Happy New Year!

I was spending most of the morning by the pool. It was nice! Finally 1.30pm I got my room and I rested for a while in the bed to be able to celebrate New Years Eve. They had a buffet dinner tonight out by the pool and I spent it together with a couple from Stockholm and we had a nice time! 

So - I wish you all the best for the New Year - Happy New Year !!! 💫⚡️✨💥🥂🎆🎇🌠 

The dinner before I moved over to the very nice couple from Stockholm!

Soon a New Year!

This morning I packed and organized my things and I left my room 11.30am. I walked out and got some money at an ATM, took a second look at the market for a souvenir but find none and after that I walked to the massage, Burmese traditional massage. It was good but different! 

On my way back I passed those lovely nuns walking on alms round! 

It was a day of waiting. My bus should leave at 7pm and I'm having all important belongings in my little back pack, as I was leaving the big one at Aquarius Inn. I had a long interesting discussion with a charmig Dutch couple which made the time fly away! 

At 7pm a small bus picked my up, stoping at various hotels before ending up at the bus station. All confusuon in the dark, but finally I found my VIP sleeping bus for Bagan.

The bus station! 

It was a very bumpy ride with lots of curves that made it difficult to sleep, but I thing I slept for at least three hours before ending up at the bus station in Bagan at 3am! I walked with my back packs to my Hotel just to find that it was fully booked so I'll have to wait until 2pm before I can get my room! At 6.30 I had a breakfast! 

Bicyckling Day!

I went out this morning to the nearby place and rented a bicyckle for the day! One dollar for the whole day was quite OK! Aquarius Inn had given me a map so I started following it, but I didn't felt it was OK, so I went back in town and found the place for the Puppet show and the Massage! Back to the Inn for a cup of coffee and I talked to the very nice staff and they explained a route including crossing the lake in a boat with the bicyckle! So, I went away. The bike was good with several gearsand after a while I came to the Green Mill and I had a juice. There was a nice dutch couple and we looked at the rice Mill and had a chat after.

The rice Mill. 

I went on for a long time before I reach the hot springs. A french Woman told me to ask for a glimps before paying and so I did. It was nothing for me. The Pagoda on the hilltop was not for me either, I decided!

The hot spring!

So I went again and after a while they asked me if I wanted a boat! Yes, but it was quite expensive, 10 USD for me and the bike, but I had no choice! 

After about 15 min I arrived at the other side in Mang Thauk and was let of by a long bridge that I had to walk with the bike!

Out on the road again and I had heard many saying that Bambu Hut was the right place for a lunch. So after a while I found it and I had a very tasty House Chicken Curry and a mixed milk shake as dessert! 

Now I was fit for the return and out on the road again with new energy!  After some time I reached the wine Estate! I went in and had 4 nice wines to test ( 2 white and 2 red). As I didn't knew they were making wine in Mayanmar, this was a pleasent surprice! 

The Estate.

Now I only had a short way back but it was nice to return the bike after a 25 km ride. I felt it in my back!!! 

In the evening I went back to the Puppet show. It was filled up with people. The show was quite nice.

The monkey !!

After this I walked back and now its time for bed. I hope I will get a good nights sleep as tomorrow night I will spend on a bus to Bagan! 

Inle Lake

This morning I had booked a boat trip on the Lake at 9am. We were 5 in the boat. Kaj and Charlie from Holland and Christer and Katarina from Värnamo! We went down to the Canal led by our boat driver! 

It was a long tailed boat and we started of. It was a bit chilly in the morning so flees jacet on and out we went! We passed fisher men in there typicall style!

We came to floating gradens were they grew tomatoes! 

People live here on stilt houses on the sea - an example!

They did laundry and washed their hair!

First stop was a weaving mill and they produced wonderful things! 

Next stop was a cigar factory and they built a boat!

We had a nice lunch on a stilt house restaurant! Then we went to a Pagoda Shwe Inn TainPagodas with lots of graves!

Next stop was a place were women with high necks showed themselfs and did some weaving! 

The final stop was at a monastery, famous for its jumping cats, but the cats had Done the show for today already! 

The monastery!

Finishing with the beautiful sunset over Inle Lake - a day with so many interesting things to sea in a lovely environment!

Travel day

This morning I packed my things and went out for a taxi shortly after 7am! 10 USD for one hours drive to the AirPort ! When I arrived at the AirPort they scanned my bagage, but not my handläggare! Then I could check in directly. My big back pack weigt 12 kg. I went thru Security, no problem! My flight was not on the screen so I went for breakfast! Coffee, cheese sandwich and pappaya juice - expensive as normal at AirPorts! Then I waited at the gate! We went on the plane and took of on time! After an hour we arrived at Huhe AP and I walked in and found a girl showing my name. 

Mayanmar air!

I had prebooked a taxi to take me to Nyaungshwe - one hours drive! We stoped at a railway construction site, were english were doing the work! 

We passed some villages and Then we arrived at Nyaungshwe and Aqbuarius Inn. They welcomed me and it is a great place and my room excellent! A nice garden for sitting and breakfast and very nice and helpful staff! 

The nice garden.

Checked in and started looking for a place to stay for New Year in Bagan, but most places were fully booked. Though I managed to find a place, more expensive so I only took two nights! I will find another one for the next two nights! I also booked a nightbus for the evening before New Years ev - good!! 

Now I vcould relaxe a bit and I took a walk in town passing the unique Yadana Man Aung Paya. The stepped stupa in not normal in Mayanmar!

I came to the market place and walked around. The avocado is really big! 

After that I had a coffee and a banana cake at a small café.

Walked back and rested for a while before going out for dinner - another nice meal! 

When I walked back I went into the stupa and the Buddha was also wquite special!!

The evening is cooler here!

Boxing Day - Christmas

This morning I checked out and it was a good, unexpensive stay. 

I also got the confirmation from India about the mc-ride and it looks great! 

The Hotel manager, Jeffrey, had called the Asia Dragon bus Company and the bus should stop outside the Hotel at 9.45am. He joined me and we were waiting - three Asia Dragon buses passed and finally at 10.20am the right bus came!

The first part of the ride had a lot of curves and it was almost djungel all the way to Pathein! 

We stoped outside Pathein were lots of buses stoped and you could get a meal. I talked to a french couple and they were really travelling. They planed to be travelling a couple of years!!! 

The bus ride was scheduled for 7 hours, phu - long ride!!! After the stop the landscape became more flat and it was a massive rice farming! I saw how people were living, very poorly and was thinking how good we are having it, but many of us are not satiesfied for what we have!!!

We arrived in Yangon one hour late and I took a taxi to my Inn, checked in, made a call and booked a room in Nyaungshwe for tomorrow! I'll take a flight tomorrow at 10.05am to Huhe AirPort by Inle Lake!

After the inexpencive stay at ChaungTha beach I felt like I could have a more luxurious X-mas dinner, so I went to the nearby Japanese restaurant and I had a very tasty meal with shrimps, tuna and a dessert for about 20 USD!!! 

The tuna dish! 

Christmas day

Today was just a slow day with some walking around, swimming in the sea, relaxing and just enjoying life! In the evening the beach life started when its getting cooler! The sunset over bay of Bengal is wonderful! Merry X-mas again - tomorrow a 7 hour bus ride back to Yangon!

Christmas Eve

This morning I asked Jeffrey, the manager about a church. He called a man who came on his motorbike and picked me up. We went thru the local peoples areas and after a while he stoped at a house - it was his church, the Baptist church. I met the pastor and we talked. They were fixing the lights for the midnight Mass and I said that it was a bit too late for me!

So, we went to another church, the holy trinity church, also a home and I met the pastor and his wife. She spoke english and we talked and after a while we went into the church room. There was a lot of young people rehearsing for tonights gospel and we all sat in a ring and they started singing - it was almost a magic moment! I asked them to use the guitarr and I played and sang Silent Night - which was appreciated 😊 I hope!! We talked about me coming tonight and listen to the gospels! Then he took me back on his moto bike! Very nice expirience!!!

The pastor and his wife and child!

Playing nice Christmas Carols! 

Good start for Christmas!!!

After that I took a long walk and into a nice resort for a drink! On my way I passed some of the very famous umbrellas! 

I went down to the beach and today there were lots of people! They didn't do sunbathing but they were out in the water! 

On the way back I met this lady with her whole business with her!

In the afternoon I went down and had a nice cooling swim in the sea!!

In the evening I chosed to stay at the Hotel for dinner and there should be Chritmas Carols on the roof top restaurant as well! A good dinner and Christmas Carols ended a nice Chritmas eve!