Day 18 and 19 - travelling home

The last morning in Myanmar was spent going to the market and browsing for last minute presents. I managed to get some nice scarves. We also found a Dutch coffee shop and had a drink before going back to the hotel to catch the bus to the airport. Seeing KFC in the town made me wonder what Myanmar would be like in 5-10 years time. I expect it will be more geared to tourism. I hope it doesn't lose its charm as a result.

We left for the airport at 2pm. Security was quite odd as you had to put your case and bags through an X-ray machine just to get to the check-in area. We had quite a long wait but eventually were able to check-in and go through. Only immigration - no security to get to the gate area, there were some duty free and more souvenir shops here. We sat and had a drink before the flight was ready.

Finally we got on the flight - 3 hours to Singapore.

Once at Singapore we had a three hour wait before our next flight. It is an amazing airport. Very large and lots to do. I wandered around the airport shops for a while and visited the butterfly area but as it was dark they were not flying around.

I had bought myself some water to take on the plane only to have to go through more security at the gate where they wouldn't let me take my water :-( interestingly they never asked about any other liquids !

This flight was 14 hours long overnight. I didn't sleep much and felt very dehydrated. It was a Singapore airlines flight but I felt they could have offered more water - I had to ask a couple of times. I think that as its night time they assume folk will be asleep :-(

I was so happy to get back home after driving from the airport - fantastic to see my girls and the house. It took a few days to get over the jet lag especially my digestive system!!

What will I remember about Myanmar ? It was a fantastic holiday and I was fortunate to be with lovely people, a fab room mate and a great guide. Seventeen days was a little long especially as I didn't have my roomie for the last few days so it was quite lonely.

Main things I'll remember about the country are:

Lovely friendly people
Temples, stupas and monasteries and having to take your shoes off!
Inle Lake was beautiful
The beach and hotel were wonderful
The dogs in the streets and cats in the monasteries
The exciting balloon ride
U-bein bridge and our boat ride
Releasing an owl
The motorbikes and the horn bibbing
The monks in their burgundy robes and the nuns in their pink robes
The faces of the ladies painted
The food and how the oil didn't agree with me!
Fresh pineapple and coconut on the beach
The trek in the rain and being made so welcome in a rural home
Being invited randomly into a wedding celebration
Seeing the two boys who were due to go and be made monks
The hand crafts
The ladies from the tribes with the rings around their necks
The squat toilets and that you can't put the toilet paper down
The lovely sunsets

Wow - so much 😄

Day 17 - the start of the trip home - back to Yangon

The hotel bus took us back to the airport for our flight back to Yangon. There was a short delay but we eventually got going. We arrived in Yangon just after lunch back to the Panda hotel.  I decided to just chill in the hotel till dinner.

We all went to the same restaurant we very first went to when we arrived at the beginning of the holiday and had a very nice meal.

Only half a day left and then the long flight home.

Day 16 - last day at the beach before the trek home

Another day chilling and reading.

The hotel has started to decorate the place for Christmas. Lots of lovely twinkly lights around the gardens and restaurant - it is looking very festive 😀

This morning after a yummy breakfast I walked along the beach for an hour. There were some very interesting crabs scuttling around. Further down the beach there was a mermaid in the sea,making out so hard to get a good photo. Along the beach thee were sellers on stands and massage places under tents. If I hadn't booked one at the hotel I may have given one of these a try as they were much cheaper. It was great walking but I forgot to put any suntan lotion on so caught the sun a little !

For lunch I had another fresh pineapple from the same lady.

The reflexology massage was very different to those I've had in the UK. It included the leg upto the knee and more around the toes and sides of the foot than underneath. The girl who did it was very nice but couldn't speak much English so it was quite quiet. She kept asking if I was ok especially as some point on my foot hurt when she pushed the wooden thing she was using quite hard on the top of my toes.

We decided to try another restaurant outside for dinner after cocktails. We had noticed earlier that they were setting up a balloon on the beach. It turned out that the balloon company were launching their beach rides and had a special do going on from our hotel. So we sat and watched them putting the balloon up with cocktails as the sun was finally setting. It was a beautiful sunset and I managed to get some great photos of it over the sea.

Dinner was not so good tonight. We didn't like the first restaurant we went to so left and the second was mediocre.

We are leaving at 9am in the morning for a flight back to Yangon so packed before bed. I'm now looking forward to just getting home and seeing my girls.

Day 15 - just chilling

Today was a chill day mostly spent reading and on the beach.

First thing after breakfast - which was amazing with lots of choice - I went for a walk for an hour outside the hotel. The road was a main road though not terribly busy. Lots of bikes, motorcycles and small electronic cart like vehicles that were used as buses. Also a few on the back of motorcycles. There were a few restuarants and little souvenir shops along with local eating/drinking places. Despite the early morning (8am) it was quite warm.

After my walk I stayed in the beach for most of the day.

For lunch I decided to have a fresh pineapple and coconut from the ladies who walk up and down the beach. They were both delicious :-) The lady carries the fruit in a try on her head. She washes the tray and choose the fruit up ready to eat for you and gives it to you in a plastic bag. The coconut she chops the top off  and adds a straw so you can drink it first and then later comes back and cuts out the coconut for you to eat.

I went and had a traditional massage in the afternoon. It was more of a vigorous massage rather than relaxing as it included stretching your legs in various ways. It was good anyhow 😀 I've booked a reflexology for tomorrow.

Cocktails again at 7 and then I joined one of the couples for dinner at a restaurant outside the hotel called 'two brothers'. The food was excellent.

An early night again .......

Day 14 - off to the beach

Another early start to get to the airport for 6:30am. Our guide arranged for the hotel to start breakfast 15 mins early so we could have something before travelling. 

This was the point where the group split into two, those travelling back to Yangon for the trip back home and five of us going to the beach.

We ended up all being delayed as the airport in He Ho which we both had to travel via was in fog so the planes couldn't land. Travelling on our plane was a party of monks. It seemed very odd seeing them at the airport, but I guess they travel too and are up with modern times! 

We eventually left around and hour late. It was another propeller plane and with this trip you had no seats allocated so it was like Ryan air grab a seat.... What was interesting was we stopped for 15 mins at He Ho airport  to let some passengers off and new ones on. Our arrival at Nygapali was lovely and easy as it was a much smaller airport. We got off the plane walked to a small terminal, met the lady from the hotel, went through immigration (not sure why as we flew from within the country), walked outside to pick up our luggage and then had a 15 min drive to the hotel. 

The Amata Spa Hotel is like an oasis 😃 very green, clean and beautiful white sand and clear sea. Our rooms are in like little individual chalets dotted in the gardens. I no longer have a roomie so I am alone. Whilst it is lovely to have such a great room I miss the companionship. The bed was made up with flowers on it, looking beautiful. 

After a shower and a hair wash I put my swimming costume on and headed for the beach. The rest of the afternoon was spent reading in the sun and enjoying the view. I also booked a traditional massage for tomorrow. 

Cocktail hour ( from 5-8!) is a two for one cocktail, so I just had to...... I had a ruby red, vodka, Campari and grapefruit juice - lovely. As I got there just before 6pm and no one else was there I wandered around taking a few photos and stopping in a lovely area near reception to read my kindle for a little. When I returned to the bar the rest of the group were there. I had another cocktail with them and then was happy to join two of them for dinner at the hotel restaurant. I had a spaghetti carbonara followed by ice cream and it was bliss 😃 Thankfully my tummy has settled down since I reduced eating dishes with oil in it.

After dinner I went to bed and snuggled myself under the mosquito net and read some more before settling down for the night. 

Day 13 - balloon ride and Mount Popa

Today is the last day that the whole group is together and that I'll be with my roomie Helen as tomorrow morning the group splits into those who go home and those off to the beach for a few days. I'm off to the beach which I am looking forward to. It will be nice just to chill and do nothing for a couple of days.

This morning I was up at 4:30am to get ready for a dawn balloon ride. We were picked up by an old bus and taken to a field. In the field the balloons were laid out in the dark and we were offered tea and coffee and seats. After introductions and being told which groups we were in we went to the side of our balloon for a safety talk. Our pilot was called Nobby (great name!) and he was from Bath. We then went back to our seats while they raised the balloons up.

Once in the balloon gently lifted up and away :-) We flew over all the temples that we saw yesterday. We watched the sun rising over the temples and the mist around them. It was a wonderful trip.

After a quick breakfast we travelled by coach to Mount Popa a mountain with a temple at the top. We walked the 777 steps to the top. On route were loads of monkeys and when we walked down one grabbed one of our parties hat and glasses. He managed to get his glasses back but the hat is gone for ever..... The monkeys were actually quite scary 😒

Lunch was at the Popa Mountain Resort which was a beautiful hotel with wonderful food. It was one of those places you would love to stay at - very Eco friendly and clean with lovely views. 

Back at the hotel ( where a merry Christmas) sign had appeared at reception!) we popped back to our room and the beds had been covered with beautiful flowers in a pattern and we had a note from the cleaners. We sat around the pool for a bit and at 5pm when Christmas music started with 'We wish you a merry Christmas'. It's very odd when the sun is shining. I have to say it's been odd not being at home during the build up to Christmas.  

Our last meal as a group was in a local restaurant. We were given a complimentary flaming banana with rum for pudding. One of the group made a thank you speech for Sit hu who was our guide and gave him an envelope with a big tip in it from the group. On the way to the restaurant he had suddenly shouted at one of the party to watch out and pushed her. She was just about to step on a small scorpion ! I didn't know they had them here ......

Day 12 - Bagan

A later start of 9am this morning but with a big breakfast of toast and fruit. I've now lost count of the monestries and temples we have visited ! Our first stop was to climb up the side of a temple to see the vast number of stupas and temples that Bagan has. The scenery was lovely. Today the monestries were all quite different to ones we have soon so far, many of them much older and with murals that have been discovered recently. 

After lunch ( which I did not eat as I had tummy problems again this morning) we visited a coup,e more monestries and then got another more comfy horse drawn cart which took us around the stupas and temples. Our driver was happy to chat to us which was nice :-) 

We finished up at a temple and climbed up three floors to settle down for a lovely sunset over the stupas. 

Dinner was at the hotel and I just had an omelette. I hope I am OK in the morning.....