Leaving Bagan was very sad, it
was even sader when we had to get up at friggin 4.30am AGAIN! It’s very dark at
that time of day and a really stupid idea.
We had to board our boat to
Mandalay at 5.00am so we could have the pleasure of the crews company for 11.5
hours, Yep that’s how long it takes to travel the Irrawaddy River. It’s a
really long way and there is very little to see apart from lots of brown muddy
water, the occasional fishing boat and more brown muddy water. We slept, moved
seats, checked out one bank of the river, then the other…..
Eventually we arrived in Mandalay
and a driver was waiting for us in a normal sedan car. For those who have been
paying attention you will realise that there is 5 of us. The driver assured us
that we should only be a party of 3. After much ‘to and fro’ he finally conceded
and rang for another car. He asked if we would all be staying together while we
were in Mandalay then agreed a mini bus would be more suited to our needs while
touring this city.
Internet is totally shit over
here, I’m convinced Australia could be swallowed by the ocean and we would
never know, unless it was reported on Facebook, then we may find out! Myanmar
hasn’t had its borders open for long and it shows. All of us have been
approached and asked to have photos with locals. Usually it’s me trying to take
sneaky photos of them, however it’s now the other way around. And wait for it…..
I’m not game to try the street food here…… I’m even travelling with some
seasoned travellers who have eaten stuff that has made me cringe and they won’t
go near it. It smells bad and we can’t work out what it is. The good news is
that I can still fart, always a positive sign when travelling through South
East Asia.
