Nick and I entered Myanmar through Mai Sot, which has only been open to foreigners for a year. We found this border crossing to be the least regulated and least developed we’ve experience. As we left Thailand, I was surprised that no one checked the first page of my passport to make sure that it…
From Myawlamyine, Nick and I took a 5 hour boat ride along the Thanlyin River to Hpa-An. We passed by fishing boats and thatched homes as village kids ran along the shore waving hello. Golden pagodas sprinkled the landscape and we stopped at U Nar Auk Monastery. This monastery was built in 1888 and the buddhas pictured…
After running with our bags to catch the 12:35 train to Yangon, Nick and I boarded the car covered in sweat. It took 6 hours to make the 107 mile journey topping out at 31 mph. Although it felt like we could run faster, it gave us time to soak in our surroundings. Nick and…
Nick and I arrived in Bagan on a sleeper bus at 4:30 am, our guesthouse was only a mile away so we decided to walk. The road was dark but paved. I tripped off the edge of the road and twisted my ankle in the gravel, going down hard. Unable to remove myself from the…
From Bagan, Nick and I took the bus to Nyaungshwe to visit Inle Lake. The drive was spectacular and the landscape was our favorite we’ve seen in Southeast Asia. The view was dynamic, both dry and mountainous. Desert plants in red sandy soil and water buffalo lined the side of the road. The mountains in…
Myanmar’s second biggest city, Mandalay, felt slightly less modern than Yangon. The streets were chaotic and stop signs could be added to every city block intersection. Although my inability to walk limited our activities, Nick and I still felt like we left seeing the sites of the city. Like in most Asian cities, we enjoyed…
From Mandalay, Nick and I headed northeast, to Kyaukme (Shan State). We boarded the local train at 4:30 am and began the journey. Within 10 minutes our seat mate, Las Ihio, handed us a large bag of small fruit (most comparable to apples). This was the beginning of unique friendship and fun journey. Throughout the…
We arrived to Kyaukme by train and saw very few other foreigners. I took the opportunity to rest my ankle while nick continued on and trekked north, a trek highly recommended by a French couple we met in Laos. I spent the majority of my time going stir crazy in my guesthouse (good thing the…
Before Nick and I even left the United States, Nick heard of a local ferry that takes passengers down the Irrawaddy river from Bhamo to Katha and stopping in Mandalay. He was set on taking this ferry and I think the main reason was because passengers sleep on the deck. In order for this to…
