We’re off to Myanmar

We’re off to Myanmar

23rd Jan 17

Up at 5am ready for 6am pick up from hotel; met the whole group at the shop.. 4 Brits, 2 Aussies, 1 Irish, 1 American and Duncan & Alan from TBB..off we went at 6.30 on our Suzuki Vstrom 650cc to beat the Chiang Mai morning traffic.

Stopped for much needed coffee at 8.30 then on the road again to the border town Mae Sot. The last 50kms of road was twisty through mountains, lots of lorries and construction and many corners coated with diesel!! This was a dangerous road, many of the group had “moments” on the diesel, one guy had a big slide and just managed to save it as he headed for a big drop off the side of the road!

Border crossing to Myanmar was straightforward.. only took 2 hrs ; changed $50 into Myanmar Kyat and got 60,000. all in 1000 notes; that’s a big wedge! Then on to Hpa An. 50+ miles of the bumpiest road I have ever ridden! The Aussie had his wife as pillion..but she is a real tough Shelia ? First impressions of Myanmar.. basic, constant smell of wood fire smoke (prob from cooking) dusty, smiling people waving at us, scooters and motos coming from all directions and lots of big trucks everywhere.

Arrived at our hotel in Hpa An at 6pm.. long hard day in 30+ heat! Good bunch on the trip and all getting on well. Good food and beer, and very low cost.Tomorrow is an easy day, 9am start then a visit to the Golden Rock; a very holy Buddhist shrine right on top of a mountain.

24th Jan 17

After a good breakfast we set off at 9am for the town of Kyaiktiyo and the Golden Rock. Straight nondescript roads best used for travelling, not “riding”! Arrived at the hotel at 1pm, welcomed with a cold drink served by young ladies and our very own Tourist Policeman on his motorbike ?.. a quick lunch then we all clambered into the back of a truck for the journey up to the mountain top. We set off with our friendly policeman leading the way with siren blaring and blue lights flashing..apparently we are VIPs !!

The route up the mountain was VERY twisty with hairpin bends; we bounced around in the back of the truck and the drivers seem to use it as a racetrack and it’s known as “the rollercoaster ” Kyaiktiyo Pagoda is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Burma. It is a small pagoda built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by devotees. According to our guide a visit here is a must for any Buddhist and if you make a wish it will come true, so they come from all over the World. After 45 mins it was time to return and the rollercoaster decent back to hotel. We had a few beers and dinner and then to bed in readiness for a 7am departure and another hard day on the road to Naypyidaw, the new capital of Myanmar.

25th Jan 17

Up at 5.30 for an early breakfast then off we went with our police escort leading us out of town on his motorcycle..great stuff.

We soon turned off the main road and headed down this dirt road..a short cut apparently. We were covered in clouds of red dust, the road was rutted and in places some deep sand covering big pot holes..this went on for about 50kms. Big trucks also use the road as it took us into very rural areas and people live in bamboo huts..we’re certainly seeing Myanmar in all its glory! Finally we came to a main tarmac road and stopped to dust ourselves down ? The new road is the main route North to Naypyidaw..straight, clogged with trucks, thousands of scooters and the odd car..basically we just rode down the middle of the road dodging on coming traffic and making progress as best we could. Passed though several towns on the way where everything was chaotic, noisy and dusty. We created a great deal of interest..8 big motorbikes, obviously not locals. We stopped for lunch at a roadside shack..vegetable samosas and tea; they were certainly pleased to see us, made their day. This road went on for ever, by now it was 35degs and we had been on the road for 7 hours! We came to a police checkpoint and they waived everyone through, except me. I had to take my passport and visa to a little hut where a man wrote my numbers in a book and then said I could go..not sure what that was all about.

Finally we turned off ” the road to hell” and onto a beautifully smooth dual carriageway 4 lane highway which lead to Naypyida, the new purpose built modern capital ..apparently 6 times the size of New York, but with only 1 million inhabitants. We were the only traffic on the road..seemed really strange. Finally we arrived at The Royal Naypyidaw Hotel.. very grand. A golf buggy ferried us from our bikes to reception and we were greeted with cold flannels and fruit juice..the do look after you here ?The hotel is massive, has a lake and a large swimming pool..seems we are the only guests tonight! Tomorrow 9am start and a ride through picturesque countryside to the ancient city of Bagan.