25th 26th April

With all the public transport functioning after the holidays we decide to take the train to Yangon!!! That OK we have booked UPPER CLASS tickets not a thing we would normally do however we face a 36hr journey so why not have bit of comfort.. Our ticket is $26 each so not a fortune...

We find the right train a young boy shows us to our seats where another family had already made themselves comfortable....

They are very polite and jump up off the seats immediately NO Problem we thank them for their kindness. Then they politely plonk themselves at our feet where they remained for the whole journey.. This meant we had NO floor space for our feet as little as we are.. we are still very cramped.. They are lovely people and try their best to communicate.. They offer us food and drinks.. their food consisted of cold rice from a dirty well used carrier bag and cold fish curry which smelt awful... we very politely refuse.. Their kids are fed and still they cry, one litlle fellow never stopped crying for the whole journey...

As the train meanders along the track it is so slow people are jumping on the side and climbing onto the roof where they remain until the next station..

We often stop at tiny stations for upto 3hrs because there is a train coming from the opposite direction and we can not pass once out of the station.. The toilets on the train are filthy when someone opens the door everyone in the carriage holds their noses.. I spot 3 NUN's trotting across the tracks along side another  disused carriage.... I KNOW what they have gone for as I follow OH for a camera!!! 3 NUNS all very politely squatting for a wee, what good for them.. I panci!!! the train has started to leave the station.. They tell me to be carm!! we trot along side the train and jump onto the steps.. I feel just like a highwayman!! I make my way through the other carriage to reach the UPPER CLASS Carriage I am climbing over hundreds of bodies that are  sitting on any floor space available...

As Evening starts the temperature drops only slightly. we take a break at the station everyone queues for the washroom.. We get treated like the monks the station master takes us off too seperate washroom which is not available to locals it was relatively clean.. Its obvious we are not going too sleep with out any valium even that didnt work!! trying to sleep with so many hot bodies is just impossible.. 

Morning sun starts to rise and so does the temperature,,, OH NO out comes breakfast same as yesterday only a little hotter and a lot smellier!!! we refuse again... We now havent eaten or had any water for 24hrs amazing how your body can shut down.. theory being if you dont take it in you dont have to get rid... Horrible thought but true...

Another day starts. we amuse ourselves with cards and back gammon which the locals find amusing. Today we are leaving the mountians so we know it going to be hotter that yesterday.. The train is really struggling going so slowly we could have overtaken it by foot... The biggest mountain we have to traverse down very slowly the track stops the gaurds alights and changes the direction of the points so we can descend another few yards... this happens 12 times before we reach the bottom and guess what there is a train waiting to ascend. they have been waiting 3hrs for us... Eventually out of the mountains the landscape is just flat and very very dry... We reach Yangon 21:00hrs grab a taxi who suggest a nice hotel.. As we approach it we know this is not the place for us $175 per night.. we are standing in their foyer dirty stinking and very tired.. Their bell boy takes us to a much more suitable guest house.. We book in only to be told the restaurant and bar closes @ 22:00hrs only 30 mins to eat @drink.. No choice in it we arrive in the restaurant in the same state. The waiter suggest a table in the corner next to an open window...HEy we didnt like ourselves either