Day 19 - 18 March 2015 - In Vientiane

 As part of the planning exercise I had written to all the Indian missions in the countries I had intended to visit in the South East Asian expedition. One of the early confirmations I had was from the Laotian mission. A couple of days ago I reconfirmed the meeting at 10 am this morning with the Charge d’Affaires, Subir Dutta.

I was not too keen to take the car out as I did not have a working GPS system. However, the smiling girl at the reception coaxed me into trying to get to the embassy by car. I ventured out and while reversing the car out of the hotel hit a scooter parked on the side of the road. Fortunately, not much damage was done even though it annoyed the owner a lot, who shouted at me and banged the car a couple of times with his frail hand. All I could say was “sorry”, which he did not seem to care about at all. After that incident I took the route that supposedly would take me to the embassy and reached some place that did not have the Indian embassy. Enquiring from local people was extremely frustrating. I did the next best thing that could be done. I drove back to the hotel and asked them to hire a tuk tuk for me. The driver certainly quoted a steep charge to go to the Indian embassy and to a couple of monuments that were not too far from the embassy. Later I came to know that he may have charged me double that he should have!

I reached the embassy a quarter hour late and apologised to Subir Dutta, an affable diplomat, who has been in the embassy only for four months. The mission has been without an Ambassador for the past six months. The Laotian government is democratic on the outside, but is that of a single party rule with regular elections when the party puts up its candidates for people to choose from. People are free to indulge in any enterprise as long it has no political overtones; there are no trade unions or politically affiliated organisations in the country. Law and order is maintained and it is safe to travel around, Subir Dutta said. The resources of the country such as gold, copper and ores are exported in arrangements with foreign governments such as China and Vietnam. Power generated by numerous hydro-electric projects is exported to neighbouring countries. Indian business houses such as Tata and Aditya Birla groups did try their hand in developing business interests in Lao DPR, but failed to consolidate. Lao government receives substantial aid from foreign countries and international organisations for development of the country – 70 per cent of the GDP is reportedly aid to the country! The government, it seems now, is seized of the need to promote industries that could add value to the resources available thereby generating local employment. I, for one, did not see poverty on the streets of the country and Subir Dutta confirmed that people got by with what they had and were a contented lot. I observed this in Myanmar too. Perhaps, it has all to do with religion, where people were not overly ambitious or commercial. They were happy with what they had and ‘keeping up with the Jonses’ was certainly not part of their culture.

From the embassy I went to the That Luang stupa, at the entrance of which is a wooden sign board which says that the original stupa was established in the 3^rd century. The stupa is said to contain the bone relic of the Buddha. The small original stupa was replaced by a larger one by the then king when the capital of the kingdom was shifted from Luang Prabang to Vientiane in the 16^th century. The That Luang stupa is the national symbol of the country. The rich temple was repeatedly plundered during many invasions in the centuries between 17^th and 19^th and bombed during the Thai war in the 20^th; naturally, it has undergone many reconstructions over the years. The temple compound is now gated to keep vehicles out. The compound has a Bodhi tree around which are gold gilded depictions of the Budhha in many poses.

It was so unbearably hot when I reached one corner of the large complex that I was happy to see a lady vending cool drinks. She made me a delightful cold coffee with lots of ice in it. I intended carrying it with me till I finished the schedule set for the rest of the morning. Then I told the tuk tuk driver to take me to the Patouxai. When he saw the cool drink in my hand he remarked, “Very hot day” and proceeded to pour water on his head; even the locals could not bear it!

Patouxai the Victory Gate in the middle of Vientiane, on the Lane Xang Avenue where ceremonial parades are held, is flanked by buildings that house the Prime Minister’s office on one side and Ministries of Justice, agriculture, public works department and the like on the other. The Laotian ‘Arc de Triomphe’ was built between 1957 and 1968 to signify the struggle of the Laotian people to gain independence from French rule. When the Pathet Lao seized control from the constitutional monarchy in 1975 they designated it as the symbol of their victory! The interior decoration of the monument has depictions of Hindu gods such as the Vishnu, Indra and Brahma, gilded in gold. The Patouxai Park surrounds the monument. At one end of the park is the World Peace Gong. The Chinese donated a musical fountain system to the park, which is a favourite with visitors in the evenings. It is also a popular meeting point for young lovers wanting to share a cool drink or warm hearts, or even both, I saw.

When I returned to the hotel the Sun was at its harshest. Moreover, the heavy breakfast I had tucked into – toasts and scrambled eggs, banana pancake, fruits, cake and many glasses of passion fruit juice – kept me away from lunch. However, I could not resist many glasses of chilled water to temper the weather. The Vientiane Garden Hotel is located in close proximity to the sites that are to be visited in Vientiane. It also had many backpacker hostels near it. This had spawned many enterprises to serve this category of tourists. Laundry could be done at any one of the many centres that undertook the work - 8000 Kips (Rs. 60) for one kg. Enterprise was everywhere, tailored for backpacking and budget tourists – bike and cycle rentals, bars and eateries, massage parlours, pool tables and reading rooms; name it and it was there. The best way to move around in Vientiane, I later learnt, is definitely to rent a bike or cycle.

After a short rest to stay out of Sun’s reach I ventured a walk to savour the sights of the city not very far from where I was lodged. The Presidential Palace and the Sisaket Museum are on the Rue Setthathirath. The Inpeng temple is another delightful diversion on this road. Local handicraft shops, modern and traditional restaurants, fruit juice shops and many stupas dot the road. I finally ended up in the night market just in time to view the sunset and the lights going up in the lively night market, which is beside an important road of the city beside the Mekong River. One side of the road is closed at 5 pm every day to facilitate the night market. The area has wide open spaces which youngsters use to expend their energies positively.

I was famished after the long walk. Before a shower I helped myself to a couple of bottles of Beer Lao I had bought on the way to the hotel. By the time I reached the noodle shop I could have had an elephant for dinner. The large bowl of noodle soup, however, served as a worthy and filling substitute. I will be leaving Vientiane for Luang Prabhang tomorrow morning.

Day 18 - 17 March 2015 - Sukhothai to Vientiane

When I woke up at 3.30 am this morning, had I been told of the drama that would unfold at the Thailand border near Lao DPR I may have returned to the one near the Myanmar border! In a journey like this it is such uncertainties that make it exciting in the end. But when it happens it sends shivers. Since breakfast was not included in hotel stay plan I had the option of leaving any time I wanted. I was on the road by 4.30 am. Last evening I had spent considerable time writing out the route and the deviations for bye passes. I had bought a sim card in Thailand hoping that it would help me connect up with Google Maps. But it refused to activate. Hence, using the WiFi in the hotel I sought directions from the Sukhothai hotel to the Vientiane hotel. I used the download to travel from one to the other without any problem.

Right from Sukhothai road conditions remained excellent all through, barring a few stretches that were under repair. Road warnings and precautions taken by the construction company, to ensure that road users get advance information of the road condition, are something that the NHAI should learn from. Major part of the journey was through dense forests on either side of the road. National parks are many and so are waterfalls. Signages placed by the tourism authority also call attention to fossil parks and a dinosaur park. Nearly 300 kms were done when I made the first stop for fuelling at 8 am. Continuous driving it was for three and half hours. The traffic on the road was hardly any and I did not feel any strain behind the wheel. Most of the big fuel stations have convenience stores and restaurants attached to them. Seven Eleven is almost in all of them. I found a vendor selling Bao, stuffed rice cake, at the car park. It was steaming hot and I bought two of them to satisfy the breakfast requirement. It was stuffed with meat and tasted fantastic; more so since it cost just 10 THB – less than Rs. 20.

At the pace at which I was progressing it was reasonable to expect to be in Vientiane by noon, if all went well at the borders. Without any hiccups I reached Nong Khai, the Thai border at 11 am. Considering what I had experienced at Mae Sod, the border near Myanmar, I expected the clearance to be fast here. I was only apprehensive about Lao DPR. One of the major problems at the borders of these countries is that very few speak even broken English and one has to rely on gestures and facial expressions. Pride and ego must be fastened to your seat belt or else it can get you into problems that get compounded. I handed over my passport at the immigration counter along with the document given by Customs in Mae Sod and the Carnet to prove that I am travelling by personal car. They asked me for a document that proved immigration clearance at Mae Sod for the car! They had a whole bunch of them in front of them and I knew that they were asking for what is due. When I told them that the Immigration in Mae Sod had not given one to me, one of the supervisors asked me to return to Mae Sod and fetch one, without which he said he cannot let me pass. I pleaded like I had never in my life. Later he took me to his boss who repeated what his subordinate said. I was in a flap, especially since I didn’t even have anyone to seek advice from. What the supervisor was asking me to do was to drive nearly 700 kms each way, without any assurance that the Immigration in Mae Sod would help me! I was sweating from the climate as well as the impossible demand of the supervisor when a Guardian Angel appeared to help me out of the trouble.

Lt. Col. Pariwat Satchapan, Inspector of Investigative Sector, Nong Khai Immigration summoned me and listened to what I had to say. He mentioned that I had violated a fundamental requirement for importing vhicles into Thailand and that I would have to pay a fine in case I did not want to go back to Mae Sod. I clutched at that straw. The fine was to be THB 8000, about $250. I had no option and I readily agreed. Satchapan was extremely well behaved and understanding, given the circumstances. He helped me fill out the forms and pay the fine, which he reduced to THB 4000 when I told him that I am a retired civil servant from India! He reiterated that I must get the Immigration document for the car the next time I entered Thailand to avoid hassles. When all this was going on I gave him a copy of my book and a key chain, and that impressed Satchapan further. He wished me well, before I went in search of the Customs department. No one knew what to do with the Carnet. Someone finally asked me to go to room 15A in the complex. I sought it out and in sat a serious guy dealing with another passenger. I could not follow what they said but I knew that the passenger was having a tough time, going by the number of times he folded his hands in surrender! But, when my turn came he handled the Carnet without a question and asked why I was travelling alone. He asked if I had a girl in Lao DPR!

The guy manning the road barrier asked for another document when I drove the car to pass through. I had to park once again and convince a bunch of them that I did not need any as I had the Carnet done. Finally, after nearly ninety minutes, at the Thai border I drove on to the Laos-Thai Friendship Bridge, which is a rail cum road bridge, with the rail track at the centre of the road.

The experience on the Lao DPR side was smoother. I asked the Immigration counter if I needed any document for the car and he replied in the negative. The lady at the Customs booth did the Carnet requirement quickly too. Then I thought of car insurance and went in search of a company that would do it. After visiting a couple of company offices in the premises I gave up the hunt and decided to face the risk. Then I went to the money changer and felt rich all of a sudden. I was given 1.62 million Kips for $200! It was difficult to stuff that into the pocket.

From the border post I had to once again shift to driving on the right side of the road. I drove slowly to the Vientiane Garden Hotel without any further hassle and reached there by 1.45 pm. A smiling and pleasant girl at the front desk showed me to the room. I was famished by the time and walked to Ray’s Grille, round the corner, and ordered Namkhong beer and Chicken Quesadilla, which is basically a stuffed chappati, the filling being chunks of chicken, bacon, onions and cheddar cheese served with salsa. The cold beer was refreshing and the quesadilla was filling. I had only one agenda thereafter – sleep.

By the time I woke up late in the evening it was time to walk to the night market. It seemed as if everyone in Vientiane came to the Mekong River front to spend their late evenings. The River is shrivelled at this time of the year. Large numbers were involved in community aerobics in groups guided by young fit girls and done to loud music. The night market was one to experience. There were stalls and more stalls. On display were clothes for all, perfumes, leather, local handicraft and food. Most of the items were light on the purse; for instance, good quality shirts were available for 20,000 Kips, almost Rs. 150. I have every intention of picking up a couple tomorrow. From one of the stalls I ordered what the girl told me is ice cream. Well, it was ice and cream. Two types of syrup on crushed ice in a large cup, like an ice gola, gratings and cubes of coconut and fruits and topped with coloured sabudana were the major ingredients. Over it came a large helping of Milkmaid. To say that I loved it would be an understatement.

On the way back to the hotel I bought a bottle of Beer Lao from one of the stores, which is given as a must drink in travel magazines. After a shower and the beer I felt like a massage to relax the tensed limbs. There are massage parlours all over. The closest to the hotel is the Kim’s massage parlour. I went in for an hour of relaxing body massage. All through the session the giggly girl, Won, kept telling me that oil massage is very good there. The massage kindled hunger and I walked into a noodle shop. Only two items are available – either the big bowl or the small bowl. I settled for the small bowl, served with leafy vegetables. Glass noodles in soup with chicken and meat balls and steamed vegetables was a wholesome fare. I tossed in some chilly to spice it up.

Day 17 - 16 March 2015 - Myawady to Sukhothai

I had made a few suggestions with respect to self-driving trips in Myanmar over dinner on 13^th in Yangon with Myu and Zi, the company Advisor. I told them that it should be taken as constructive feedback and not as personal criticism of anyone. Tun Tun, as a guide, had done what he was accustomed to, accompanying general tourists. But that was not only what was required when accompanying tourists on self-driving trips. Yingchu, of Navo Tours, had set a very high benchmark in China, perhaps a bit too much to expect of others. But, still some it was necessary. I told them that the guide has to be fluent in the English language without the heavy local accent. Win, of the Immigration at Myawady, was such an example. The department deployed him to deal with foreigners. He told me that he had learnt the language purely by watching English movies! The guide has to be available to the tourist 24x7, for he has to help the tourist understand the country and its people. It is he who has to make the tourist carry positive impressions about the country. Tun Tun would vanish once the destination of the day was done and his heavy accent did not make it worth my while trying to ferret out information. Not that he was not a good guy, it’s just that more was expected of him. It is the guide who should have complete information about the terrain, roads, fuel stations, stores and the like. For this he has to be technology enabled. I told Myu that it was the responsibility of his company to do this. For this, they have to have full time guides and not free lancing ones, like Tun Tun. The company must also reduce costs to the customer by reducing the number of personnel accompanying the tourist, three is a no go and only one must be there. They must get government policy changed, if need be, I told them.

As per the original schedule I had drawn up, I was to have halted in Kaw Ka Rek. It was truly providential that Seven Hills had changed it to Myawady. It certainly was good that the worst of the roads was already done. The change in plans must have been necessitated by two factors – the type of accommodation available and the day on which climbing Daw Na Taung was permitted. Kaw Ke Rek, being a small hamlet, did not have hotels for overnight stay. Myawady, being a proper town, was better equipped.

I had arranged with Tun Tun to be at the border post by 5 am and I was there a few minutes before. There were vehicles all over and people swarmed the post. These were day traders and visitors that almost regularly went across and back. Some had relatives on the other side and went visiting. They went across on the basis of their residency card.as soon as the post opened there was a mighty rush to get across. Only the Immigration office was functioning. The Customs enclosure was not manned. When I enquired I was told that the cross border trade was controlled at the EXIM station. And what came through for consumption in the city, they did not seem to be bothered about much. As I was waiting at the ‘foreigner departure’ door of the Immigration a guy asked me sharply to move away from there as it was not yet open. Then Tun Tun suggested something magical. I had given him a key chain of the London trip. He asked me to distribute a few at the post in case I had some to spare. I did and the effect was dramatic. The Immigration was done soon enough but the Customs was unmanned. I had to get the Carnet stamped. Myu took me for breakfast to a eatery nearby to fill up time. He had a huge helping of fried rice and fried egg and suggested the same to me. I chose to have a bakery item instead, a cross between bread and doughnut. The Customs guy turned up by 6 am and immediately apologised saying that he had been to meet a monk to donate rice. The formalities were soon over on the Myanmar side and I was ready to get over to Thailand. I wished Myu and Tun Tun for all the help they had been. I will be meeting them on my return to the same post in early May.

There is a small bridge immediately as one crosses the Myanmar border gate. Half way up the bridge is a sign asking one to drive on the left side after a signal. I did that and as I took the other side of the bridge I saw the Mae Sod Immigration and Customs of Thailand. There were a large number of vehicles lined up on the road and many people at the Immigration counter meant for foreign passport holders. I resigned to a long wait after filling up the arrival card I fetched from the relevant counter. As I was waiting in the queue the uniformed lady who was manning the counter came out and asked me to come to the top of the queue! And there was not a murmur of protest from those waiting. She completed the passport stamping in a few minutes and I moved to the Customs counter to get the Carnet stamped. There too work was done smoothly and the officer asked if permission to keep the car in Thailand for 30 days would suffice. He was astonished when I told him that I would be exiting Thailand the next day! A senior official of the Customs department wished me luck as I drove past the post.

The road infrastructure was a joy to experience all along the 180 km drive from the border to the hotel in Sukhothai. The route was through two national parks in the area and hence heavily wooded. About 50 kms was Ghat road, which was splendidly bituminised with appropriate warnings at regular intervals. Lane discipline was scrupulously observed by passenger cars and freight trucks. In Thailand it is common to see the coupled freight trucks.

I was booked to stay at the Ananda Museum Gallery Hotel. It is bang on Route 12 that I got to the city by. The lady receptionist, when she saw the car, expressed a desire to travel the rest of the journey with me. It needed the car’s appeal to entice one of the opposite sex! Such is the effect of the pillages of time. The early morning start and the hot and sweaty day did not provoke me into any outdoor activity. I had lunch at the hotel restaurant and rested hoping to get out to the historical city site late in the evening. Sukhothai is reputed to have been the first capital city in Thailand, even though the land had been in occupation much before the 12^th century.

By the time I woke up after the siesta it was almost dinner time. I rearranged things in the car and did some odd jobs, readying myself and the car for the next two weeks in Laos and Vietnam. I did not feel like a heavy dinner either. Hence, I fetched a cup of Maggie noodles from the car and completed the formalities of dinner.

Day 16 - 15 March 2015 - Yangon to Myawady

While Tun Tun wanted to even leave by 3 am Myo Min suggested a much later get away. The former said that the Daw Na Taung (mountain) could be a difficult attempt once the Sun goes down. Finally, I took a call for a 4 am departure. Myu and Tun Tun said they would be at the hotel by then. The hotel agreed to give me packed breakfast. It was 4.30 am by the time we picked up Myu from near his house – he could not get a taxi to reach the hotel, he said!  The initial stretch of the road was in excellent condition and the first 100 kms was done in 70 minutes. I yearned for a coffee and we turned into one of the convenience centres on the highway to Bago. The restaurant was not busy at the time, but I still saw many chomping on fried rice and fried eggs at that early hour. It seems that any time is good time for fried rice and fried egg in Myanmar! I ordered a coffee and we shared the breakfast pack which consisted of two boiled eggs, a sausage sandwich and a banana. Myu ordered an ‘egg platter’. It did taste nice, but looked more like a fried omelette. The road condition continued to be good right up to the Kaiyin State border. We drove past many rubber plantations, mostly replanted ones. I was told that many of them belonged to the Police Department!

Myint joined us almost half way to Myawady; he had gone in advance to check the road conditions. Once he joined us we took the roads he suggested; as Tun Tun put it, “they are shock cuss and safety, Sir”. Short of Kaw Ke Rek, where we were scheduled to have lunch, on one of the short cuts, which every vehicle in Myanmar seemed to be taking that day, an impassable traffic jam confronted us. Tun Tun got out of the car, in searing heat, and said, “I will check it, Sir”. Believe me, had it not been for his aggressive ‘policing’ we would have been stuck there till God knows when. The jam was caused by the breakdown of a freight truck and road repair just ahead of it. No one knew how to control the traffic both ways on that narrow road. People who were stuck in the traffic for more than an hour before us were most thankful to Tun Tun for his initiative.

We reached Kaw Ke Rek around a quarter to one and Tun Tun, in his inimitable style, located a cheap eatery. When he does that he announces, “cheap and tasty, Sir”. Cheap he may have found out, but tasty how, I never knew. As it turned out the meal was really tasty. I had a large portion of river fish curry and rice. Each of them helped themselves to mountains of rice and all the accoutrements served along with the meal. Soup and some vegetable side dishes are normally served with the rest of the order, as the owner said, free. While we were at lunch the lady owner of the restaurant broke the news that more than 500 vehicles are stuck on the Daw Na Taung due to breakdown of a large freight carrier. Tun Tun said that it would be difficult to fathom how long the hold up would last and suggested that we carry packed food in case it was prolonged.

The Daw Na Taung was the final frontier of Myanmar, as it were. Just a short while after Kaw Ke Rek starts the mountainous climb that is steep and winding. The distance from Kaw Ke Rek to Myawady is less than 70 kms, but the many breakdowns and poor road conditions with work on in many stretches, makes nonsense of any distance time estimate. All through my drive in Myanmar I have appreciated the road discipline in the country. Well, the Daw Na Taung affected even that and discipline of any kind was given the short shrift on the mountain, where it was most required. It was three and half hours of nerve wracking drive, when it finally ended. Breakdowns were many and every sharp bend of the road added to delays. Moreover, the heat was too much for even the car to bear; air conditioning went on the blink. The saving grace was the regulation that traffic is permitted only one way each day. In the month of March it was the odd calendar day for going up the mountain and the even day for going down it!

Once the climb was over and the drive downhill began the traffic eased up. The road side was dotted with many shops offering car wash facility. The dusty and axle testing drive does take a toll on the car. We were stopped at the entrance to Myawady by the traffic police; they waved us on once they were satisfied by the papers presented. We had encountered many police patrols, particularly the ones on the state borders, but were mostly allowed through due to the stickers on the car – Tun Tun was fond of saying, “you are VIP, Sir”. At the approach to Myawady city the road dramatically transformed into a beauty. Again Tun Tun supplied the information that it was done up by a Thai company. He also directed me to fuel up with Thai diesel at one of the fuel stations. Fuel in Myanmar had cost me between Rs. 40 and 45 per litre. They quote by the gallon; a gallon is 4 litres.

Just ahead of the city is the EXIM Zone where traffic from and to Thailand is dealt. Cargo is passed here, trading is done and freight meant for Myanmar and Thailand is transhipped at this point. We decided to visit the border post and inquire about the formalities to be completed the next day. An extremely friendly Immigration official said that the border opens at 5 am and works until 8 pm. He even suggested that I go through to Thailand just then! I could have, but did not want to break the scheduled hotel bookings. On his board he even had pencilled my return through the post on 4^th May! I also met a youngster, Win, working in Immigration arrivals who explained the departure formalities and gave me the departure card to fill in and bring with me the next day. The border post works from 5 am to 8 pm since January this year. Win explained that it is difficult working a 15 hour day.

After checking into the Myawady Hotel I took a round of the bustling night market and explored the smells and sights, which needed a strong stomach and a blocked nose. Everything was on sale from blossoms to blouses. On the way back I chose a road side shop for fried rice and chicken. As I was about to eat the city suffered a power outage that went on for the next hour. I sat it out in the hotel lobby with a bottle of Myanmar Beer. Once the power supply came on I got to the sparsely appointed room for rest and recuperation after the exhausting day.

Day 15 - 14 March 2015 - In Yangon

 Last night was a disaster in so much as sleep was concerned. At the turn of midnight I gave up trying to sleep. My body was aching and the bowels would not hold up either. I could not fathom why. I short listed the reasons as the dinner at the Hot Pot diner or the ‘traditional massage’ I had been to last evening. May be it was a combination of both. The young girl at the massage centre did such funny things to and with the legs, shoulder and neck that, after some time, my entire body went numb. I lay there helpless for the most part as she went about completing the one hour session. May be it is the technique they employed to ensure that clients do not act funny. Now you must be wondering why I asked for a girl to do the massage, if intentions were honourable? Well, not only should intentions be honourable to you, but to the service provider as well. At the hotel where I stayed in Mandalay, one of the services they claimed to provide was massage of various types from traditional to oil to aroma therapy. I went to the designated centre on the first evening of my stay and asked for a male masseur. They looked kind of queerly at me and asked me if I was gay! Now you know why it will be girl masseurs for me; it has to be them, at least to make clear which side of the wicket I play! Well, as I came back from the massage and had a hot wash I felt a few aches. The two tall glasses of Avocado juice and Strawberry shake may have juicily shaken up my insides to warrant frequent visits to the corner room. However, I believe that everything that happens, happens for a good reason. I sat up and did my posts and finished all documentation. I had completed 2 weeks of the expedition and all had gone off well this far during the 5520 kms I had covered.

When I was almost at the end of breakfast I saw a very Indian looking gentleman walk into the dining hall. I had seen him in the lobby of the hotel last evening too. I went up to him, as he was helping himself to the breakfast fare, and introduced myself. He identified himself as Capt J. Verma of Ocean Sparkle, a company based in Hyderabad, while he himself was based in Mumbai. We exchanged professional notes and I left him to enjoy breakfast, hoping to catch up later in the evening.  

Tun Tun was at the hotel just as I came out of the dining hall. He had chosen to leave at 7.30 am for local sightseeing for two reasons; to beat the traffic rush and the intensity of the Sun. As the morning wore on I realised that he had chosen wisely. It became so hot by 11 am that I had to virtually drag myself around. I could then imagine what the weather would be like when I returned to Myanmar on the return leg in May. Statue of the reclining Buddha was the first to be visited. Tun Tun told me that this one in Yangon is the third largest in the world at 70m by 18m. The original statue was of the seated Buddha and was built in 1907. Since there was no roof over the statue weather played havoc over a period of time and the structure had to be pulled down in 1959. This was replaced by the current statue of the reclining Buddha, where one can see all the 108 inscriptions on the feet.

The Shwedagon pagoda is the most sacred pagoda in Mynamar and is reputed to be more than 2600 years old. The 114 acre site on Singuttara Hill in Ynagon is an experience not to be missed. Entrance fee to the Shwedagon pagoda is $8. As I entered the premises exiting the elevator my attention fell on the massive Bodhi Tree with a golden statue of Buddha at the base of it. Tun Tun told me that the sapling of the tree was brought from Bodh Gaya. The stupa was raised from 8 m to the present height of 100 m over the past few centuries. It is today the second tallest in the world, the first being in Bagan. The stupa contains relics of the Buddhas like the hair. The base of the stupa is made of bricks covered with gold plates. Gold plates can be bought in the premises for $700 per plate. I saw proud donors posing with the gold plates they had donated, which is meant to earn them good deeds for the next life. The crown of the stupa is encrusted with over 5000 diamonds and 2300 rubies. The top of the pagoda is adorned with a 76 carat diamond. The pagoda is an agglomeration of colourful temples, stupas and statues that reflect art, culture and religion over 2500 years. The four entrances leading to the pagoda have vendors dispensing various books, charms, offerings, images of the Buddha, gold leaf, etc.

Tun Tun took me to the Scott market, which is a favourite place with rich Chinese who trade in gems such as Jade.  I took a round of the shopping complex and saw the large number of gems and jewellery shops, artisans vending their craft, intricately handcrafted wooden pieces for sale, traditional clothes and western for women and souvenir traders enticing prospective customers with descriptions of the ‘antiques’ they had on offer. Next on the list was the St Marys Church established in 1899, which laid claim to being the largest Catholic Church in the whole of Myanmar.

Yangon River was muddy at the time of visit. River cruises are offered to enjoy the sunset. A 5000 kyat river cruise has food and beverages attached to the deal. The river is the confluence of two others and is an important trading port. The container terminal of the port, the container freight stations and inland container depots are operated by the Myanmar Industrial Port authority.

Botataung pagoda is on the banks of the Yangon River and is believed to be as old as the Shwedagon pagoda. The pagoda is hollow within, as against the solid brick Shwedagon pagoda, and contains the hair relic of the Buddha. The pagoda is itself styled as a maze.

The hot, hot weather called for a local ice cream just after the Botataung pagoda and a cool drink just before enjoying the City Hall and its precincts. The cool drink contained, floer stems, bread, coconut milk, sabudana and vermicelli. It was so refreshingly cool that I had to summon all my will power to resist a second helping. However, I did not refuse when the vendor offered to top up the vanishing portion with coconut milk. The City Hall is the seat of the municipal council and has been the focus of many demonstrations, sometimes violent. Therefore, the Park that overlooks the Hall is severely fortified and all except one gate is closed. The Park has the Independence monument in its confines and has many colonial buildings around it like the High Court and the Main Post office. The Sule pagoda, almost a replica of the Shwedagon pagoda is within a stone’s throw away from the City Hall and the Park. Tun Tun told me that colonial buildings are slowly, but surely, making way for the real estate developers from Singapore and Korea. Examples do dot the central Yangon landscape.

I returned to the hotel after fuelling and washing the car. While waiting for the car to be washed Tun Tun took me to a small eatery in the neighbourhood for a cheap, but extremely tasty, lunch of fish curry and rice. It is customary for a soup to be served along with the meal. The pumpkin soup was exceptionally yummy. My slurps attracted the attention of the lady who ran the eatery and she gave me a second helping saying, ‘free’! After I had done full justice to the meal jaggery balls were placed before me to wash down the fat.

I barely dragged myself back to the room. The heat had sapped my energy to the last, especially since I had not slept well the previous night.

Day 14 - 13 March 2015 - Mandalay to Yangon

 I had asked for a 5 am wake up call, as I had slept late. The bags were packed but I had to complete the blog and upload the same before departing from Mandalay. I did that without hassle since WiFi connectivity early morning is much better than the rest of the day. The restaurant has two sections for the breakfast buffet – the continental and the local. While I helped myself to massive helpings of watermelon, papaya, toasts, eggs and sausage, I also checked out the local fare. Fried rice, noodles, konji, fried chicken, carp curry and much, much more was available. I had a piece of the fried chicken and the carp – the latter was very tasty. As usual, I avoided hot beverage and settled for three tall glasses of orange juice.

At the start of the day itself it was told that we would break for lunch at the 115^th mile of restaurants. With the heavy breakfast I never thought that I will be hungry any time before 1 pm. However, the road condition was such that we reached the lunch destination before 11 am! I delayed the lunch engagement a bit by fuelling and getting the air checked. Possibly because of the continuous drive from Mandalay, covering 250 miles in four hours, the tyre pressure was a bit in excess. It was corrected. Prior to the start of the day’s drive my co-travellers had been apprehensive about the condition of the tyres. That reflected in the frequent signages by the side of the expressway that warned about tyre bursts leading to major accidents. Indeed, I did see vestiges of previous instances of tyre bursts on the road. One feature of the expressway is the availability of wide dirt tracks, what we call service lanes, meant for the exclusive use of bullock carts. Thus, farm lands beside the expressway are served without any hindrance. For most of the time, at least till 9.30 am, I did not have any company on the expressway, in the direction of my journey. I was most surprised to note that the expressway was completely devoid of freight trucks in both directions.

The 115^th mile of restaurants is a massive complex. Fuel stations, vehicle repair shops, eateries and places to pick up odd stuff were all part of it. Tun Tun confidently walked into the Free Express restaurant, saying that it is famous all over Myanmar. By the time I had returned from the toilet he was already on his meal. There were a large number of dishes on display. I did not know if it was a set menu or whether I had to pick a la carte. After a while of looking and smelling (!), I played safe and picked up rice, fish curry and tofu. I have come to like the slightly flavoured sticky rice in Myanmar. There was a lot of confusion billing what we had eaten, but was sorted out after some delay. Three large meals had cost 9900 kyats, the equivalent of Rs. 600.

We reached the outskirts of Yangon and encountered traffic. It was just after half past one. 600 kms had been done in less than 6 hours of driving. I enjoyed the tensionless stretch. Myint, the government official, had to be dropped at the bus station. He was directly off to the border town of Myawady, where I would reach on 15 March. Besides, enquiring about the security in the area he would also ensure that paperwork is initiated for the exit on 16 March.

Prior to leaving on the expedition I had contacted all the Indian missions in the countries I intended visiting. The Ambassador had confirmed appointment on 14^th in the embassy, on the condition that he was in station. A couple of days back I was informed that he is in India and therefore, would not be available to meet. On the approach to Yangon I spoke to the private secretary of the Ambassador to know if I could at least meet the second in command. Even he, I was informed, was on tour. I decided to skip the embassy visit, hence.

As we were driving to the hotel, inside the Yangon city, traffic had built up. But, with very few exceptions, lane discipline was observed and hand signals were respected. I was amazed not to hear sounds of horns despite so many vehicles on the road. Tun Tun told me that honking is banned in Yangon. I could not believe that such a restriction could be so effectively enforced. Traffic violations, I understood, were put down with a heavy fist and fines were heavy.

I had visited Yangon and Mandalay in 2003 as part of a backpacking trip. The changes I have seen since then, in the past dozen years, are nothing short of astounding. Road infrastructure has improved considerably that the concrete Mandalay-Yangon expressway is a prime illustration of the fact. I remember being stuck in some jungle in 2003 on the way to Yangon from Mandalay due to landslides and tree fall, which almost made me reschedule the departure to India. There are signs of economic buoyancy and wellbeing. In 2003 the country was seized by a series of student agitations and government crackdown, which made me feel a sense of despondency and cynicism among the youth. That has changed. Yangon used to be full of tuk tuks. That is a thing of the past. Two and three wheelers are banned in the city, which has given the city a sense of order. However, I was surprised that the busy city did not have a metro system. Tun Tun feels that the Japanese companies that control the used car market will never permit that to happen, as it will destroy a lucrative business. The fact that the government permits import of right hand drive vehicles almost exclusively from Japan, to be driven on the right side of the road, substantiated Tun Tun’s loaded observation to some extent.

Myu Min had promised a fabulous meal in Yangon. He invited me to the Shwe Kaung Hot Pot, just next door to the Golden Butterfly Hotel, where I was put up. He had invited the Advisor to his company, who was visiting from Oklahoma, USA. I decided against a hot pot dinner and settled for duck roast and honey glazed pork with the draught beer. Later, over stimulating discussion, both business related and general, I had seafood fried rice, avocado juice and strawberry shake. The fried rice was topped with generous portions of seafood and the fruit juices were heavenly.

Day 13 - 12 March 2015 - In Mandalay

Orange juice, toasts, eggs and fruits comprised the heavy breakfast at the hotel restaurant. I had it slightly later than usual since Tun Tun had planned the day to start only at 9 am. A sports team of young school children kept up a lively atmosphere in the restaurant, albeit in a disciplined manner. Last evening I had suggested to Tun Tun that he should have a GPS system installed on his phone so that we could avoid wasting time asking for directions and backtracking, which we did so many times over the past few days. This morning he said he had found a solution; he had hired a guy on a bike to conduct us around the whole morning. However, the pilot lasted only till the Mahamuni Temple. When we came out of the Temple the guy went missing; evidently Tun Tun had paid him in advance and that was that.

The Mahamuni Buddha Temple was founded in 1785 and is considered to be one among the five statues made in the likeness of the Buddha. Legend has it that Buddha visited the ancient Arakan region in 554 BC when the then king requested that an image be cast of him so that they could worship him upon his departure. The image was cast when Buddha sat under a Bodhi tree in meditation. Buddha breathed on the cast image and it became his exact likeness. By the end of the 19^th century the image was moved to Mandalay. Today it is central to the lives of pilgrims. The sanctum sanctorum where the large image is displayed on a throne is not open to women. Male pilgrims climb a steel staircase to affix gold leaves on the image as offering. The narrow base on which the image is placed makes navigation around it a tricky affair. A missed footing can be disastrous. Tun Tun told me that the daily rituals involve washing the face of the image and brushing of the teeth.

A few boys and girls, dressed in white and pink respectively, were assembled In the temple premises. They were accompanied by parents and relatives. It was the day when they were being initiated into monastic life as novices. It did look a bit too harsh that such important decisions were taken without the consent of the child; but such are traditions and beliefs. A child becoming a monk or nun is supposed to bestow untold blessings on the family. After the temple ceremony the prospective novices are taken around various sacred sites in open vehicles accompanied by singers and photographers.

The next visit was to the Mandalay Palace, which was the last royal palace of the Burmese monarchy. It was constructed in 1859 as part of King Mindon’s founding of the capital city of Mandalay. It has 114 buildings within the walled complex surrounded by a moat with five bridges across it. All buildings are single storeyed and was the royal residence till 1885 when the British captured the Palace and established their sway over the entire Burmese territory. The Palace was even renamed Fort Dufferin, after the then Viceroy of India, and was used for billeting troops. During WWII the complex fell into Japanese control for a brief while and was completely destroyed by Allied bombing. Only the watch tower and the royal mint survived the assault. The present structures are the result of extensive restoration done towards the end of the 20^th century. While the original structure was entirely teak, restoration was done using corrugated sheets and concrete.

The Hluttaw, the Supreme Court, where the official business of the court is conducted is a large wooden hall supported by massive teak pillars. Many members of the royal  family are interred in the cluster of mausoleums in the palace grounds. The royal mint, one of the original buildings that survived the Allied bombing, was used as a bakery by the British troops. Dominating the entire complex is the 25m watch tower. There are 120 steps to the top of the tower from where one gets a panoramic view of the complex. A large number of local and foreign visitors throng the place. It also seemed to be a favourite hangout for young lovers, who found privacy among the 114 buildings in the complex!

The Golden Palace is a historic Buddhist monastery in Mandalay and a must visit for tourists. As we reached the Palace a large vehicle procession of the soon to be novices, with a lady singing sitting on an open bus with speakers blaring, was vending their way out of the complex. In Burmese the monastery is known as the Shwenandaw Monastery. King Thibaw, who lived his last years in exile in India, dismantled his father’s resting chambers of the royal palace in Amarapura and it became part of an existing monastery. Teak carvings depicting Buddha’s life and the Jataka tales adorn its walls and roofs. The structure and the carvings are still substantially intact despite it being over 160 years old. Such is the quality of Burmese teak which, then as it is now, was much sought after. Tun Tun mentioned that the teak forests are being wantonly ‘destroyed’ to satiate the huge demand in China.

The world’s biggest book is set in stone! At the foot of the Mandalay Hill is the Kuthodaw pagoda that houses 729 stone tablets around a central golden pagoda. The King, worried about the gradual British annexation of his country, convened the fifth Buddhist council in 1871 and caused the construction of the vast library of religious scriptures that would outlast invasions and occupation. The inscriptions on marble tablets are in Pali language and were originally gold gilded. The marble slabs are placed in caves that had gems secreted in them. Near the golden pagoda is where Susu approached me with bronze gongs, water color paintings and artistic works in bamboo. To indicate that the gongs were special she struck one of the triangular bronze gongs lightly a few times and gently blew on the side to create beautifully musical notes. i would have bought one of the gongs had it not been for the steep price she set for it. Just outside the complex were young girls readying flowers for sale. I was dumbstruck by the care with which they opened each lotus flower to display the attractive colours of the flowers.

After completing the sightseeing program for the day just after noon I wanted to get the tyres checked and, if necessary, fill nitrogen. Even though Tun Tun enquired at any places and got directions to get the work done, he was unable to guide me to the correct shop. After a lot of back and forth I lost my cool. He did not either have any knowledge of the city or possess a GPS system. Silver Hills was experimenting with me. They, it seemed, have no prior experience in handling self driving trips.