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".