The Friendship Bridge at the border

The alarm goes off at 5.45am and we sleepily check out of the hotel and wander up the road looking for a taxi.  We find a tuk tuk to take us the 5km to the border.  

There are huge queues already but luckily not for foreigners and the crowds shepherd us to the front where we go through Thai immigration, having to pay a small fine for staying one day over our visas.

We then walk across Friendship Bridge to the Myanmar border. This pic is taken on the bridge. Its just before 7am and there are loads of people crossing either way pulling carts full of furniture and belongings.  Its quite an experience.  At the other end we are led into a room for foreigners to go through Myanmar immigration which takes less than 10mins.  We chat a bit to the guy there who gives us some idea of bus prices to Yangon, saying it takes 14 hours on a big bus which leaves at 10am costing 13USD.  He asks Andy to play violin for him but for once Andy is too tired and probably not even quite awake yet so politely refuses.  Not like him although luckily he slept last night and is actually feeling more himself today.

We walk into the border town of Myawaddy and are immediately hassled by people asking where we are going etc etc.  We talk to one or two, then walk through town until it becomes quieter before we decide we need to head back into the throng to begin our negotiations.  The first thing we notice is that everyone is chewing bettle leaves and have orange mouths and terrible teeth!  We chat to a guy with good English in a Man U top.  He says he can arrange for us to be taken to Yangon in a car and then minibus for 18USD and they are leaving right away.  He says its quicker than in the big bus and we believe him having read a bit about it before but its too expensive so we walk away … he comes after us and says 15USD … we take a punt, put our bags in the back and off we go.  It seems we are following another car full of French tourists.  We stop to pick up two more people, both from Myanmar and leave the town at about 8am … no money has changed hands yet at least!  Fred is in the back with the two guys, one of whom has a tray of different colour lip glosses which he tries at regular intervals.  He seems nice and she tries to chat but doesn’t get far.

The road is horrendous and makes the roads in Nepal look good.  Even though its only going one way the overtaking is pretty hairy and the potholes and views straight down off the mountain are pretty scary.  At one point, we stop for 20 mins while they repair the road ahead.  

After a stop for a nice lunch and a car swap with the French tourists (not sure why) we arrive at the “bus terminal” in H’pa An at 2pm.  We are introduced to a mini bus driver, who actually just flagged our car down at the side of the road, and told he will take us to the outskirts of Yangon where we will need to catch a taxi to our hotel.  We ensure the mini bus driver has been paid and the pay the car driver. After driving around a bit touting for business we leave with the mini van pretty empty so we have space at least.  Its another long drive … we arrive around 9pm.  Our minibus driver negotiates with a taxi driver and off we go.  Another hour and we reach the district where he thinks our hotel is.  Although tiring, the journey has been pretty easy thus far … now the fun begins.  He can’ find the hotel.  The district he’s taken us to doesn’t look too nice!  He asks people, he tries to telephone, we drive around, ask more people and after wondering whether we are going to have to find another hotel, we finally find it thank goodness after some guys recognise the name … we’ve probably taken up another hour of his time but we weren’t getting out in the middle of Yangon in the middle of the night.  We give him a tip, check in and go to bed.  Hello Myanmar.