Katha to Mandalay

After spending a couple of hours trying to find a) the pier and b) where to buy boat tickets we decided to catch the "express" boat (14 hours) to Mandalay rather than wait for the already 16 hours delayed cheaper slow boat (2/3 days). Up at 3.45 to pack and work out how to load tandem down the sleep slope onto the boat. Someone helped (in fact he carried tandem single handedly)

The boat and the villages we stopped on the way (early on when it was still dark someone had lit a bonfire on the banks as a signal for our boat to stop by) were a microcosm of Burmese society. Families ranging from elderly men (coughing or being sick?) to young (extremely young in some cases) mothers and their happy babies, young couples, monks, and in the villages, children looking after bullocks, fishermen, bundles of bamboo and teak piled on the bank, bulls and carts and all kind of goods being carried onto the boat: coal, rice, even newly made beautiful handmade tables, chairs, beds and cupboards to be sold in Mandalay...

The loo was scrupulously clean

And the tandem securely tied 

Katha

Katha was actually a lovely, laid back, happy place.

We relocated to the cheaper Aeyrrawaddy Guesthouse by the river. Very basic but adequate and there we met again Yannis, Joanna, Miriam and Nicholas we had met in Lonton!

John managed to visit Orwell's Commissioner's House and we spent a relaxing day drinking "milk tea" and watching the world go by

Mohnyin to Katha

This road will remain in our mind as "the road from hell"!

To start with we were lulled into a false sense of easines. The road was tarred and traffic light, however the road soon narrowed, trucks were more and more numerous, forcing us to stop by the sandy side to let them go past. We were soon covered with dust and coughing (couldn't find the masks we had bought!)

But it soon got worse. The surface deteriorated steadily and then we encountered "the bridges" or rather the lack of them! They were in the process of being built or rebuilt and the traffic had to do a detour by fording the various rivers.

We kept thinking it was going to get better but it didn't. We must have crossed between twenty or thirty bridges/fords and pushed a few kms when the road was definitely too bad to ride on. Many young boys and young women were breaking or carrying stones or mixing tar

We arrived in Katha after dark, exhausted and beyond dusty but in one piece and grateful for the Hotel Katha

Hopin to Mohnyin

Left Lonton a little later than planned

and enjoyed a last leisurely ride in this unspoilt plateau

before tackling the mountains.

Mercifully the road was clear of trucks (lunchtime?) and the only activity we encountered was tarring the road. Before we knew it we were on the summit and then it was a great, exhilarating downhill. We felt quite good about ourselves!

Following bit wasn't so good though. Found a shortcut towards Mohnyin (this was where we had been told there were guesthouses) but this turned out to be a rutted, bumpy dirt road

Scenery was lovely and people smiling as always..

We eventually reached the main road, but the surface wasn't better and we were back with the many trucks carrying the barrels of fuel

Eventually arrived in Mohnyin dusty and tired, tone told that the guesthouse didn't accept foreigners. The owner though very kindly took us to the hotel, which did, and we had a very comfortable room with hot water and generous breakfast. Met Claire who lives in Mytkyna. She and her husband are organising the building of schools and training teachers. She knew Lauren and Caitlin we met at Lonton. Small world!

Floating pagoda

Most interesting temple built on water and in the past only accessible at a certain full moon at the end of February. A partially submerged pathway has now been built so we joined the throng of pilgrims who walked to the shrine and prayed to many Buddhas and fed the seagulls and fish (presumably lucky to do so?)

Indawgyi lake was a real little paradise. Guesthouse keeper and his two daughters was very friendly and provided us with plenty of coffee and green tea but the rooms and shared bathroom were rather grubby. We met Tom from Australia and shared our thoughts and experiences over supper and a beer. Two girls Lauren and Caitlin, both working as volunteers in Myitkyina with Kachin stayed for the night for a little holiday then Chad and Liesel from Idaho and 4 people we had met at Mandalay arrived. All most interesting and inspiring people..In the mornings we walked to the small market,bought special  fried banana/rice dumplings, delicious noodle soup with liquefied tofu and generally smiled at the friendly villagers.

We hired a kayak for the day, cycled around, exploring remote little villages where people smiled at us and invited us to tea. The school teacher had a smattering of English so we managed to somehow to communicate.

Then John was ill again and decided to rest (a very nice place to rest!) while I went trekking for the day and soon, too soon it was time to leave.

Lonton and around

Arriving at the wooden guesthouse on stilts by the lake was a wonderful moment. The view over the lake was breathtakingly beautiful, fishermen on their boat paddling effortlessly and throwing their nets, a kingfisher was perched just outside the veranda, a gentle breeze cooling us..it was heaven.