And we're nearly ready again, ready-ish. Been collected from the accommodation,
and
just picked up a couple of other people, this little bus that picked us up and sat in the back with our luggage,
took us around town, dropped us off here where the big bus will come and pick us up.
So this is actually the,
for a bus collection point, there's a few seats, to sit at outside, it's nice and pleasant,
when you go in here, see the nice ladies,
and they, get your seat, mingalaba.
That's their little office there,
they're not looking very happy this evening,
and yes, again you get your luggage tag,
which you put on your bag, which correlates with your seat, so here's my bag,
there's my seat A1 and Mandalay, and that will go in the hold, the other bags yes,
I know I'm trying to travel light and I've got less bags, but
my other bags, one of them is a food bag to be honest, food you've got to have, food for the journey.
So it,
So yes,
here we are, already and again got the layers on,
warm shirt, t shirt, long-sleeve shirt, long trousers, socks,
I don't know what I've got in my bags, I'm wearing all me clothes,
it's all camera equipment, batteries and flashcards and things.
Now we're waiting for our bus,
leaves at eight, boarding about quarter to and right next door to the bus station, I have found this place.
I'll see if I can find a name for it, while I quickly show you, they got quite a nice menu,
wi-fi, electricity
and good looking food, so I'm in here,oh.
Isn't that nice?
very nice in here, so I'm gonna get something to eat, before I get on the bus.
So I've ordered a barbecued chicken wrap, and some tea of course, because you know I like my tea,
and now I'm gonna see if I can find you the name of this place,
and when the food comes I'll let you know what it's like,
as well.
Now, if you catch the JJ express, it's right next to the main bus station,
here,
lets have a look,
it's called, The Garden, there we go, let me get you a shot, that's where the buses stop, oh my goodness,
nearly got run over there.
Now apparently this is a slightly shorter journey,
six to seven hours, so we're gonna arrive at some, very early time in the morning,
yeah I don't wanna go, I don't want go to Mandalay on that, it would be an experience.
It's a six seven-hour journey, so will be arriving early, early hours in the morning, we'll see what it's like,
manage to just try and get some sleep from the bus, but it's quite sad to leave Inle, it's been very nice,
it's been a very quick visit, and I can't believe and tomorrow Mandalay, it's my last night in Myanmar.
What has happened to the time?
I have, enjoyed it, it's been nice, again coming this time of year, the early part of the year,
the weather is, is very nice.
It hasn't got hot, hot during the day, it has got cool at night, so you needed the layers to stay warm,
but not cold, cold, not European cold.
And
and yeah,
fantastic people, really nice experience, they really looked after me very well,
all the places I've been to, people have been kind and friendly,
felt very safe the entire time, really have.
And when the bus comes, I'll try and get some shots for you, show the inside again,
it's a JJ express again, so I'm hoping, it better be the same quality as all the other ones we've taken,
let's go to Mandalay, and have some sleep on the way, bye for now.
Okay, my bus has arrived, another big yellow one again, that's good, it's a little bit late,
they were supposed to be leaving at eight,
but it's something like quarter past, it's not very late, that's okay, it's here, I don't mind.
And
I've got,
this seat here.
There we go,
it's another nice bus again, a quick walk, even though I'm sat at the front,
mingalaba.
There's people sleeping, I think it's come from another destination, so.
And we're on the way,
leaving Inle,
on the road to, Mandalay.
My bus,
got my nice comfy seat,
and my nice warm blanket,
and I get a free meal, this will be a,
noodles, so I'll let you know what that's like, until then, I think I'll have a little sleep.
Sounds like a god idea.
No, is the lady gonna say something?
oh, oh, oh.
"Mingalaba".
"Attention please, [announcement]",
"please fasten your seat belt and extinguish your cigarettes, thank you".
Thank you.
Back potentially under control, sorry
so, JJ Express on this particular route, from
Inle lake to Mandalay, you actually don't get a snack on the bus, you actually get to stop at this place,
here,
where you have a meal and a drink included, I think a drink is included anyway, but I got Chinese noodles,
so I think if you sit down somewhere here,
they'll come and serve you, noodles.
There's the lady from the bus, she asks what you want to eat,
so I'll sit at this table here,
this table here looks nice,
there you go, so I'll sit at this table, and she's gonna bring me, Chinese noodles.
And I'll ask about a drink.
And supper is, Chinese noodles, with a soup of some kind.
Well,
it will keep me full for a little while.
Mandalay,
four in the morning,
lets go outside and see,
Thank you very much, thank you very much for a safe journey, bye bye.
Okay, let's see,
if someone wants take us somewhere, like my hotel, oh "good morning", oh oh good morning.
First, sorry
let's go find my bag.
Here's my luggage,
bumped my head, here we go.
Morning, morning, I'll be back in a minute, I need to find,
there's some people asking for taxis,
but first,
sorry about the joggly camera.
Okay so,
grabbed my bag,
sort of found my way off the bus and
gonna get a taxi, but first,
I need the toilet.
So I'll go into the bus station and find that.
Back in a minute.
"The name of your hotel please", okay, The Home Hotel, "The Home Hotel yes",
do you know? "yes I know where it is".
The busy streets of Mandalay at 4 a.m. in the morning.
Sort of survived the bus journey, I did manage to get a little bit of sleep, but it's
not much sleep and it's like, it's not that long a journey with,
we stopped for, your dinner break and then a toilet break,
probably, maybe had an hour, an hour and half sleep.
Got to the bus station at 4 a.m. in the morning,
it's cold,
and then negotiate a taxi, eight thousand kyats,
to go downtown from the bus station, now the bus station like the airport is quite a bit out of town,
so let's see how long it takes us to get there.
But, the nice thing,
if there is any nice thing about arriving at this time in the morning, is there's very little traffic on the road so,
there shouldn't be any traffic problems, we should sail,
straight through to the hotel,
and if I'm lucky,
they'll already have a room available, I'll be able to go straight into the room.
If not, it's gonna be one of those, I'm gonna have to curl up in the reception area,
in the cold because it's quite cold, unless the hotel is heated,
and no blankets and wait until, a room is available.
So,
let's hope, because if I can get to bed, I can get a few hours sleep in, before breakfast,
I'm hungry now, oh I wish I hadn't mentioned breakfast, ah well.