2007 Biking Burma

En route Yangon – the last leg…

We cycled the 106-odd km between Kyaikto and Bago with a great deal of pleasure. Fascinated as always by rural Burma. Woven bamboo homes reflected in clear canals. Docile water buffalo being led between dormant rice paddies. Bicycles and scooters and bullock carts the preferred mode of transport.

At one restaurant where we stopped for a drink (a Star or Max or Crusher), we found ourselves with an audience of over 20. We seated ourselves in an empty little place and when we looked up we found ourselves surrounded by a curious group quite openly discussing us. This was not an unusual occurrence – in fact, I think the Burmese got as much pleasure out of Gail-and-Charl watching as we did out of watching them!

In Bago we visited a gigantic reclining Buddha originally constructed in 994 (no, I didn’t leave off the 1). He is 55m long and 16m high; his little finger measures 3.05m and his eyebrow 2.29m!

And en route Yangon on our last cycling day we stopped in at the World War II Htaukkyant Cemetery where 27,000 allied soldiers are buried – predominantly Indians.