I made it to the airport this morning on time. That is saying a lot considering what I have riding on this flight. After I did the math, I had to be up by at least 545 this morning, to get to the airport by 715. I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t get up on time, but all is well and I’m sitting here waiting to board. Now I’m just waiting to see what else can go weird on me, maybe I fall and break my leg or something like that.
I’m now on the plane, and I want to make a note that the plane is about a quarter full, which means no one beside me, no one in front of me, and that is about perfect for me. There was about an hour delay leaving Bangkok due to engine problems, but we’re in the air right now and although not on schedule, we’re not really going to be that late landing in Yangon.
Okay, I’m in the hotel restaurant waiting for a cup of coffee and it’s kind of cool here, not the weather because it’s about as humid and warm as Dubai… well, maybe not as warm as Dubai, but close. My first impression of Myanmar is that I love it. It feels like a real country, not a consumer-rized version with some things specific to their region. It feels exotic, and it’s exactly what I am hoping for. One of the fun things is that the taxi drivers have been trying to play me as a rookie, each time they back down and give me the price that I start with. It’s not that I’m doing anything unique, I just asked non-taxi people what I should pay, and then walk away if they want more. The drivers were even laughing how it worked, so that made it “fun” The first taxi agreed to 5000 and as we were walking to his taxi, he asked to see the address again, suddenly, like he just realized how far it actually was, said, “6000.” I stopped and started walking away and he then said, no 5000. The other drivers busted out laughing in the background. Almost the same exact thing happened a little bit later too, only the amount of money was different, and the other drivers were laughing in the background.
Speaking of taxis, the one that I was first in was straight out of some movie, it shook and swerved on it’s own, so bad in fact I made a point of seeing if one of the tires were square instead of a round one, but I forgot to check when I got out. The seats were covered in a bedspread type of thing, and dirt was caked everywhere. All four windows were open and the driver seemed to honk his horn at nearly everything he saw. There were times that I think he was just honking to honk because we were the only ones around—definitely funny though, and lots of fun.
They don’t have ATMs here that work internationally, which may turn out to be a problem later. I’m pretty sure that I didn’t bring enough dollars to cover two weeks unless I really go light on the meals and no souvenirs. Wouldn’t that suck if I ran out of money?
I still haven’t been taking any pictures of my trip yet. It happens sometimes that I don’t get into the picture mood until a few days into the journey, so bear with me and I’ll have something to show soon, at least that’s the plan.
This year has been a little bit different than other years concerning my summer destination(s). The last couple of years I struggled to decide where I would go, but this year I pretty much knew where I am going, The only thing I have to decide is the logistics for the up to 60 days that I can take. I know that I will be going to Southeast Asia, and that I will be starting with a 14-day tour in Myanmar, but that’s where my plans end. I had decided that I was going to ride a bike from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, but it looks like I won’t be able to do that. That leaves a trip down into Malaysia, Indonesia, or China, or/and Philippines. There are some things that I really want to see this year, and I will try really hard to see them.
