Bago to Nyaungshwe

Bago to Nyaungshwe (Inle Lake)

The next day I took a bus to Bago, where I wanted to catch a bus there to the north. All the buses going to straight to my destination were full so I had to do a bit of a detour journey, but hey I'm not at 5h close (dunno, if we can actually say that, translating from French here - 5h more or 5h hours less on such long journeys doesn't really matter!).

So, as I had a few hours in front of me, I hired a moto-taxi/guide: Tin, to visit all the temples and monasteries around. I normally had to pay a $10 entrance fee, but Tin knew the back entrances to those places so I didn't have to pay anything. He was really nice, explained me lots of stuff and while we were at a pagoda with a tunnel inside that was going round, I managed to scare him badly, shouting BooOoOoo (as I do) and since then he called me “Boo”. (That feels like a familiar storry! ;) haha). We went to see a python, 122 years old, 6m long that is believed to be the reincarnation of a head of a monastery up north and now streams of pilgrims come to pay homage to the snake... yeah I know! Weirdos!

I also had the chance to see the biggest and tallest stupa in the world, as well as some humongous reclining buddhas which makes you feel as small as an ant...seriously! The four sitting buddhas, sitting back to back were also incredibly tall, it actually hurt your neck to look up all the time!

 Event though I told myself I won't drink in Burma (yes, really!) I did have a beer with Tin, at the end of our trip,as he was really sweet. He ended up telling me all his secrets, being in love with this other woman,his neighbour who is a prostitute, but he's married and all that... I was his counsellor for a few hours which was really unexpected, but nice to share that with him.

 In the evening I got into that night bus. Haha! The whole bus was full of eskimo looking people, everybody was all rapped up, freezing, due to the extensive air con! The journey was pretty lame as the guy next to me kept on taking the place he needed, no matter I was there or not, so I had his leg on me and his head on my shoulder! Tried to push him back gently but he wasn't having any of it and kept coming back! (unintentionally...??? I dunno!)

 Arrived in Meiktila at a lovely hour, 4.30 in the morning! Asked for a bus or pick up going to my next destination, but they wanted to rip me off. As I already got ripped off for the journey there decided to play it hard and refused to take it. Went to a cafe, yes, they have places open at that time... and they came to look for me and accepted to put the price down. This journey was another pretty rough one. You know those books presser things, that you put at the end of a row of books to keeps them from falling down, yeah? Well I felt like a very squeezed book, 6 people in a row of that minivan, didn't even know it was possible to fit that many people into one row, but oh yes they always find a way!

I like human contact, but that was a bit too much, especially they kept chewing that little package (lots of drugs kinda things, with tobacco and god knows what, packed into a leaf) that makes you a bit high I guess and makes your teeth red. They have it in India, North of Thailand and Laos too. So... I was stuck between those people who were spitting (as you need to spit it ever now and again) this blood looking liquid into a clear plastic bag! Then smiling at me with their missing teeth and red saliva all over them! How charming! I have to say the smell, wasn't the most attractive either! ...and you know what??? 7 fucking hours like that! My bum was hurting so much, surely it's not human to impose that to anyone!

 Got dropped off in Shwenyaung... no, that wasn't my final destination just yet! Still had to struggle a bit more. Had to take a pick up truck to Nyaungshwe (I just realised it's actually it's the inversed syllable from the town before – how strange. Imagine having Brighton and Tonbrigh or Paris and Rispa, Hhhaaa!)... anyway, they wanted to charge me twice the price, ok it wasn't much, but it's the principle I don't like... So I waited until somebody gave up and charged me the normal price. Arrived at my final destination to find out that all hostels were full! :D After an 18h horrendous journey, that is REALLY the last thing you want to hear!

I was so close to have a nervous breakdown... but luckily, this owner decided to lent me a room that was under repair, pfew! The room was actually absolutely fine to me, apart from the floor about to collapsed, it seems ok and it was only $10, which is great.

Some of you who travelled might think it's horribly expensive for a country like that, well actually it isn't considering most of the room have been rented for $50 and that's for a shitty room!

 After a shower, I felt like a totally different person and actually the owner (seriously) didn't recognise me, I had to show him my bedroom key to prove I was the same one, haha! Actually really happy to stay there, the owner (Joe!) is really sweet and there is really a family feeling to that place.