Thanks to Seven Diamond (www.sevendiamondtravels.com)
We went back to the travel agent around the corner from the hotel and were welcomed as loyal customers and long lost friends, with four people attending to our questions, queries and bookings. I think we spent an hour in there and we have now completed the rest of our transfers, accommodation and pick ups without a single train ticket in sight.
Monday we get picked up from the hotel at 07:00 by shuttle to the bus station (Ks 2 000 for the two of us) where we face a seven hour (huh, is that all) drive down to Bagan, our next port of call. We would like to have taken the boat but the fast ferry no longer runs and the Government ship takes about fifteen hours or so, plus the coach is air conditioned and cheap. Ks 18 000 for two seats.
We also arranged our hotel in Bagan (Thazin Garden Hotel) which promises air con, cable TV, swimming pool and internet (but I ain't holding my breath for any of those) for three nights at a very good US$ 25 per night. I also love the comments the young girl put on our receipt/voucher for the hotel. Under Request Service she has written:
"require nice room and a nice view" :oD
And then we fly to Yangon!
We're taking Yangon Airways (no doubt a shonky turbo prop) but it's quite reasonable at US$ 68 a head and again shows the need to use an agent in Myanmar. Full price is US$ 186.
But this is the odd bit. We fly from Bagan back to Mandalay, refuel and then fly onto Yangon, which takes 2.5 hours. However, if we had flown directly from Mandalay it would have been more expensive. Yet more shining examples of Myanmar maths.
Anyway, no train journeys lasting weeks, just a couple of hours in the air and we've then got three final days back in Yangon at the same hotel we started off in. Sweet.
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