Southeast Asia Travelblog: Road to Mandalay

I thought i had my most uncomfortable Night Bus experience already behind me, back then in Thailand when i was travelling from Chiang Mai to Bangkok in a sitting Night Bus, well, as always, there is worse.

After having a hard Goodbye from the Queen Inn in Nyaungschwe, we felt hard to leave because the Place and specially the Hotel’s Staff was so nice to us. A long year School Friend of the Hotel Owners were on the Way to Mandalay as well, so he helped us a bit out on the Way which was very nice.

So, leaving at 6 PM to the Bus Station which was total chaos. We were so happy that the Guy told us which Bus we enter et cetera. Otherwise we would freak out like other Tourists and had to show our Ticket to every freaking passing Bus.

Bus came around 6:45, late for sure. There was plenty of nice Busses coming we thought wow this will be comfy, until our Bus arrived… Wow what a piece of shit it was. Full of Local People, so it was local Bus, we surely paid the Tourist Price for a decent Air Con Bus. Window open, sweating whole Night, no room for the Feet, great. Arriving at Mandalay at 3:45AM we were happy again to have our Friend with us who led us to our AD 1 Guesthouse, after a quick Check in we felt as sleep another 3 Hours or so.

This Day was freaking exhausting. With only 3 Hours sleep we made a Hard-core-one day-Mandalay-see-as-much-as-we-can Program… Contains:

Getting up at 7AM >

Walking around at least 3 Kilometres to find a Place to have Breakfast >

Found the Place, Indian Food, very much of it, very cheap >

Walk another 3 Kilometres to the Kings Palace Entrance >

Got told it is the wrong side >

Walk another 4,5 Kilometres to the other side of the Palace to enter it >

Walk another 1 Kilometre to the Palace >

Walk around the Palace another 2 Kilometres >

Walk back to the exit of the Palace 1 Kilometre >

Walk to the Mandalay Hill another 2 Kilometre >

Walk up the Mandalay Hill over 950 Steps ~ 2-3 Kilometre >

Spend some Time up there, take 1 Hour Taxi back to Hotel at around 8PM >

try to find a place to eat walk another 2 Kilometre >

Found Indian Place to eat which was run by Kids >

Fall to bed could not sleep the whole Night because its freaking 35 degrees at Night.

So, with 3 Hours sleep maximum for the Night, having a freaking uncomfortable Night Bus we walked around about 20 Kilometres in Mandalay in one day.

Next Day at 6:30 we got up to have a quick Breakfast and rent a Bike to Cycle the 11 Kilometres down to Amarpura where the famous U Bein Bridge is located at. Was a quite nice ride, chaotic Burmese traffic included. The Bridge was not so impressive, the Temple on the other side neither, so after a quick beer at around 10 am we needed to go back already, because our Taxi to Pyin U Lwin left at 1 PM. Back in Mandalay we first arranged our Bus Ticket to go to Bago at the 8. of Mai which worked out good, this time hopefully with a nice Bus. After going back to the Hotel to check if our Taxi booking is confirmed we asked the Hotel Lady for a, for sure Indian Restaurant where we can catch some food, she told us a Place, we drove there and found a just at the Moment opened Indian Restaurant. We sat down and lots of food was placed on our Table and we were told we should enjoy it, it is free because its celebration. Great, free plenty of Indian Food.

After that we go back to give our Bicycle back and head back to the Hotel for a quick shower and jump on the Taxi to Pyin u Lwin which is located in the Mountains.

Our Driver turned out to be a freaking crazy Indian guy who drove about 120 KM/H in the City, well, at least we arrived in Pyin u Lwin a half hour earlier than expected.

So, today’s may 5. and were in the Mountains again, Malaria Risk is very High here so i poor myself into Mosquito repellent all over every Day.

So much for the Text, now some Photos. And excuse me for Uploading more Blog entry's at once, but the last working Wi Fi was in Bagan so i was not able to do it so far.