Transit

I made it to Ngapali Beach with is situated on the west coast in the Bay of Bengal. Ngapali is Burma's "resort area." It definitely is resorty in a way that Europeans tend to prefer with small bungalows and wooden structures built along the beach, and thankfully not in the preferred North American style of monster hotels and walled complexes. And, because it's rainy season, it's as the lonely planet describes, virtually comatose. There are a handful, maybe 8 westerns who are trotting around, braving the ocean wind and rain. For me it has been a welcomed break from travel. I'm eating delicious fruit and seafood, reading and writing, and just watching the waves and life in the fishing village down the beach. It's a nice place to regroup and make some decisions about what's next. I've been trying to explore all means of travel and avoid flying as much as possible. This means adventure but it's also tiring. From Yangon I took a 9 hour train ride to the small city of Pyay. Clearly the track and the train are not maintained as the trip was beyond bumpy. There were times when I was bounced right out of my seat. It was incredible! Fun and crazy, but also eye opening that this is considered a legitimate "safe" travel option. I spent the day wandering around Pyay, and stayed at the Smile Hotel, which could have been used to film The Shining. There are about 40 staff who jump up when you enter the hotel, and who all subsequently just stand there and stare at you, until you head to your room and then they all sit down and continue watching their American action movie. From the hotel I took a motorbike taxi to the bus station. Motorbike taxis are a regular means of transportation in South East Asia and I've dodged traffick on the back of a motorbike in Vietnam, Cambodia and in the heart of downtown Bangkok. But zipping through Pyay, big backpack on my back, wind blowing in my face, I was reminded how much I love this feeling. At once, I felt a sense of freedom, felt alive and this liberating sense of power as my driver wove in and out of other motorbikes, bicycles and rickshaws. In many ways it defines everything I love about travelling - freedom, adventure, risk, spontaneity and being connected to everything around while ultimately being responsible for myself to just hang on. I love it! From Pyay I took an overnight minibus through the mountains to Ngapali. To be honest, this has been the most hellish part so far. Fourteen people crammed in with a bunch of cargo. I read that the road is winding and vomit inducing, which is a guarantee that I'll throw up, so I took a couple of gravol before we left. I was basically passing out before even left the city limits. I had my dorky neck pillow that I impulsively bought in Vancouver on the way, and that I am eternally grateful for, and my trusty ear plugs. I probably would have just slept the whole way except for the fact that we stopped every half an hour for food, military checks, unloading cargo and coffee breaks. To be honest the trip was spooky. We were in the pitch black mountains and there was a hanging misty fog all around. The stops were confusing and strange. Because it was dark it was hard to see but our driver had to give our identification at the military checkpoints and everything about the stops, from the military tracking, to the permeating smell of urine, to the desolate isolated roadside restaurants felt unnerving. I'm sure in the daytime it would have a completely different feel, but I was really happy to arrive at 6:00 AM. That mountain trip took me into the state of Rakine, home to Ngapali Beach and the Rohingya refugee population. Much of this state was closed off a few years ago, but now some parts are open. I am going to travel by boat to Sittwe, where much of the persecution of the Rohingya has taken place in the last few years, and then travel by river boat to Mrauk U. I'm interested to get a sense of the situation in Sittwe and then visit still fairly isolated ancient ruins at Mrauk U. I hope the journey all works out and I can make it there. I don't have any service at Ngapali and I'm not sure when I will, so this could be posted quite late. xo