day 9: a date with mr universe of bagan

U Thaung Lewin, directly translated Mr Universe (man on the left), is a 64-year-old passionate retired English teacher and free-lance tourist guide.

Termed as the 'Master of all Guides', our hotel host told us that many younger guides would go to Mr Universe if they had questions on history, culture or the English language. He was also mentioned in one of the Lonely Planet guidebooks.

We were lucky to get Mr Universe to give us an overview of Bagan and it's history.

Spending close to an hour at our first stop, Shwezigon Paya, Mr Universe gave a comprehensive lesson on how the 42nd King Anawrahta unified the country in 1044 and built this first grand temple. He ushered in the golden age and also made Buddhism the national religion.

Mr Universe is a serious Buddhist who dedicates his entire being into learning the teachings of the fourth Buddha, living it out and spreading it. Naturally, much of what he shared was on Buddhism.

His warmth and sincerity was overflowing. Not only did he invite us to the annual celebration where people paid respect to the retired teachers, he also invited us to his home for dinner.

Zedis, or centres of worship, and other attractions we saw today included:

• Shwezigon Paya - the prototype of many pegodas to come
• Buddhist-regulated Orphanage - headed by one of the descendants of the Kings who has the original and rare crystals from the Buddha's blood
• Htilominlo Phato - a 46 metre tall red bricked Zedi
• Amanda Phato - the best-preserved temple with the two face of Buddha
• Shwesandaw Paya - where we watched the sun set at the peak of pyramid-style pagoda

Thoroughly enjoyable - to spend the day exploring Bagan on the back of a horse cart with a knowledgeable and passionate local guide.

Cost (US$1 = 750 kyat):

• 15,000 kyat - horse cart for a day
• US$25 - One day tour by Tourist Guide Mr Universe
• 11,300 kyat - lunch for Mr Universe, Bun and I at Golden Myanmar in Old Bagan
• 6500 kyat - dinner for two at Fuji which serves pretty authentic Japanese cuisine

day 8: cruising down Ayeyarwady

After spending US$32 on a rocky and dirty night train, we were not entirely confident when we handed over US$40 each for the Shwe Keinnery Express Ferry.

The nine-hour ferry departs daily at either 7am or 8am. We bought tickets for the later boat through our hotel.

It turned out that the ferry only serves foreigners, so seats are comfortable, decks are spacious, restaurant on board provides good (though a little pricey) service, and restrooms are decent. The one which we were on today had less than half its capacity of 120 seats.

The width of the river was narrow, so we spent most of our time on the upper deck, just watching the coast. People washing clothes, cows grazing, cluster of stupas standing tall and more.

The journey ended with a gorgeous sun set as we pulled into Bagan.

And Inn Wa's hospitable host was at the jetty, smiling with a sign that reads 'Kelly +1'.

I have a feeling I'm going to love this place.

Cost (US$1 = 750 kyat):

• 5,000 kyat - taxi from Central Mandalay to jetty
• US$40 - Shwe Keinnery Express Ferry ticket
• 3,000 kyat - bowl of bee hoon soup and tea for breakfast on board
• 8,000 kyat - fried rice and noodles for lunch
• 8,400 kyat - dinner with puppet show for two

day 7.5: underground performance

We finally spotted the sign 'The Moustache Brothers' and a man who couldn't speak English led us to the backstreet behind a BBQ restaurant.

"The show starts at 8.30pm," says another man. "Come early about 8.10pm if you want a good seat or you can reserve by buying tickets now." I wanted to watch it for sure, so Bun paid him 16,000 kyat for two of us and we got a name card with some scribbling on the reverse as a ticket in return.

The man who sold us the tickets turned out to be Lu Maw, the only English-speaking member of the Moustache Brothers. He was the lead for the entirely entertaining and hilarious 1.5 hours live comedy.

Our favourite parts were the anti-government jokes. This was also why the other two members Par Par Lay and Lu Saw were arrested and jailed.

When Lu Maw is not making fun of the corrupted and greedy Burmese government, traditional folk dances were performed by the sister and wives of the trio.

Lu Maw is extremely proud of his 42-year-old wife who was the 'Cover Girl' of an early edition of Lonely Planet.

Now in their early 60s, I wonder how long they would continue this show. In the meantime, the police leaves them alone as long as they continue to attract tourist dollars. Tonight was full-house with about 20 audience.

This is definitely worth your 8,000 kyat if you are in Mandalay. Shows go on every night at 8.30pm, be there early otherwise you might need to stand or squeeze in the back row. Bring mosquito repellent too.

day 7: 2000-year-old golden buddha

Cast as early as the first century AD, this Buddha image is a must-see if you are in Mandalay, recommends Lonely Planet.

The Mahamuni Paya, which the houses the statue is bustling with activities. Many women worshippers kneel praying and offering fruit and water. The men are permitted in the inner centre alter, where they could touch the statue and paste gold leaves on it.

Surrounding Mahamuni are bronze Khmer statues which I didn't find as interesting as a two-storey 'temple' housing a 3-D Asia map. There is a small alley behind with vendors selling a few different species of birds, including what looked like baby owls!

Cost (US$1 = 750 kyat):

• 4,000 kyat - pick up from bus station to central Mandalay
• 1,100 kyat - dough fritters and egg prata breakfast
• 1,500-2,500 kyat - rickshaw rides
• 5,600 kyat - late lunch Chinese food at Mann Restaurant
• 2,000 kyat - mini pizza and curry puff at City Mart Seasons Cafe
• 8,000 kyat - live comedy by the Moustache Brothers (star buy)
• US$20 - stay at Sabai Phyu Hotel, good location with tea shops and food all around but no hot shower. Rooms are a little dusty, probably due to the construction of new rooms beside ours

day 6: luxury coach to mandalay

After the six-hour local minibus ride, it cannot get any worse (I hope). And anything can be counted as luxury.

It's not Grassland, we didn't get massage chairs and each seat couldn't fit one-and-a-half me, but it has everything that you need.

Booked through Joy Hotel, 22,000 kyat got us two seats on the night bus from Inle Lake to Mandalay.

Seats are assigned, so book early to get front ones which are cushioned from the bumpy road. We booked two days ahead and got Seats 25 and 26, fourth row from the back.

The ticket indicated 6pm but we were early just to be safe. The wait at the cafe was comfortable and served the best chicken with dried chilli. Good sized chunks of chicken and cauliflower, green peppers and tomato.

The bus only got to Shwenyang Junction about 7pm.

Each passenger is given a bottle of mineral water, a small pillow and impressively a night pack with toothbrush, mini toothpaste and a wet wipe!

The 12-hour ride was smooth and I managed to sleep most of it, except for the two 20-minute stops for food and toilet.

And as Lonely Planet also warns, it is really a good idea to bring a good blanket. It was freezing and raining outside, yet at some stage the driver switched on the air condition as if we were in Singapore.

Cost (US$1 = 750 kyat):

• 9,000 kyat - lunch for two at Smiling Moon. I had meatball pasta which tasted very much like sweet and sour pork
• 6,000 kyat - pick up to Shwenyang junction
• 4,000 kyat - coffee and dinner at cafe while waiting for bus
• 11,000 kyat - a seat on the Inle-Mandalay coach

day 5: the jumping cat of inle

I believe it used to be a worthy crowd puller. Today, a lady performs it instead of a monk. And the cat might have grown too fat to jump that high.

Nonetheless, it's still my favorite stop amongst the seven to eight on the one-day Inle tour.

Cost (US$1 = 750 kyat):

• 12,000 kyat - one day tour of Inle Lake for two
• 8,000 kyat - lunch for two with pagoda view
• 5,000 kyat - scarf weaved by the women with long necks
• 2,900 kyat - dinner for two at roadside BBQ stall (cheapest meal so far)
• 12,000 kyat - Joy Hotel, nice balcony overlooking the busy canal while you have breakfast. Real hot water - which is essential at that temperature - comes and goes.

day 4: bouncy train

I don't normally fancy writing a chronological record of what happened. But nothing else will give this adventurous journey to Inle fair credit.

4.00pm
Arrived at Yangon Train Station to be enthusiastically greeted by two porters who later extorted 6,000 kyat (approx US$8) for carrying our 12 kg luggage.

5.00pm
Train departed punctually. That was the only good thing, besides the nice Dutch couple we met who were going to conquer Myanmar by bike. The rest of it is, let's just say adventurous.

We were ushered into a pretty clean and new coach before they realised that we belonged to the other 'Upper Class Sleeper', in worse condition with a couple of resident cockroaches. Given that we have paid the most expensive ticket, we couldn't figured out who would be in the newer cabins.

We then got bounced around the entire night like popcorn. Battling not falling off my upper bed, and the blinding light which we couldn't switch off, I managed to sneak in a few hours of light sleep.

6am the next morning
We got to Thazi Train Station punctually as expected only to realise the scenic train ride to Shwenyaung has left an hour ago. The timings has changed since research and now there is only one train per day. Thazi didn't seem like somewhere we wanted to spend a day at, so we decided to try the bus station which turned out to be a coffee shop and was 1000 kyat horse carriage ride away. (The trains from Yangon to Thazi now leave at 8am, 3pm and 5pm.)

7.30am
Bun brilliantly got us two seats on a local bus (from the driver who doesn't speak English) and bargained the ticket down from 20,000 kyat to 16,000 kyat. Bun also befriended a Chinese guy from Yunan working in Yangon who provided valuable info on where we should alight.

For five and a half hours, we drove through many villages and at each stop, more passengers hopped on filling gaps on the bus you would never think can fit a person. At one time, a man squeezed between Bun and the lady beside, when there were clearly only two seats.

While we were not worrying when the driver is going to put someone on our laps, we tried to enjoy the ride through the mountains.

1.00pm
We finally arrived at the junction just outside of Nyaungshwe. Bun and I were almost grey, from the layers of dust we have put on. But not grey (and local-looking) enough to escape the Inle Lake authorities who demanded US$3 fee for foreigners. From the number of people who thought I was Burmese, I think it was Bun who gave the game away.

1.40pm
After a 20-minute chilly pick-up ride, we arrived at Joy Hotel, strategically situated along the start of a busy canal. Finally.











Cost (US$1 = 750 kyat):

• US$32 - night train from Yangon to Thazi
• 6,000 kyat - porters' fee (cheaters!)
• 1,000 kyat - horse carriage ride
• 600 kyat - coffee and you tiao breakfast
• 8,000 kyat - local bus from Thazi to Nyaungshwe junction
• 1,500 kyat - pick up to Joy hotel in Nyaungshwe
• 5,600 kyat - late lunch at Shan Land Restaurant

day 3: wanton noodles

Not exactly like what we have in Singapore, but the fried wanton is almost as good as our famous Fei Fei Wanton Mee along Joo Chiat Place.

999 Shan Noodle is one of the eateries recommended by Lonely Planet. It's easy to see why with its clean interior and tasty familiar food.

At 1000 kyat to 1500 kyat per main, it is our cheapest meal in Yangon so far.

Service is exceptional. Bun ordered a dried pork rice which didn't turn out to be the same delicious dish we saw the guy at the next table eating. We returned the plate with a grin, pointing at the next table, and they generously served us the right dish.

I would have polished off all ten fried wanton if Bun had not stopped me.

Cost (US$1 = 750 kyat):

• 2380 kyat - durian ice cream and other groceries from 360 degree supermarket
• 4300 kyat - lunch at 999 Shan Noodle
• 1500 kyat - taxi ride to train station
• US$22 - one night at White House

day 2: golden yangon

'Shwe' means gold and 'dagon' is the old name for Yangon, says Win, our Burmese guide.

Win picked us up at the Foreigners' Entrance of Shwedagon Paya, the glorious gold-gilded national symbol. Standing at 98 metres tall on a hill, it is the tallest architecture which could be seen from all corners of Yangon. Not even the modern Traders Hotel or Sakura Tower could beat its height.

Win, a gentle Burmese man with a young two year-old daughter, is a certified tour guide. In an hour, he took us around the Paya, explaining the history and culture of the Burmese.

With a little matrix, he calculated I was born on a Sunday, which is represented by the powerful Garuda. Bun is born on Tuesday, the day of the Lion, signifying honesty.

It looked like a popular destination for family picnics. Lots of local Burmese sat on shaded cool marble ground, around good spreads of silver tong-kats filled with rice, vegetables, curries and more.

If we had known, we would have prepared a basket too!

Cost (US$1 = 750 kyat):

• 300 kyat - 30 mins at internet cafe
• 1500-2000 kyat - taxi rides
• 5000 kyat - entrance fee to Shwedagon Paya
• 5000 kyat - one-hour guide by Win *star buy for today*
• 6700 kyat - lunch for two at Feel Myanmar Food, the local version of economic rice
• 1000 kyat - rickshaw rides
• 7350 kyat - road side BBQ dinner in Chinatown
• 1500 kyat - groceries from supermarket in preparation for our train ride
• US$22 - one night at White House Hotel

day 1: three star service by jetstar

Having doubled our airfare to S$660 due to the flight change, we were pleasantly surprised by budget carrier Jetstar.

This is not the first time I've flown Jetstar but it is my virgin coach-share budget flight. 3K585 was a coach share with Myanmar Airlines (MAI).

Besides the traditionally dressed MAI stewardess standing by the entrance of the aircraft, the biggest surprise was the inflight meal!

Budget carriers are known to charge for every thing you consume, from S$3 hot coffee, S$5 sugar free ice tea, to S$10 piping hot Japanese curry with rice.

Today, Bun and I was treated to a full service of either chicken with rice or seafood with bee hoon, complete with (cold) bun and butter, pasta salad to start, jelly dessert and coffee or tea.

If we had known, we wouldn't have gobbled down the hot Mee Siam from Wang Cafe at Terminal One.

Cost:

• S$10.30 Mee Siam and Toast breakfast from Wang
• S$7.80 Watsons disposable undies because the ones we bought were too small
• S$10.80 taxi from home to airport

minus 1 day: what's in my backpack

Instead of exploring Yangon town today, I had a relaxing day packing. (Read why I'm still in Singapore)

And here's a peek into my backpack, with the top 10 things I will not leave home without for this trip:

10. Beach hat and bikini - to look fabulous on Ngwe Saung Beach
9. Blanket and wool socks - for the cold 12-hour coach rides
8. Milo - comfort drink anytime anywhere
7. Lexus cheese crackers - familiar munchies to keep our spirits up
6. Veho Pebble - portable battery charger from BOIA for my iphone Caleb
5. Liquid detergent - to wash my undies and clothes by the river
4. Charcoal tablets and panadol - for the unexpected down days
3. US Dollars - money, money, money!
2. Blusher and lip blush - need to glam up for those photos
1. Inflatable neck pillow - puff, puff, and zzzzz...

Cost:

• S$1.95 Lexus cheese crackers
• S$2.50 Oral hydrating salt sachets

minus 2 days: a $700 oversight

"Passport holders from ASEAN countries do not need to apply for visas to visit Myanmar," says my trusty Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring. I should have checked, considering this 15th edition was printed in March 2010.

A quick visit to the Myanmar Embassy web site would have saved me some trouble and a lot of money.

Just five days before my flight, my travel buddy 'Bun' realised that we need a tourist visa. The problem: I was in Seoul Korea. The earliest I could get my visa approved and collected is in the afternoon of Wednesday 21 December. Another problem: my flight is at 9am on Wednesday.

Fortunately, Bun got us sorted by calling Jetstar to grab the last two available seats on the next flight on Friday. Unfortunately, that cost us S$700, amounting to 30 per cent of my travel budget!

I guess it could be worse. We could have found out the mistake at the airport.

Cost:

• S$350 each to change flight
• S$35 visa application

By the way, on the last page of the Lonely Planet guide, it does disclaim that "Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reasonable care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maximum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use".

minus 45 days: never leave home without it

This is why I will never leave home without my travel insurance. That was me in a Polish hospital with an over-sized ankle on a public holiday. The only place that could treat my sprain was the A&E department.

Fortunately I had my trusty and capable travel buddy who could walk a mile carrying both our 15kg backpacks. (You will not believe it if you see how petite she is.) So there was little disruption besides a little adjustment to our itinerary.

But I did chalk up S$40 worth of international calls and a US$60 medical bill. If I haven't bought my travel insurance, this (or a potentially bigger sum) would have eaten in to my travel budget.

For this Myanmar trip, I got my travel insurance from ACE at 30% discount! Thanks to my good friend Kev at Finexis (kevin.ong@finexis.com.sg), that was settled with just a couple of emails.

Now, I can happily leave home, knowing I don't have too much to worry if my ankle decides to swell up again.

Cost: 

• S$37.80 Travel insurance for 17-day trip in Myanmar

minus 48 days: The Itinerary

After having a sizable following on my Europe-in-37-days blog last year, it didn't take long for me to create this. It won't be easy to beat that, but I'll work just as hard to capture the best of Myanmar.

Research suggests that the happiest time of a vacation is at the time of planning. That is true at least for me.

Seven hours over Spizza pizza and a seasoned Lonely Planet on my lap, I have our rough itinerary laid out:

Day 1: Arrive in Yangon and walk around downtown

Day 2: Visit the magnificent Shwedagon Paya

Day 3: Take a 12-hour train ride to Thazi

Day 4: Take another 9-hour scenic train ride to Inle Lake

Day 5: Explore Inle Lake

Day 6: Trek or relax at hot spring

Day 7: Relax on a long bus ride to Mandalay

Day 8: Check out Mandalay city and her BBQ restaurants

Day 9: Go back in time in ancient cities around Mandalay

Day 10: Ride down the river to Bagan

Day 11: Hire a horse cart for the day and comb through Bagan

Day 12: Rent a bicycle and have a picnic

Day 13: Wear my beach hat on my way to Ngwe Saung Beach via Yangon

Day 14: Shades, bikini and magarita, and I'm all set for the day

Day 15: Head back to Yangon

Day 16: Pout all day complaining I don't want to go back

Day 17: Get dragged onto the plane back to Singapore

Many loved the expenses summary in my travel blog, so here's what I've spent so far.

Cost:

• S$54 Lonely Planet
• S$299 Return air ticket on Jetstar, includes $15 for 20kg checked in baggage allowance
• S$38 Spizza Isabella pizza and hot wings