This morning we walked around a village called Moedar which was fascinating although all the towns and villages are starting to look the same. Had my watch strap repaired for 200 kyat being about 11p and a good job he did so I gave him 300. I know, i am just too generous. Another passenger brought a nice watch for £3.66 and it's still going. At 15.30 we visited Hti Gyine town and climbed 232 steps up the pagoda Hill which had some stunning views over the Irrawa...

Today was mostly spent on the boat and we had a presentation about Buddhism with some of their beliefs being a little contradictory when you consider what's happening in the country. After lunch we passed through the second defile a channel of the Irrawaddy having three gorges with cliffs towering over the narrow channel. At 16.00 we had a walking tour of kyun Daw a small village that has countless small pagodas, myself and an Australian decided to take a pair ...

Today we arrived at Katha, setting for George Orwell's Myanmar Days. After breakfast we went by trishaw which apparently carry 3 Asians or 1 westerner. We looked in on the local fire station which has a collection of bells taken from sunken ships in the second world war. Katha was the final resting place of the old flotilla and here over a hundred ships were scuppered on 1942 in an act of denial before the advancing Japanese. We visited George Orwells house that ...

Arrived early along side this village with some locals washing laundry in the river which looks dirtier than the clothes. We were given 1000kyat each and sent into the local market to buy different vegetables which proved interesting but we managed to get what we had been told. We visited the grave of Captain EBJ Vaughan of the 6th Punjab infantry as well as the Head masters residence which is a small museum with collections of antique coins and pots. After lunch...

Left Sagaing at 06.30 and continued cruising up the Irrawaddy, during the morning we had a presentation on the past, present and future of Burma which gave an insight of the opinion of a Burmese national. After lunch we moored at Nwe Nyein village where we visited the closed kilns used for the famous 50 gallon hand made water pots and an array of glazed pots and figurines. Continued cruising and moored over night at Male.