night bus...VIP..(but of course)..13 hrs....as usual.. 😢......I will be picked up at 3pm to go to the bus station which is about 45 minutes away....unless you get the worst traffic jam in history, which I did......nearly two hours later I made it...(just) the bus station was a sprawling mega city of different bus companies, buses were pulling out and blocking the whole road, I thought I was going to miss my bus. I got there in the end. It was abit older looking than the photo.(is that not always the case???..)...but better than some ive been on. the seats reclined, you had a blanket, a drink, a lunch box...(very VIP...;-)) There was about 8 other Westeners on the bus, I got chatting to a couple from Chile...dont meet many of them travelling. It wasn't a bad journey but I couldn't sleep, then just as I was dozing off we pulled over for dinner....there must have been about 40 odd buses there the place was rammed, we got told to come back in 45 minutes....fearing id never find this bus again...(all the buses look the bloody same! and you try reading a Myanmar number plate..) I got myself some fruit and stood next to the bus, just incase..;-)...we set off again and it was the same in and out of sleep routine, before I knew it it was 5.30 am and we reached the lake...I was knackered! there was enough taxis about but I thought the walk will do me good, (normally check in is at 12...ive got 7 hours to kill what the hell. I found the hotel no problem...my great app I was telling you about...'Maps.me'. It was still busy that time of the morning, all the markets selling fish, fruit etc it reminded me of Pokhra in Nepal the streets...very 'raw' not uniformed, dusty, a real frontier type of township. Im not sure whether it was sleep deprivation, but I liked it. 

I had to wait around for the room to be ready, they kindly stored my bag and let me freshen up, I came round abit by then, so i went for a walk about armed with me camera. Its full moon here tonight so a big celebration for them, and another festival. The hotel was on the canals edge and outside hundreds of longtail boats were parked up, the young drivers ask you if you want to see the lake or the pagodas, floating village etc, they charge about 15000 to 25000 Kyat for a good few hours (8 to 15 pounds sterling)...I ended up going with a great young lad who spoke good English called Pui.....i think...We shot off down the canal and onto the lake where fisherman were going about their business, I got some fantastic photos, they seemed to dance for you and so happy. We went to the floating village saw locals making all sorts of clothing, tools, jewlery....it was abit touristy for my taste but good ol Pui said he'll take me to his village which was a working everyday village. By this time I was lagging so I asked him to take me back and I'd go with him tomorrow. Boy did I sleep well that night!

Inle Lake day 2....

I planned to stay 3 days but ended up being an extra one, I kept going on the boat around the lakes each day, it was so peaceful, and the festival made it that much more special there was people everywhere...all going to the various shrines to pray all in their best Longji...( most blokes here wear a long skirt called a Longji, they look so comfy, im getting one..:-)...might be a bit drafty in say UK in December but hey..I've survived buses from hell and minefields..;-). Pui was a mine of information, he even took me to see his house and family and how they live, a house on stilts surrounded by water made of wood and bamboo floor and walls, a living room/kitchen, one tv one chair...and two rooms eachend was the bedrooms for his mom and dad and brothers. It was basic, and they lived here, he was born there..they fed me oranges, tomatoes, biscuits, rice cake and tea....and all the while the family huddled around on the floor asking questions through Pui as they didnt speak English...(probebly asking what the hell was he doing giving the gringo all our food!!!)..they Love football here, everyone wears a Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal top...(.poor deranged people...;-) ...they know all the players...I really enjoyed it with them, I got to see raw Mynamar culture and hospitality...I got back and had Hummus and pitta bread for my tea, theres a western run restaurant called the Owl, a lovely place. I went back a few times. The waitresses, all gorgeous Burmese girls whos smiles blow you away.....the eyes smile as well, so genuine and lovely. They all wear the yellow makeup, its both a mark of beauty and protection from the elements.....theres no design they either rub it on or make shapes. Theres always a few westeners wearing this as well, trying to be 'ethnic'...good luck to them but they don't seem to pull it off, just looks like smudged makeup on them...or they haven't washed..... (probebly haven't. ..bloody hippies😆)...There's  monks everywhere in Myanmar and this place was no exception. Apparently you have to be a monk twice in your life here, there's kids no more than 5 or 6 with robes on bless them...they read the verses as poems to make them easier to remember, fed by 'contributers' and pray sun up to sundown....theres even girl monks....nuns...novices..not really sure what they are supposed to be called, but they are dressed in pink robes and a shaved head. I love the way they still embrace their culture here, in Cambodia and Laos they have lost it I think trying to be to "western"....I hope it stays this way after the elections. 

On the road to Mandalay......

I decided to move on from the lakes and head up to Mandalay....great sounding name huh....Mandalay....Kippling wrote a book about it, although I'm pretty sure he never went there....Robbie Williams a sang about it...'it must be an ok place'??...it was the former Capital of Myanmar, home to the palace....countless more Temples and Pagodas and a cultural heart of the country.....it also peed down for two days straight...I never left the hotel....the internet was non existant so not a great start....The rest and break did me good though I think...you all still may think this is a holiday....well it is...but bloody knackering...i'm no spring chicken now you know....:-).... When the rains did eventually stop I had a wander around the Palace and streets, nealy killed by the motorbikes....you know I said I never see any motorbikes in Yangon??.....well they are all bloody up here! it was like Vietnam all over again. I joined a tour around Mandalay with a Lovely French girl called Sarah, (as it turns out my new travel companion for the next week) and a local guide who was brilliant....she studied medicine but chooses to be a tour guide, so lovely. We must have gone to about 10 temples and Pagodas...saw more monks than you can shake a stick at.....shoes on shoes off.....shoes on shoes off...(you have to take your shoes off when you enter temples or holy sights...even peoples houses...lovely ....but a pain with laceup boots..my baby soft feet no more.....I now have a pair of flipflops...For sunset we went to a wooden bridge (supposedly the longest or oldest in the world) all I know it streatched across a river, was at least 20 ft high, had no sides or railings and was rickety as hell......made even more alarming when there was about a million people on it and planks were breaking under foot....I stayed in the centre so I didn't fall over the edge, knocking monks and old ladies out the way as I walked....(kidding, that would be bad Karma....and frankly I needed all the karma I could get walking on this thing) It did make for some lovely photos though, (thankfully of no one plummeting off a rickety old wooden bridge..:-)). Mandalay city itself isn't alot to write home about, it doesn't have the traditional markets of Yangon, and quite plain I thought, it's layed out in grids, the pavements are non existant, you can be walking along and the drains appear 3ft down infront of you.....try walking in the road and your motorbike fodder. The surrounding mountains, Temples and monestries more than made up for it though, I would include the rickety wooden bridge but who knows how long that will stay up for....:-0...I thought it was time to move on now, so that night booked my slow boat down the Irawaddy river to Bagan....owz that for romantic travel. Quite frankly if I went on another bus I think I would kill someone so a great oppertunity in keeping a poor Burmese person safe from harm...

Slow boat to Bagan.......3rd November...

It was an early start, I was to meet a taxi to take me to the jetty at 6am, from there I would board the boat and head off towards Bagan 10 hrs away. I wasn't entirely sure of the boat set up, the photos looked fab....but I've learn't not to rely on photos and brouchures after more than one painful experience....This boat actually looked like the photo....and it was afloat, so already a winner...it was really well set up, not luxury by any means, but a nice sun deck with a big wicker chair was where I plonked myself down, and this is where I would stay for the next 10 or so hours....apart from the occasional 'pit stop'....I can drink as much tea on this boat as I want....( not only is it free... it's served all day....owz that..;-)) ..There must have been about 40 Westeners on this boat, all different walks of life...it was great. The first hour was really scenic, plenty of great photos of the hillside full of Monestries, little fishing villages, and locals on boats rammed with everything they own all smiling and waving....after a while it was a wide river, but a nice breeze and a chance to chat to some of the other passengers...then breakfast was served...followed by lunch.....a little siesta...a catch up on my blog...and before long we were pulling up in Bagan,what a great experience, I loved that boat. 

Once we docked we were met by a wave of taxi drivers all plying for trade, Id booked my hotel already, in the new Bagan amongst all the backpackers and hippies. I got to the hostel and was really happy with it, a good choice. Clean, comfy and a really good atmosphere.  I'd arranged to meet up with Sarah the next day when she came. but I had a little look around, got some prices and booked to do one of my next bucket list challanges....to go in a hot air balloon. I'm afraid of heights, I get giddy watching a film about peole falling off buildings but it's something I've always wanted to do, I made enquiries, and was told that due to the rains the flights were back logged.....I put my name down anyway on a waiting list....watch this space. 

Next day I got up early and bagged up all my washing, a little place across the road would do it for 100 Kyat an Item....pennies...plus they have electric scooters for hire....4000 Kyat a day....3 pounds....The last time I was on a bike was about 20 years ago...and i cant even remember when I had been on a scooter; so a learning curve, how hard can it be??? My first day out I was a little wobbly, holding on for dear life as it zipped off at about 500 mph........maybe a slight exaggeration...alright it was 10!! but still left skid marks, and I don't mean the road! I did get the hang of it, and before long was jumping buses with the best of them......just kidding mom..;-). I headed out of town along the road, past countless temples and pagodas, little villages, restaurants, hotels.... I had a map, my gps phone app so wasn't going to get lost, there are tracks heading off the road to more temples and Pagodas, i'll do these another day....I was in my element. Why doesn't the UK have electric scooters?? how pollution efficiant would that be? I got some lunch in 'weatherspoons'....honest, the owner,  a Burmese guy, used to work in the UK and opened up a little restuarant ...(more of a shack) serving fish and chips, burgers....also Burmese food....now the Burmese curry I LOVE!! I had a pumkin and chicken curry that was out of this world, and an avacado and tomato salad for my greens...(eh mom....see..;-)) infact it's so nice Ive had it everyday since being here..:-)...fed and watered I headed off again, stopping at the big temples and Pagodas...shoes on...shoes off....Inside they are very same same, alot have the walls white washed hiding the paintings which are from wall to ceiling of Buddah and stories....restoration is in progress but with over 2000 structures in Bagan it will be a long task, there are a few completed and they look fantastic, all the walls and ceilings covered in colourful pictures. The day seemed to fly by, off I would scoot to the next temple on my map...( I really should have marked them off, it was a couple of days later whilst driving around with Sarah that I'd get the feeling Id been here before, feeling spiritual....it was soon broken by the local girls selling carvings, hangings and the likes saying "oh you come back.."...turns out I as there the day before...doh.....they all laughed and laughed though..wasn't that funny....:-O.)

I thought I would try to catch a sunset so headed for a high temple I'd spotted earlier, on the way, an insect flew up my shirt and began to sting me.....like little fag burns it felt like the little git....after eventually stopping and ripping me shirt off it flew off...must have stung me about 4 or 5 times....luckily the people watching me didn't report me for what seemed like doing a naked selfie infront of a religious temple..... phew....Next day Sarah whatsapped me and we met up, and headed off around the temples, up the dusty tracks, it's nice having company, someone to share your experience and have a laugh, I enjoyed it and by now I was more confident on the scooter.... the rest of the day was visiting the temples....eating Burmese curry...and being laughed at by the local girls when I appeard again at the same temples....I really should mark the map....three times I went back to one temple.....A lovely day though, thank you sarah.

Balloons over Bagan.......another tick off the bucket list 

Today I was going up in a Balloon, I was both excited and nervous....It was 4 am, pitch black and I was up and ready...I didn't drink any tea, I'm sure theres no toilets on the balloon...better safe than sorry..;-) The bus came on time, It was an old school bus, there was about 14 other people on there already...."Posh tourist"....We got to the balloon site and saw at least another dozen buses and balloons all half inflated. It was a really professional outfit, the pilots are all British....why I don't know, but it was very well organised, we had a cup of tea and some pastries whilst we were assigned our balloons...it was like a hunt scene out of downtown abbey...all of us sitting on camper chairs in a half circle, whilst the locals were running around after us....( is that politically correct???)...I spoke to a few of the couples...Americans, Dutch, German...Then we were given a safety brief....no 'tables in an upright position...oxygen masks, and life jackets' on this one....We were told the position to assume for landing...sitting on the bench back pressed against the side and holding onto the rope handles.....'whilst praying to what ever diety necessary that we wont be a firey inferno....'. next we were given our positions in the balloon, there was 5 compartments altogether...one in the middle for the pilot...and the others for us...I would be in the compartment to the left with the dutch couple....We then had to stand behined the fence whilst the balloon was inflated...first with a hot air blower then the roar of the gas jets....it was amazing to see these things inflated in the dawn....coming to life infront of you glowing.....my bottom was flapping...could have been all those curries....could be whats in store??? All the sky seemed to erupt in colour as the other balloons all took off infront of you....such an amazing sight...I even forgot to take pictures as I watched in awe....how they didnt bump i'll never know....we were called to our balloon and climbed in....this is it.....we were airborn before you knew it....the heat and light and roar from the burner above you...what a fantastic feeling...I can honestly say I didn't get vertigo...We rose a few hundred feet just as the sun was coming up, infront was around 20 other balloons, I had the perfect composition for a photo....and I took ALOT!!!! I had two cameras and my gopro.....and just non stop...Id pause to take it in...the defly silence the breeze on your face....we were the last in the line, the pilot in constant radio chatter telling the ground crew where we might end up...other balloons that there was someone under them or above them....why couldn't I have thought about being a balloon driver when I left school....????what an amazing job.....The other balloons started to land at this point, we must have been up for over an hour...the temples and Pagodas under us...Bagan coming to life...we were told to take our landing positions...it was a bumpy landing we did 'Bounce'...but we were upright...and back on terra firma....what an amazing experience.....I was gutted it was over, absolutly buzzing I was.....we got out, and made our way to our little area that the crew had set up minutes before...with a glass of champers....some more breakfast... we were presented with a certificate and a hat.....then eventually boarded our bus and were driven back to the hotels.....mine was last, just as well, as the others were all in the 'hilton resort'...etc....mine was a backpacker hostel....;-)...but I love it. 

Still in Bagan....history in the making....

It's little more than a week and i'm still here, driving around everyday, enjoying this little town, talking to the locals, they make you feel so welcome and at home. the place is alive with the elections, I see them voting on the 8th, then a big crowd outside waiting for the results, they are all smiling....well even more than usual...I go to a resturant and the owner asks where i'm from.. then starts to talk about the elections, a new hope, a new beginning, he has the TV on in the background, the news in English....newspapers all over the table, he shows you a picture of Aung San Suu Kyi with the Burmese caption under about victory for the party, he really loves her, they all do, and what an amazing women. Lets hope it will be a new beginning for these lovely people. I didn't see any troubles, there was visibly alot more police and army about, but ive never felt threatened or intimidated, apart from insects flying up my shirt and stinging me...;-) I've seen more temples and pagodas...(sometimes the same ones.....I really should mark the map) Ive eaten more curries...taken countless photos, my travel companion Sarah has now left for the South to the beach, the Italians and Chinese girl Ang all headed off today to Inle and Yangon, so I sit here on my own for the first time in a week.....maybe it's all the curries i've been eating...;-) 

I did manage to run out of battery on my scooter the other day, abit of excitment....It was only about 2 miles from town but pushing it up hills then jumping on to come down them I eventually made it back to the rental place....they gave me a new one there and then...stifling there amusment at the foreigner standing infront of them soaking wet, dusty and panting heavily....bless em...I'll miss this place, the town itself is a real insight into the local life, they work all the hours under the sun, and still have time for a smile, even the ones I see in the fields, carrying heavy loads or toiling away the land they look up and smile....mostly through red teeth....they all chew this red herb so it looks like they are grinning through mashed up teeth but they're not, (they do have a habit of hoiking it on the floor though the dirty gets) I'll miss the great characters ive met whilst staying in the hostel, i'll miss my pumkin and chicken curry....driving around on my "harley".....(sounds better than e bike..) I booked my ticket to Yangon, it's 11 hours...I had a choice of night bus....yeh right....or day bus....which would get me into Yangon at 6pm.....ish...I went back to the room, packed all my stuff, I didn't want too much noise in the morning and wake everyone up.....which as it turned out I did anyway...:-|..

Back to Yangon.....12th Nov.

I got the bus no problem, and it was a VIP one, I was the only westener on there, but it had free snacks, a comfy reclining chair, blanket, and even a video player in the headrest owz that.....oh and my free bottle of water. I was impressed, even had a stewerdess...who didn't speak a word of English and was far from mike shy....she was on it gabbling away..trouble was it was in Burmese.....I think they were all talking about me again....it was a nice coach, and looked new, this meant the aircon worked!!! and I mean worked, it was bloody freezing!!! good job I had me blanket...We stopped quite regularly, sometimes unscheduled pitstops....turns out the Myanmar people have a weaker bladder than me...;-)...I got off each time, not that I needed the loo, more to get warm....I'd get off the bus into the warm air outside....nipples like rockets...then back on we would get. We did eventually reach Yangon, just after 6, but the taxi ride to the downtown area ( I was staying in China town....dont say anything!!) was another hour due to traffic jams...I got to the hotel eventually, got some food at a place I remembered from my first visit then had an early night, I was bloody knackered.

The next day I wandered around, soaking in the sights one last time, the elections won by a landslide I saw many a journalist, some sitting in a little place called the snow factory I go to get a decent cuppa and food....all sitting there typing up their reports....no one I recognised though. The atmosphere is lovely still, they are happy she won they all read the papers on the stalls as you walk by....spitting big red balls of yuk at your feet......bless em...I bought myself a 'Longji' a traditional Burmese mans skirt.....dont knock it its great for lounging about...going to the shower...infact im wearing it now as I write this....soooo comfy..

Tomorrow I fly to Malaysia, on the next part of my Asia travels, talking to a few people I've met along the way, it will be a good experience, with old colonial cities, jungles, wildlife and beaches....it has a mix of Chinese, Indian and British influence so looking forward to a few 'rubies'....I'll leave you now on the Myanmar part. I would recommend anyone to come here, I say again it's my favorite place so far. I'll add a few more photos and a couple of videos, now I have to pack....ready for tomorrow....another day...another country.....and for Myanmar, a new beginning.