Thursday night was spent at the private house in Hyauk Yay Twin. I had been given a small room of my own but I found it rather hot (temperatures had been around the low 30s Celsius during the day and didn't seem to drop much during the night)) and I’m not used to sleeping on the floor. Eventually I slept quite soundly but was up again around six a.m. and we took a light breakfast around eight.
Breakfast at our accommodation: Kayin State 2019
We didn’t have to leave the area that early, so they offered another boat ride, re-tracing the route we'd taken up the Gyaing River the previous day but then carrying on beyond Tha Yet Taw to the town of Kyondoe. Shortly after we set off, it started to rain heavily but the simple roof on our boat kept the worst of the rain off. They offered to pull down plastic sheets to protect against sideways rain, but I declined, preferring to study the scenery at the expense of a slightly-wet left arm.
Our boat trip in the rain, view astern: Kayin State, 2019
After about 6 km we passed Kharit, which we'd reached by road the previous day. After another 5 km we forked right into the Haungthayaw River. The left fork is called the Hlaingbwe Stream and it's crossed by an impressive suspension bridge which replaced an earlier pontoon bridge. The bridge carries the Highway from the Kayin State Capital, Hpa An, to Myawaddy on the Myanmar-Thailand Border.
Bridge over Hlaingbwe Stream, Kayin State, 2019.
We continued past Tha Yet Taw (or Krop Kreik) about 3 km to our destination, Kyondoe. The Myawaddy-Hpa An Highway passes through the town on the northern bank of the Haungthayaw River but access for vehicles to the part of the town on the southern bank requires the use of one of a number of fairly-crude looking pontoon vehicle ferries powered by a couple of longtail propellor units.
Our boat trip, Kyondoe in the rain. Note the car ferry across the River Haungthayaw: Kayin State, 2019
Our boat trip, Kyondoe in the rain. This car ferry is docked at another loading ramp, plenty of foot passengers, no vehicles, with two longtail propellor units on the right: Kayin State, 2019
On the south bank of the river (where all the villages we'd visited were located) the road system appeared very incomplete, accounting for the apparent importance of small boats to get around. Because of the rain, our hosts decided to cancel the promised walkabout in the town but we did purchase fuel for the boat before returning. A few minutes before we arrived back, the rain stopped, so we were able to walk back from the jetty to our accommodation without getting a soaking.
At 10.30 a.m., we were given lunch. I’ll never get used to the timing of meals in Myanmar and the prodigious volume of food these generally slim-framed people find normal. Then we loaded up the pick-up with our personal luggage and set off back to Mawlamyine.
I’m afraid the return journey over the incomplete roads was as uncomfortable as our outward trip but, a little after noon, we pulled into the car park of the Kaung Myat Hotel. I then discovered there was more luggage in store at the hotel which was added to the pick-up before we drove to Mawlamyine Long Distance Bus Terminal, which is a slightly less frenetic version of Yangon’s bus terminal.
Only the Doctor and I were catching the 1.00 p.m. bus to Yangon as Aung Ko Latt intended to spend a day at his nearby home village before returning to Yangon where he works but we were accompanied by a generous amount of luggage including gifts and local foodstuffs purchased by the Doctor, some of which was carried in the massive luggage hold of the Chinese-built coach, the balance being carried with us in the cabin. The seating was 2+2 but the Doctor had thoughtfully reserved two seats for me, allowing me more legroom.
As we waited for departure, I was fascinated by the steady stream of motor-bike carriers collecting parcels for local delivery. I particularly noted one who placed one large cardboard carton on his rear carrier, placed a second smaller carton between his legs and, with no securing on the cartons, optimistically set off into Mawlamyine's traffic.
Motor cycle carrier with two cartons at Mawlamyine Bus Terminal
Thaton: Return from Mawlamyine, 10-May-2019
Around six and a half hours are allowed for the journey back to Yangon, including a thirty minute toilet and refreshment stop about halfway through the journey.
When we finally arrived, Yangon’s notorious Bus Terminal was more than living up to its reputation. Gridlock ensued on the approach roads. We inched forward and eventually disembarked not at a ‘stand’ but at the side of an internal road.
I guarded our heap of luggage whilst the Doctor organised a taxi from the Bus Station to his home. That journey, in the dark with the streets full of hard-to-see pedestrians crossing and bicycles without lights was ‘interesting’. Yangon drivers could certainly issue a challenge to London motorists regarding aggressive techniques.
As usual, I was made very welcome at the Doctor's home but after a light meal all I wanted to do was go to bed, having set my alarm for 4.15 a.m. for we were to catch the 7.00 a.m Yadanarpon domestic flight from Yangon to Nyaung Oo.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma is the first post in the series.
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Next report.
Alternately, clicking on the 'All my Burma 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports.
My pictures
Kayin State, 2019
Mawlamyine, 2019
Burma 2019
Kaung Myat Hoyel, Mawlamyine (most pictures taken on earlier visits).
