F E L I N E R S

One of the highlights of my Myanmar trip was my train journey from Pyin U Lwin to Hsipaw (pronounced Thi-paw). It was a scenic railway route that crawl across the famous Gokteik railway viaduct, 55km from Pyin U Lwin. The Gokteik Bridge was built over the Gokteik Gorge in 1903 in only 9 month, making it the second highest railway bridge in the world. I didn't get to take any photographs as the government does not allow the bridge to be photographed from the train. I tried my luck but was stopped by a marshall in the carriage.

Dahlia motel offered a lot more comfort and warmth compared to Grace Hotel.

I was on a high. Breakfast consisted of everything organic - organic eggs, homemade butter and strawberry jam (Pyin U Lwin is strawberry central!).

I had a breakfast companion too!


Gokteik Bridge photos courtesy of ayeyarwady.com

The Gokteik bridge was not all. Travelling by train, albeit the long hours (9-10 hours) really gave me the chance to meet the locals and offered me an insight into what travel was like for them. I sat in ordinary class amidst baskets of tomatoes and sacks of other vegetables.

It didn't matter that I was seated on a wooden bench and the train carriage rocked like a horse almost the entire time - I had such an amazing time I'd do it all over again!


The entire area where the train stopped was littered with garbage - they throw everything out of the window!

Women and children usually congregate where the train stops. They sell drinking water from pails (you hand them your water bottle, they fill it up).

The superb scenes that accompanied my bumpy train journey. Throughout the journey I got so immersed in my thoughts. I felt so light and free I thought I was in heaven but in reality, I was just drunk with the simplicity and richness of the land.