Events of Wednesday 20th February, 2013
I'd arranged with my guide that we'd make one more excursion, travelling to the ever-beautiful Sagaing Hills. It's a trip I'd made before but I never tire of the area. However, we made a slight detour on the way, to look again at Ywa Taung station.
I'd first visited Ywa Taung in 2012 with Doctor Hla Tun as we returned from making a stationery donation at Taung Be Lar School. That earlier visit is described here. On my second visit to the station on 20th February 2013 I took additional photographs to clarify arrangements. My second visit coincided with seeing two trains! On our arrival, a local train to Mandalay was waiting in the platform loop. Most of the lines are single and the local was stopped for the Mandalay to Myitkyina express to pass. This important train included a restaurant coach. Once the express had passed, I could see the pointsman changing the points so that the stopping train could continue on to Mandalay.
Then we took the winding road to the summit at Sagaing and the temple housing the most famous Buddha image. We spent some time on the promenade surrounding the temple which commands marvellous views in all directions. It was a little hazy, limiting how far we could see, but we could study the amazing number of pagodas, monasteries and other religious buildings and watch all the river activity in the Shwe Kyet Yet area.
Driving back to Mandalay City across the new road bridge, it was clear just how low the water was. The broad river had two small navigable channels, one adjacent to either river bank, and the rest was sandbanks.
We returned to the Sedona Hotel passing a very elaborate Noviciation Procession which included an elephant. It's quite expensive to arrange for an elephant, I was told, so this was a rich family. The actual Noviciation Ceremony would probably be held on the following day.
Safely back at the Sedona Hotel, it was time to say "goodbye" to my guide and driver. On the following day I was to meet a different guide and driver for the journey south.
Wednesday was the day that a new group of guests arrived for the 'Road to Mandalay'. They would have flown into Mandalay International Airport. In the past, I have poked fun of the fact that Mandalay International Airport had no scheduled International Flights (just the occasional charter flight). Perhaps it's an indication of the changes taking place in Burma that the budget airline AirAsia now has regular flights to Bangkok for 50 dollars. I'm told AirAsia will also introduce a direct service to Singapore shortly. At the airport 'Road to Mandalay' guests would have met their guides for the trip, boarded the waiting coaches and spent the morning touring Mandalay. The guests were to meet at the Sedona Hotel for a buffet lunch before joining their coaches once again for the drive by road to Myin Mu where their ship was waiting.
Doctor Hla Tun had told me that he was usually at the hotel for the buffet lunch, in case any of the guests required medical help. I waited outside as the various buses arrived and, of course, I knew many of the staff and guides looking after the newly-arrived guests.
Doctor Hla Tun arrived a little later: he had been to purchase medicines for use on the ship. The Doctor and I talked for a while in the hotel lobby and then (having left word where he'd be, if required) we walked around the corner to the Shwe Pyi Moe Cafe where the Doctor ordered a simple Burmese meal, whilst I had a Coca-Cola.
When we arrived back at the hotel the last 'RTM' coach was just leaving. The Doctor quickly collected his medicines, said goodbye and joined the bus. Amongst the new Guests, there were two 'stragglers' who had somehow missed the coaches. They were eventually located by the member of 'RTM' staff who had remained behind with a car so disaster was averted.
The following day, I was to leave Mandalay and head south by car.
My Pictures
Ywa Taung Station.
Sagaing (2013).
Noviciation Procession in Mandalay.
'RTM' at the Sedona.
[Revised 8th March 2013]
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
More Mandalay
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Maymyo
Events of Tuesday 19th February, 2013
The tour company had proposed a full-day trip to Maymyo. That was agreed, with one change. I wanted to travel from Mandalay to Maymyo by train, returning by car. One problem was that the train was scheduled to leave at 4.00 a.m. Adding the 30 minutes 'reporting time', transfer by taxi to the station and getting ready, I set my alarm for 2.40 a.m. I was on the platform at Mandalay Central, under the bleak fluorescent lighting, about 3.20 a.m. There was plenty of freight piled on the platform, together with a number of porters who tried to sleep whilst waiting. There were about a dozen Europeans waiting and a number of Burmese. There was even a locomotive, sitting at the south end of the platform. All that was missing was coaches to form the train. It was about 6.00 a.m. when the station 'pilot' passed through the station heading north on another line hauling some coaches, returning a few minutes later propelling the coaches into our platform and onto the waiting locomotive. By the time the porters had dragged the freight into the two boxcars at the rear it was 6.17 a.m. when we departed.
The particular reason I had for wanting to make this journey is that the line beyond Sedaw uses a zig-zag arrangement where the train shuffles backwards and forwards between four 'Reversing Stations' in order to gain height before completing its journey to Maymyo.
The Zig-Zag railway in the line to Maymyo.
I arrived at Maymyo station tired but happy and over two hours late. Unfortunately, my guide and driver had also had a long wait before my train appeared.
I had decided to visit the two nuns who run the Shwe Sin Minn girls' orphanage. I'd first visited the orphanage in November 2011 and that visit is described here. Largely because of the continuing unrest in Kachin State, the number of orphans they look after had increased from 300 to 500. More building work was in progress to accommodate the extra girls. The nuns made me welcome and said I should return each year. I took a few pictures during the visit and I've added them to the original collection here.
The two nuns who founded and run the girls' orphanage.
After visiting the girls'orphanage, we drove to Pwe Kauk Waterfalls, about 5 miles northest of the town, off the road to Hsipaw. The falls aren't that spectacular but, by the addition of paths and bridges, the wooded location has been turned into water gardens to appeal to the Burmese and I found it rather charming. There was a long row of stalls selling food and souvenirs but it was all so laid-back I wasn't offended at all. My driver and guide had lunch at one of the tea shops and I joined them for a Coca-Cola 'lookalike'. To my surprise, it tasted very good.
Close by, we went to the Aung Htu Kan Tha shrine. Although modern, it has an interesting story. In April 1997, a truck was carrying a consignment of large Buddhas to China. One of the Buddhas fell off the truck nearby and attempts to re-load it on the vehicle failed. The truck driver then recalled a dream from the previous night concerning a Buddha image which did not want to leave Myanmar! So the Buddha remained and a temple was erected to house it. The design of the building is reputedly based on that of the revered Ananda Temple in Bagan. At the time of my visit, the outside of the temple was being re-gilded, involving elaborate bamboo scaffolding and woven mats covering most of the exterior.
The Buddha which did not want to leave Myanmar at Aung Htu Kan Tha.
Returning to the town, my guide showed me Maymyo's Christian Cemetery, which looked rather neglected, I'm afraid. There was once a large English population in Maymyo since its elevation kept temperatures more comfortable for Europeans in Summer.
It took around two hours to return by car to my hotel in Mandalay, twice as fast as the train was supposed to be and three times as fast as the train that morning but I was still pleased that I'd made the uphill journey by train.
My pictures
By Train to Maymyo.
Shwe Sin Minn Girl's Orphanage, Maymyo.
Pwe Kauk Waterfalls.
Aung Htu Kan Tha Shrine.
Maymyo Christian Cemetery.
Myin Mu and Mon Ywa
Events of Monday 18th February, 2013
With a car, driver and guide at my disposal, I'd decided to try to meet up with the 'Road to Mandalay' ship at its temporary upstream limit of Myin Mu. The plan was then to go on from Myin Mu to the fairly large town of Mon Ywa before returning to my hotel in Mandalay.
Myin Mu is a fairly typical small town where a flattish stretch of riverbank behind a group of houses is used as a 'dock' where passengers can board the various river services and massive amounts of freight are interchanged between river craft and large lorries drawn up on the shore. We'd arrived before the 'Road to Mandalay' but the logistics manager, Mr. Soe Soe, and his team of ground staff were already hard at work making the site ready for the landing of the Guests. Because of the low water level, the 'Road to Mandalay' would moor mid-stream and a couple of ferry boats were on hand to bring people ashore to join the six or seven buses already lined-up which would be used for the Guests' activities that day.
Mr. Soe Soe invited me to join him for a drink in a typical tea shop, just across the road from the dock.
Whilst we were sitting and chatting, I was amazed when the Head Monk from the Bagan Monastery came in. Apparently, he had business to conduct in one of the Monasteries in Mandalay but it was a very unexpected reunion.
Soon, the 'Road to Mandalay' ship was sighted and she anchored midstream. The first of the two ferry boats moved out to pick up Guests and, in a short while, all the guests for the road trip had come ashore and been seated in the appropriate coach.
I was able to greet a number of old friends from the ship's hotel staff and the team of guides. Doctor Hla Tun came ashore for a while and we went to (another) tea shop for a drink and a chat.
However, there were guests still on the ship whom the Doctor needed to look after, so the Doctor and I said "goodbye". He returned to the ship using one of the ferry boats and I continued on to Mon Ywa with my driver and guide.
In the Po Khaung Hills, east of Mon Ywa, is the sprawling site of Bodhi Tataung, home to around 10,000 Buddha images. I wandered amongst the statues whilst my driver and guide took lunch.
Then, we drove the short distance to the 90 metre reclining Buddha and 167 metre standing Buddha. You can climb up inside the standing Buddha - each floor forms an elaborately-decorated temple. I was a little disappointed that we could only get to the 10th floor as the higher floors had been temporarily closed for some reason.
The reclining and standing Buddhas.
If 10,000 Buddha images of Bodhi Tataung seems a lot, try half a million. We drove to the Thanboddhay Temple which was started in 1939 by a monk called Mo Hnyin Sayadaw. There are now well over 500,000 Buddhas decorating the building - mostly small, unpainted clay figures. My guide said that the Monk's aim was to allow even poor people to be able to donate a Buddha image to the temple.
Every surface within the temple is crammed with small Buddha images.
We then moved onto the town of Mon Ywa which my 'Lonely Planet' guide characterises as "a scrappy trade town of some 300,000 people". I didn't see anything to warrant disputing that opinion. Whilst photographing a lattice post semaphore signal on the railway, I saw a passenger train heading for Mandalay, having passed another passenger train heading in the opposite direction at the nearby station.
In the town centre, there's a suitably triumphant statue of General Aung San on horseback. He is considered the 'Father of Modern Burma' (see Wikipedia article). With nothing further to detain us, we started back towards Mandalay ourselves. We stopped for a few minutes at one village where I took some pictures and, by arrangement, paused at Myin Mu where I briefly saw Doctor Hla Tun. Then it was on to Mandalay, pausing only at the road toll stations. I needed to get to bed early as I had an early start the following day in order to catch the train to Maymyo.
My Pictures
Myin Mu, Burma.
Mon Ywa Buddhas.
Thanboddhay Paya, Mon Ywa.
Mon Ywa Station, Burma.
By road from Mon Ywa to Mandalay.
Mandalay
Events of Sunday 17th February, 2013
My guide and driver took me to Nyaung Oo airport for the short flight to Mandalay International Airport.
My guide checked in for me and said I should go through security to the Departure Hall. We said goodbye and, by that time, the door he'd indicated had been closed. Further down the building I found a similar door clearly marked 'Departures', so I went through into a crowded waiting area. It slowly dawned on me that the people around me were arriving and not departing. The lack of movement was because their bags had not been made available. Eventually, I made it to the aircraft and flew to Mandalay Airport safely.
I was met by a new guide, Ko Aung Khaing (the 'Ko' is an honorific) and a new driver. We drove to the city which sprawls in the unattractive way of most large cities. The population is thought to be around 1.2 million. Mandalay is redeemed by also having some fine historical sites, such as the moated Royal Palace.
I checked into the Sedona Hotel, where I'd stayed before as described here. This earlier visit was part of a Far East trip with posts given the label 'FE2'. As on my previous visit, the accommodation was spacious, the service excellent. Just as well, as I was booked in for four days, allowing some scope for various trips around the area.
More later ...
My pictures
Nyaung Oo Airport.
Mandalay International Airport.
Sedona Hotel, Mandalay.
[Revised 6-Mar-2013]
Sunday, 17 February 2013
The Pagodas of Bagan
Events of Saturday 16th February, 2013
Although I've visited Bagan a number of times, the impact of thousands of pagodas spread across the Plain of Bagan is undiminished.
So the short version of the 'events of today' is definitely "Jan looked at a load of old temples". I'll expand the post a little when I can.
The Pagodas of Old Bagan.
The Pagodas of Bagan.
More Temples of Bagan.
Nga-Minn-May and Chauk-Kan Schools
Events of Friday, 15th February 2013
Nga-Minn-May School
I had visited Nga-Minn-May once before in September 2012. That visit is described here.
The roads we took were initially not bad but once we turned off the Mount Popa Road to take the long, sandy lane to the village of Nga-Minn-May, progress became more difficult. The weather had been extremely dry and the road had a lot of loose sand. The most common vehicle is the bullock cart and their narrow, widely-spaced wheels produce deep ruts in the surface. Motor bicycles can normally negotiate these ruts but it is problematic for 4-wheel cars like our Toyota.
Nga-Minn-May is a substantial village with around 370 houses and a population of around 1800. We arrived safely and parked in the shade of a large tree, as on the previous occasion. We could hear the excited chatter of children from the schoolrooms as the sacks of exercise books and boxes of pencils, rulers and erasers were unloaded.
Doctor Hla Tun took me into each classroom in turn in the large classroom block re-furbished by the village people with support from the RTM Social Contribution.
In 2012 a donation from RTM Social Contribution helped pay for a large brick and cement water tank next to the refurbished school building. The tank was covered by a corrugated steel roof supported on wooden framing to reduce contamination and evaporation losses. High-capacity aluminium guttering fitted along the verandah collected rain water and a substantial plastic pipe delivered the collected water to the tank. I presumed there were, as in other places, a series of outlets controlled by cocks but that area had been covered by a protective box, secured in place by a padlock. One of the village men experimented with keys for a time so that I could look at the arrangement but, after a few unsuccessful attempts, we moved on to spare him embarrassment.
There remained one school building in use which, although having a reasonable wooden frame, had only woven wall panels. Doctor Hla Tun had agreed to fund the work to replace the woven wall panels with more durable brick and cement, just as had been done on the other, larger building. Because the villagers agreed to do most of the work themselves, the cost of this refurbishment is mainly the cost of materials.
By the time the tour had finished, the stationery had been unpacked and sorted into sets - normally two exercise books and two pencils per pupil, from youngest to oldest. All the children now lined up and Jan and the Doctor presented the stationery, enthusiastically supported by my Guide and Driver.
A table and chairs had been set up under the large tree near where our car was parked and we were invited to eat before we left. The Burmese take hospitality very seriously.
Pictures of the visit are here.
I'd expressed interest in seeing one of the typical village houses and we visited a small compound where one family were happy for me to look around at their house, their cowshed and the different methods used for roofing. The Toddy Palms grow in this area and the village was surrounded by fields dotted with these trees. The lower branches of these trees are cut-off and used to form the substantial palisade fences around each compound. More pictures.
As we drove away from the village, we passed one of the teachers walking towards the main road and we gave her a lift to the junction. This girl lives in Nyaung Oo so that she can look after her elderly parents. To reach the school each school day, it takes 45 minutes to one hour on a bus from Nyaung Loo followed by a walk of around 45 minutes along the sandy track we'd used to get to the school. Then, after school, she reverses the process to get home. You cannot fail to admire the quiet determination of these people.
Chauk-Kan School
We travelled along the main road for a short while and then turned onto a sandy track which was even longer, even more rutted and with more loose sand than the track we'd used to reach Nga-Minn-May. This was the way to Chauk-Kan. I'm afraid that, at one point, we got bogged-down in the sand but the Doctor, Guide and a villager who appeared quickly had us moving again.
Road to Mandalay Social Contribution had previously built a new school room here. There's a report on this building and on the official opening here. My own first visit was in September 2011. In February 2013, we had refreshments on the Staff Room, followed by a splendid concert and then, finally, we made the presentation of stationery to all the pupils. Pictures taken on our visit are here.
Revised 20th February 2013
Friday, 15 February 2013
Bagan
Events of Friday 15th February, 2013
I slept well at the Park Royal, but not for too long. I decided to get up and use the excellent response of the internet to upload some of the backlog of pictures. I had a shower, completed my re-packing (always a major problem) and was in reception in good time to meet my guide. It was too early to have the hotel's breakfast but they gave me a 'breakfast box' to take away with me.
We had the same driver but a larger 'people mover'. We made excellent time to the airport, arriving about 6.20 just as it was growing light. After checking in and passing through an X-ray (my hand luggage) and a metal detector (me), I found myself in the crowded departures hall. Three or four flights left before my Myanma Airways flight (yes, they spell 'Myanma' without the 'r').
As usual, first we were ushered onto a bus which transferred us across the apron to our waiting aircraft. It wasn't the expected Advanced Turbo Prop but a 2-engined jet. I flew with Air Bagan once on one of their two 'Fokker 100' (people were killed a short while ago when one of these crashed. I could see the aircraft I was boarding wasn't a 'Fokker' but I couldn't see what it was until I was seated and checked the safety instructions. It was a Brazilian 'Embraer 190', described in a Wikipedia article here. It looked quite nice but I checked the evacuation drill carefully, particularly as I (and the Guy next to me) were next to an Emergency Exit. I thought perhaps they didn't observe the rule about not putting the aged and infirm (or just unwilling) next to emergency doors but shortly the stewardess came along and explained the position succinctly. I had no doubt that in a life-threatening situation, I'd be equal to the task.
Slowly, we taxied to the very end of the runway. "Taking no chances" I thought. After a short power check, the take-off roll started. The acceleration was impressive and we had used less than one third of the runway length when we became airborne and started our climb at an equally impressive rate. The aircraft took us to Nyaung Oo in fine style whilst the friendly cabin staff issued breakfast boxes and a choice of drinks.
On landing, I met my guide and we chatted whilst waiting for the checked bag. This took so long, we went to the car and deposited my hand baggage, returning to the baggage hall just as my bag arrived. Many of the other passengers were still awaiting bags as we set off from the airport towards my hotel in Old Bagan - the Aye Yar River View Resort. I was startled at the number of foreign tourists around - there seemed to be more than on any of my previous visits to Bagan.
Near Taung Bi village, there was serious road congestion around a procession with a carnival atmosphere. Of course, all the tourists had stopped to take pictures and we joined them. It was only in September of the previous year that I'd seen my first Noviciation Ceremony which I talked about in my post Monastic Noviciation Ceremony at Moe Dar and now I'd seen another Noviciation Procession.
We decided to call in at the Bagan Medical Clinic before going to my hotel. The clinic was quieter than I'd seen previously - there were 'only' around 100 patients waiting! The staff confirmed that Doctor Hla Tun had not yet arrived but was expected and they passed a message to the ship moored on the river below us to say that I'd arrived. We walked to the 'Road to Mandalay' landing steps to meet the Doctor but he appeared behind us - appararently has had a 'back way' up the river bank directly to the clinic. We greeted one another warmly and I later realised that our meeting was at almost exactly the place where we had first met (when I suffered the indignity of falling off a bicycle) almost five years earlier and described here.
The Doctor had, apparently, made plans for us to visit one or two of the schools supported by the RTM Social Contribution. He just had to see some patients who had travelled long distances and then we could depart - 15 minutes he said. Nobody was surprised when he had not emerged after about three quarters of an hour. It's always interesting watching the life of the Clinic, the activity of the pressured clinic assistants contrasting with the quiet stoicism of the waiting patients. The Young Monk who had done so much for the Clinic disappeared on the pillion of a motor cycle on some errand elsewhere. The monk I've titled the Calling Monk would periodically break the stillness with an announcement over the loudspeaker system, tucking the radio microphone into the waistband of his robe when he'd finished. One of the doctors arrived on a motor cycle and immediately went into the clinic to start seeing patients.
We sent a message to Doctor Hla Tun to say I would check-in at my hotel and then return, allowing him to continue his work without being distracted. Then, we took the car and negotiated a dirt road connecting the clinic to the Aye Yar River View Resort.
I was given a Welcome Drink and a Guest Registration Form to sign and told there would be about 30 minutes delay before my room was available so I set down in the reception area and started to work on my notebook computer. The Wi-Fi connected me to the internet, to my delight. Eventually, my guide asked if I was aware my room was now ready. "No", I replied, "Nobody said anything". A porter showed me to my room, 718. This involved quite a lengthy walk across manicured lawns past a number of resort-style blocks of guest rooms. We were heading towards the river and descending to reach the River View Wing - a series of 2-storey guest rooms laid out on the banks of the Irrawaddy and commanding good views of the activity. The actual waters edge was filled with a number of small boats together with 'Pandaw-style' larger boats, one of which seemed to be embarking its tourist passengers.
The accommodation was spacious and attractive and I knew I'd be comfortable there. I stopped for a quick wash then simplified the contents of my Burmese handbag before finding my way back to reception where my guide was waiting. We made the short journey back to the clinic and discovered that the Doctor was still engaged.
There are some procedures that Doctor Hla Tun carries out personally, such as the removal of fluid to relieve joint pain, so I was happy to wait. This gave me the opportunity to see free lunches being distributed to waiting patients. A table had been set up in the open near the clinic and a number of people were starting to 'dish-up' the steamed rice and boiled meat prepared by the monastery kitchen into metal bowls. It was the head monk himself who handed the food bowl to each recipient. Once the food had been eaten, the helpers had a fair amount of washing-up to carry out which they did cheerfully and quickly. The unused food was then carried back to the monastery itself.
At this point Doctor Hla Tun appeared and a plan started to emerge. We would drive the car which I was using the short distance to the monastery so that the stationery we would distribute in the afternoon could be loaded. Dr. Hla Tun would take lunch in the monastery and my guide, my driver and myself were invited to eat. I presumed that the monks had already eaten because we were alone in the fairly large refectory building where we sat on the floor as monastery helpers brought a range of foods set in front of us. Despite encouragement, I didn't experiment but the steamed rice and chicken I had were excellent. The head monk came and sat beside me and encouraged me to take more food. Although he had no English, we exchanged smiles as I admitted that I can no longer squat properly because of the arthritis in my knees, since the elderly head monk also has problems with his knees. A young man and woman wandered in with their guide - Rollo from Mexico and Veronica from Cuba. The head monk immediately invited them to take food with us, but I think they were a little embarrassed to have interrupted our meal. I was able to chat with them for a few minutes before they left. When everyone had finished, we made our way back to the car and, with Dr. Hla Tun beside me in the rear of the car, we took the now-familiar road to Nyaung Oo and then the road towards Mount Popa. Our first destination was to be Nga-Minn-May.
My Pictures
Park Royal Hotel, Yangon.
Yangon Airport.
Nyaung Oo Airport.
Noviciation Procession, Bagan.
Bagan Medical Clinic (2013).
Aye Yar River Resort, Bagan.
[Additions 16-Feb-2013, 5-Mar-2013]
Thursday, 14 February 2013
On to Yangon
Events of Thursday 14th February 2013
I managed about three hours good sleep at the Novotel Bangkok and decided I might as well start getting ready. My computer found the hotel’s Wi-Fi system but I declined to pay the 150 Baht for one hour asked for. Back in the lobby, there was a large restaurant with a wide range of foods set up buffet style. There were quite a few diners, but no sign of any staff. I had a very simple breakfast and, whilst examining the items on offer, spotted a single member of hotel staff in a darkened corner apparently doing paperwork. Most curious. Checkout was very quick because my booking had been prepaid. Outside the hotel I was directed to one of the hotel’s Shuttle Buses. After a short time, another five people joined the bus and we were taken to the airport.
I’d been issued with my boarding pass for the TG303 from Bangkok to Yangon on departure from Perth, so it only remained for me to pass through security and immigration and wait. I'm not good at waiting but, eventually, boarding time arrived and we made our way to another 'Airbus' A330 for the short flight to Yangon.
The A330 which took me from Bangkok to Yangon.
On arrival at Yangon, immigration was quite fast, my case arrived and customs formalities comprised surrendering a filled-out customs form and having the big bag (but not hand luggage) X-rayed. I found the young lady from Sun Bird easily and she summoned the car. Then, it slightly unravelled as it took us 90 minutes to get to the city. They assumed the congestion was caused by the building of a flyover to reduce the congestion. In the lobby of the Park Royal Hotel, I was given all the paperwork for the next few days. The hotel regretted than my room would not be available for another hour. A pity but, even after our increased journey time, it was only 10.30 in the morning so I was not surprised. I left all my luggage with the hotel and, armed with a (traditional Burmese) bag and a camera, set off for Yangon Central Station.
The station was only about ten minutes walk from the hotel and I was familiar with the process for obtaining a one-dollar 'Foreigner Ticket'. There was one adventurous lady from New Jersey also travelling on the train. She was going to Insein to check-out the famous market. I'd decided to go five stations further, to see the junction station at Da Nyn Gone and the return by the same route to Yangon. So that's what I did. It turned out that the actual station at Da Nyn Gone had some fame as a low-price market for fresh foods and the station remained permanently busy with people coming and going and buying and selling.
The impromptu market on Da Nyn Gone station.
By the time I'd travelled back to Yangon Central station by train and walked to my hotel, I was hot and tired and glad to be able to relax in a decent room at the Park Royal Hotel. I was delighted to find that the internet was reliable and fast.
My room at the Park Royal Hotel.
In the evening, I had a simple early dinner in the restaurant, which was specially decorated for Valentine's Day. As I left the restaurant after my meal, I saw that lots of young couples had arrived for a 'special dinner'.
My pictures
Novotel, Bangkok Airport.
The Circle Line (2013).
Park Royal Hotel, Yangon
[Revised 5-Mar-2013]
Perth to Bangkok
Events of Wednesday 13th February 2013
The day started with the usual walk to the Dog Walking Area where the dogs of Williton (and their people) get together before the day gets insufferably hot. Although I’m usually fairly tolerant of heat, temperatures in the low forties Celsius were beginning to take their toll on me so most of the morning I was happy to alternate between trying to get packed and just sitting around.
Keith demonstrated his new ‘Tinkerbell’ locomotive operating on air. Keith’s modified design has a particularly neat arrangement of the Heywood motion.
'Tinkerbell' being operated on compressed air.
He also fetched out an ‘Oscillating Cylinder’ engine he built many years ago and demonstrated how powerful that can be when properly engineered. Keith had always been impressed with the simplicity of the ‘Oscillating Cylinder’ engine, where the piston rod is connected directly to the crank, causing the whole cylinder to swing to and fro. This movement is used to open and close the appropriate ports without the necessity for valve motion. There's a brief post on the oscillating cylinder engine here.
Keith's demonstration 'Oscillating Cylinder' engine.
On Keith’s last visit to England, we were able to look at Peak Rail’s turntable at Rowsley. This is powered by an Oscillating Engine operating on vacuum from the locomotive’s braking system and, through suitable reduction gearing, can effortlessly turn the largest locomotive.
Keith had offered to drive me to Perth Airport for the next leg of my journey – by Thai to Bangkok taking about seven hours. Whilst waiting for departure, I was able to upload to ‘Flickr’ a few of the large backlog of photographs I’d amassed. Shortly after take-off, we passed over Fremantle and I spotted 'Silver Whisper', which I'd watched arriving the day before (see post), leaving the port.
Fremantle Port, with 'Silver Whisper' departing.
I managed some sleep during the flight and was through Immigration at Bangkok around midnight. I’d been booked into the ‘Novotel’ at the airport since I’d an early start on the next day. I wouldn’t normally stay at an airport hotel but the timings of my connections made it the best chance to get some sleep in a ‘real’ bed. I managed to find the Pick-up Point for the hotel’s shuttle bus and was quickly transferred to the hotel. They located my booking and I was soon in the lift going up to the fifth floor. I found my well-appointed room and quickly prepared for bed. The bedrooms were in four blocks forming a square where the covered ‘courtyard’ in the middle formed an impressive hotel lobby. Half the rooms (including mine) overlooked this ‘courtyard’, the other half face outward. The Novotel at Bangkok claims to be “the fifth most popular airport hotel in the world” but it all seemed too impersonal for my taste.
View of the Atrium from my bedroom at the Novotel, Bangkok Airport.
My pictures
Williton Dog Walking Area.
Keith Watson, Engineer.
Perth Airport, Western Australia.
Novotel, Bangkok Airport.
[Revised 5-Mar-2013: Link to 'The Oscillating Cylinder Engine' added 25-Oct-2015]
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Railways in Vietnam - Part 2
In an earlier post Railways in Vietnam - Part 1 I described the observations I made on my way from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.
On Tuesday 5th February 2013, I travelled from Hanoi to Halong Bay by car. About 7 km outside the city, a single track rail line appeared on our right and stayed with us for a while. We came to a passing loop which was signalled as all the others I’d seen (see Part 1). I didn’t spot a warning signal but got a photo of the usual 2-aspect plus 2-aspect plus subsidiary at the loop points for trains heading away from Hanoi. On the double track section, there were two signals side-by-side for trains towards Hanoi – a high-level 2-aspect on the nearer line, a 2-aspect low-level signal on the further. At the far end of the passing loops, there was a 2-aspect low-level for trains from Hanoi, then the usual usual 2-aspect plus 2-aspect plus subsidiary for trains towards Hanoi. This time, I caught the warning signal – the lower aspect was displaying yellow. I lost sight of this railway line as we negotiated one of the clover-leaf road junctions.
A little further on I noticed a new embankment under construction on the right, followed by a forest of rebar standing vertically, presumably the start of a series of bridge piers. Then there was more embankment work and a long bridge formed of a series of through trusses crossing a wide river but the bridge still connected nowhere to nowhere. The dimensions confirmed that this was for a new railway.
After a few more kilometres, a railway approached from our left and I could hardly believe my eyes – there was a semaphore lower quadrant distant signal! I then looked out for a home signal and just caught a tubular post signal with a semaphore lower quadrant ‘stop’ arm at the top of the post sticking out horizontally to the left of the post in a conventional ‘stop’ position. Lower down the post, there was a second ‘stop’ arm, this time hanging vertically down. Predictably, there was a second similar signal at the other end of the loop. I didn’t see any ‘starting’ signals.
On Thursday 7th February 2013, I travelled back to Hanoi using the same road as a couple of days earlier and I was able to take a few more pictures, mainly of the semaphore signals. But I also saw a morning train from Hanoi on the move.
References
Vietnam Railways (Wikipedia).
David Gurnett's 'Railways in Vietnam'.
My pictures
Railways in Vietnam.
[Revised 28-Feb-2013]
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Perth WA - Day 5
Events of Tuesday 12th February 2013
The day started, as usual, by taking Sasha the dog to the Dog Walking Area for about half an hour with the usual dogs and dog owners. On our return to Keith’s home, we had breakfast. Keith wanted to pay a bill at the local Post Office. This was part of the Shopping Mall we’d visited a few days before. After dealing with the bill, we walked across the car park to reach the Library. This was a modern, well-laid out facility and the staff were very helpful. Keith ordered a local history book he wanted to read and we both riffled through their collection of books on railways.
As temperatures in the forties Celsius were forecast, Keith decided to return home but he was happy to drop me at the nearest railway station - Bull Creek on the Mandurah Line. This line had been built since I first explored the railways around Perth. Keith arranged to collect me from the same station at four o’clock in the afternoon.
The station, of course, was modern and provided only with ticket machines. After a few minutes, I’d obtained a Day Concession Ticket for $4.40 and I made my way onto the island platform. The platform was built on the central reservation of a new dual carriageway, as I’d found on other new suburban lines around Perth.
A Perth train arrived after a few minutes and it was already well-filled. Apparently, the local trains are a victim of their own success and additional trains are on order. The next station was Canning Bridge, after which the tracks ran alongside the broad Swan River as far as Esplanade station. The line then ran in a tunnel to an new island platform called Perth Underground which has been constructed underneath the original station.
At the time of my visit, temporary arrangements were in use for interchange with the original station where major works were also ongoing and the previous pattern of services was somewhat deranged. I decided to catch a train to Midland (a journey I’d made before briefly described in the post Leaving Perth).
Our route took us through East Perth, where there’s a separate station for standard-gauge inter-state services. From here to Midland, there's dual-gauge track. On arrival at Midland after a journey lasting around half an hour, I walked across to the remains of the famous railway works which were being converted to find new uses. The incumbent state premier was facing a re-election battle and had suggested building a new hospital and medical training university at Midland but this idea had not met universal support.
I was certainly warm in Midland during my visit so I was happy to return to the station and catch an EMU back to Perth – all the suburban trains are quite effectively cooled.
I then decided to make a trip on the electrified railway to Fremantle - another journey of about half an hour. There were interesting views on the approach to Fremantle first of ships anchored in the ‘Roads’ off Fremantle then of the Container Terminal. A number of the old transit sheds have been converted for other uses. In particular, Shed ‘E’ had been converted into a destination for souvenirs. There is more dual-gauge trackwork around Fremantle and I saw a standard-gauge diesel electric LZ 3106 transferring four loaded container wagons on dual-gauge track whilst a 3 foot 6 inch gauge 'Transperth' service comprising two 2-car EMU waited in Fremantle station. The Wikipedia article here describes these locomotives.
I decided to have a look at the main Maritime Museum (the previous day I’d enjoyed visiting the separate Steam Museum described here). On the day of my visit to the Maritime Museum, no admission charge was levied. I discovered that there were conducted visits to the large submarine on display next to the museum building but I decided that I’d not time to take the tour and get back to Bull Creek for the arranged time. However, there was a working submarine periscope set up as part of the ‘DEFENCE’ exhibits.
The ‘Silversea Whisper’ cruise ship was approaching the dock as I arrived by train and, once turned with the aid of a tug to face the sea, moored opposite Shed ‘E’. I decided to have some chips at a small café in Shed ‘E’, almost opposite the cruise ship where I watched a number of groups of her passengers leave the ship to visit the Maritime Museum or explore Fremantle.
It only remained for me to travel back to Bull Creek to meet Keith. I caught a service from Fremantle to Perth, passing through Claremont where one of the original mechanical signal boxes has been preserved. Later, Keith told me that a group of railway enthusiasts meet regularly in this unusual 'clubroom'.
The preserved signal box at Claremont.
On arrival back at Perth, I followed the signage to the underground platforms and boarded a Mandurah Line train which took me to Bull Creek. I met up with Keith without a problem and returned to Keith’s home tired but satisfied. That was my last full day in Perth – on the following day I was to fly to Bangkok.
My pictures
Railways in Western Australia.
Former Railway Works, Midland, WA.
Fremantle, West Australia.
Maritime Museum, Fremantle, WA.
[Revised 1-Mar-2013, 5-Mar-2013]
Monday, 11 February 2013
Perth WA - Day 4
Monday, 11th February 2013
The day started by walking Keith’s dog around the 'Dog Walking Area'. Presumably because it was a weekday, we saw more dogs and owners than on the previous days. All the dogs played happily chasing an assortment of balls, rings and frisbees.
On our arrival back at Keith's home, we took breakfast. Keith had a telephone message that the Steam Museum we'd failed to get into in Fremantle on the previous Saturday would definitely be open, so we drove down to the city again.
Adrian Pope was the volunteer in charge of the Steam Museum, which operates as an annexe to the futuristic-looking building of the Maritime Museum Fremantle next door. The steam exhibits are housed in a conventional steel-framed workshop building clad in corrugated iron. Adrian was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable host and we spent over three hours there.
We learnt that the air compressor which normally operates the exhibits had failed and, whilst repairs were being carried out, the Museum was being opened on a more irregular basis.
The only exhibit working was the Robinson version of a 'Stirling-Cycle' engine. The base of this engine houses a heater to power the engine. This was originally gas-powered but is now an electric heater. There's an excellent article in Wikipedia here about the Stirling engine.
Robinson's implementation of a 'Stirling Cycle' hot-air engine.
It will take me a while to sort out the details of all the models and preserved mechanisms on display, but the set Steam Museum, Fremantle gives an impression of the range of exhibits. I'll just mention the marine engine on display which reputedly powered the "Cygnet', the launch used by C. Y. O'Connor (1843-1902) during development of Fremantle Harbour.
The engine from the 'Cygnet' (apologies for the poor focus).
There is a statue to C. Y. O'Connor by Pietro Porcelli a short distance from the museum commemorating his work on the development of the harbour together with his role in the development of the water supply for the Goldfields area, the railways of Western Australia and other public works. Sadly, C. Y. O'Connor took his own life in 1902. There's more about this remarkable man in a Wikipedia article here.
The C. Y. O'Connor statue near the Steam Museum.
We then moved on to the Ship Wreck Museum where, amongst a large collection of smaller artefacts, the is a large preserved section of hull from the 'Batavia' which was wrecked in 1629.
The preserved section of the hull of the 'Batavia'.
The remains of a 2-cylinder steam engine from the 'Xantho' are currently being conserved after over 100 years under the sea. This engine was built by J. Penn and Son in Greenwich, England.
After browsing a second-hand bookshop, Keith drove to the highest point in Fremantle which commands splendid views both to sea and towards the city. There are a number of War Memorials here, including (rather improbably) a periscope made in Scotland. We then returned home.
The oldest of the War Memorials overlooking Fremantle. The three young people were making a video.
In the evening, Keith, Fhines and I drove to a nearby Chinese Restaurant for a very enjoyable meal.
My Pictures
Williton Dog Walking Area.
Steam Museum, Fremantle.
Shipwreck Museum, Fremantle, WA.
Fremantle, West Australia.
