Mandalay-Hspiaw-Mogkok-Mandalay-Bagan
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 5:14 pm
OK; quick up date from Mandalay, ( 10 pm curfew in Place but no troubles and it only affected 3-4 streets near our hotel. Locals said it has been overblown.
Mandalay is not that expensive, food sucks except for the middle class rests that serve Burmese food ( as much as you can eat for about $4. WE rented 125 honda dream Chinese copies for $10/day and headed east to Hspiaw where we then rode up into the Shan sate ( restricted area) and the town of Namhsan. Fucking fantastic scenery!!
Back down to Hspiaw an headed back towards Mandalay BUT took the turn off at Kyaukme . Destination- the closed city of Mogkok (city of Rubies) the ride was amazing even though half of it was done in the rain. Worst roads i have traveled in SE Asia ( and that includes Laos, Cambodia, all over Thailand, even Nepal and India) Made it to Mogkok and than found no one would rent us a room as we did not have official permission.
Ended up at the Butterfly resort set on a hill top over looking the city for ONLY $75. a $200 place in Thailand.
Headed back to Mandalay and were stopped and asked where we where coming from and how we got there. As it’s a closed area for foreigners without advance permission and a guide.
Next day I took the 6-30 am express ferry boat to Bagan ( $43 included breakfast an lunch) Local boat is $14 but 15 hours , ours was only 10 1/2
2 days/3 nights ( great room for $20/night) in Bagan and took the train back ( upper class $2.90) for a 9 hour ride. Plenty of tourist oriented shops, hotels/gh’s restaurants that all seem to serve Chinese, India, Thai, Burmese and it all is eatable but nothing to write home about. Even found a Neapli/Tibeatian rests.
Plus a GREAT bakery. Prices ranged from $2-5 .meal on par with Cambodia but not the quality you would get in Thailand.
There are a few options fof getting around to see the pagodas, Bicycles ( if ur a masochists) for $1/day, Ebikes for $8/day, horsecarts ( my choice ) for $20 an doff course tours bus’s and taxis.
Internet is what was in Phuket 12 years ago yet everyone has smart phones even thou sim cards are $150 each!!
short end of it,
headed back to Phuket tomorrow an will go thru the 2,000 ++ photos and do a proper write up
Mandalay is not that expensive, food sucks except for the middle class rests that serve Burmese food ( as much as you can eat for about $4. WE rented 125 honda dream Chinese copies for $10/day and headed east to Hspiaw where we then rode up into the Shan sate ( restricted area) and the town of Namhsan. Fucking fantastic scenery!!
Back down to Hspiaw an headed back towards Mandalay BUT took the turn off at Kyaukme . Destination- the closed city of Mogkok (city of Rubies) the ride was amazing even though half of it was done in the rain. Worst roads i have traveled in SE Asia ( and that includes Laos, Cambodia, all over Thailand, even Nepal and India) Made it to Mogkok and than found no one would rent us a room as we did not have official permission.
Ended up at the Butterfly resort set on a hill top over looking the city for ONLY $75. a $200 place in Thailand.
Headed back to Mandalay and were stopped and asked where we where coming from and how we got there. As it’s a closed area for foreigners without advance permission and a guide.
Next day I took the 6-30 am express ferry boat to Bagan ( $43 included breakfast an lunch) Local boat is $14 but 15 hours , ours was only 10 1/2
2 days/3 nights ( great room for $20/night) in Bagan and took the train back ( upper class $2.90) for a 9 hour ride. Plenty of tourist oriented shops, hotels/gh’s restaurants that all seem to serve Chinese, India, Thai, Burmese and it all is eatable but nothing to write home about. Even found a Neapli/Tibeatian rests.
Plus a GREAT bakery. Prices ranged from $2-5 .meal on par with Cambodia but not the quality you would get in Thailand.
There are a few options fof getting around to see the pagodas, Bicycles ( if ur a masochists) for $1/day, Ebikes for $8/day, horsecarts ( my choice ) for $20 an doff course tours bus’s and taxis.
Internet is what was in Phuket 12 years ago yet everyone has smart phones even thou sim cards are $150 each!!
short end of it,
headed back to Phuket tomorrow an will go thru the 2,000 ++ photos and do a proper write up
