| stay with a lot of young people in a big house near the weekend market. things are good!
Looks like BKK soon. Will get the ticket tonight and should be on a bus (guess it will be several buses) to Bangkok. Starting at the 24th at 1.30 PM from Vang Vieng – to Khao San Rd..
In Bkk i will be Couchsurfing and i looks like i found the best place there.
So things are good in la la land – hope where ever you read this – it will be the same!
Lets take a walk to the water front and look at the other Mandalay today!
Due to the power failure many people have to relay on car batteries for light (and the tv) in the night
Not really common anymore in the city
Monk express
Marius??
At the Laundress Line
I wonder what it is to life here in the rainy season
She thinks the other woman talk to much while doing the laundry
Here you find the Album 
greets from sunny Laos!
I was still waiting – and so was he
As the sun was going to leave this part of the world for a few hours i climbed up to the temple on the hill – and it was full of dogs.
Good night Kalaw – only 2 more hours till the bus…
I told the woman i want to go with the new company – with the new bus – the good one! Well she put me in the bus from hell – so no sleep till Brooklyn and Mandalay. There i have a Trisha driver that pedaled me for 70 minutes to my guesthouse. Finally in the bed at 5.20 in the morning.
After the quite days hiking and at the Lake Inlay this was a culture shock. Cars, trucks, buses and everywhere noise noise noise – other than in Yangon where motorcycles are not allowed – here they try to catch up with Saigon and Hanoi.
So i was not really pleased with the start of the 1st day here.
Good old Mrs. Show – when i was 1st here 10 years ago she was here as well
Hiking down to the lake we did cross the rails at the 1st day. Thinking the train takes that route up to Kalaw i decided to take it.
That includes getting up when the monks collect food in the very early morning. I went out of the hotel and a taxi dropped 2 guys at the hotel. Good – i took it to the train station. Saves the walk to the Tuck Tuck station, a cold ride in the open car, changing to another Tuck Tuck at the junction – and best of all – i have a lot of space instead of way to less.
The car was an old English model build in 1960. Had a 6 in a line that sucked to much gas so they put a Toyota diesel in it and while doing so replaced the whole cockpit with the one from the Toyota as well.
Nice ride – short distance and only flat – other than that this would be a nightmare, mind you, at 6 in the morning.
At the station i learned that the train is at 9 – WTF??? I was way to early. So i did search a spot in the rising sun and read. And waited and read and waited.
Later i could get the ticket. This takes ages as they have to write down your whole passport for what ever reason. And than the old “i do not like this dollar note cause it was folded” game started.
After that it was more waiting as the train is never in time. So lets inspect the other one.
This looks good – yellow plastic on top and the red down – like the manual said!
Fresh cleanded
The bistro in place – ready to go!
After more than 90 minutes delay we took of only to stop at every bamboo house on the way. At the stations you get all sorts of food.
You do not even have to leave your seat.
At noon we had a lunch break – like it was a bus! 45 minutes – so everybody can get something to eat. The train was inspected and here and there they fixed something. The guys on the roof check how much diesel is left.
Only 2 and 1/2 hours later as scheduled we arrived finally in Kalaw. 4 more hours till my bus to Mandalay. Enough time for tea and than a cold Tiger. After this train ride i shall never take the train in Myanmar again. Looks like i did not remember the ride a few years ago…
