Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar (Burma)

At 4 AM on 29 November we caught a train to the mountains and spent three days in Pyin Oo Lwin also called Maymyo after British Colonel May in the late 1800's.

Not exactly the most modern of trains, it was not a smooth ride as the train swayed back and forth.

Very inexpensive sleeping accommodations!  But we chose a hotel.

We splurged and got reserved seating.  Total price $1.85 each for a four-hour train ride. Actually pretty comfortable. Individual climate control is accomplished by opening or closing your window.

Look closely at the blue arrow indicating our location on the railroad tracks.   Yes, the line accurately depicts the path of the train going up the mountain and gaining over 3000 feet in elevation via "switchbacks".  The train travels forward up the mountain until the tracks end.  It stops, they adjust the tracks, and then it travels backwards up the mountain until the tracks end, again. The train zig-zags its way, in this manner, to the top of the mountain.

Great scenery from the train.

At the higher elevation air conditioning was no longer a reqirement, but a heater and warmer clothes were!

The National Botanical Gardens were very impressive.

First time we had ever heard of a takin, a type of goat-antelope found in the eastern Himalayas.

Lots of bamboo.  Notice Paul in short sleeves and Georgi in a coat.  Finally, a cooler climate!

Now that's some big bamboo!

A deer native to Myanmar.

We were kindly asked to join a group photo.

Eventually, we had to try to eat something.  For a few bucks, the food just kept showing up on our table.  We must have been an unusual sight. Before we knew it, we were asked to take a picture with the whole family.

We had to check out the kitchen!

Several horse-drawn carriages in Pyin Oo Lwin.

Pyin Oo Lwin is the primary military training center for Myanmar.

These Chinese-made trucks are everywhere.

Here is a convertible version.

Technology equivalent to the Model-T, these smoking, noisy, underpowered pieces of junk are still being manufactured in China and imported by Myanmar!

A coffee roasting business with modern equipment.

The higher elevation lends itself to growing some good coffee.

We took a stroll through the suburbs.    Some very durable bamboo-weave walls on houses throughout the country.

There are a few big waterfalls in the area.

Georgi (left) was our driver that we linked up with via Facebook.  He and his dad, Khin, speak excellent English and were fantastic guides, sharing their insight into Myanmar.  The stamp collection in the picture includes the very first Burmese stamps and also those used during Japanese occupation in World War II -- which Khin experienced.

A local swimming hole and laundromat, combination.

We shared a drink or two with these three young guys at our hotel on our last night in town.

We have several "scooter photos" that show the impressive amounts of things you can stack on a scooter.  In addition to being a vehicle for a family of four, the cargo-carrying capacity of scooters is incredible.

On our way to the airport, Georgi and his dad insisted that we see one more pagoda.  Despite our skepticism, it was worth it, as this one is made of jade.

After spending two weeks in Myanmar we flew back to Thailand for a few days before returning home to the U.S. on 7 December.