We jumped in with both feet (not literally) at the possibility of visiting Inle Lake. A days minibus ride from Bagan we decided to opt for the daytime journey this time to see more of the Myanmar countryside. We weren't disappointed. The journey took us from the arid plains and dry homesteads of Bagan through mountain roads and hairpin bends until we finally arrived 8 hours later in Nyaung Shwe, on the edge of Inle Lake. The town bustles with backpackers althou...

This morning we were up before daybreak to ensure we were at the jetty in time for the 7am Mandalay to Bagan sailing. After waking the hotel staff who always seem to sleep in the lobby, we piled all our luggage, including Percy Prawn, into the taxi. We were in good time, and were soon aboard the three decked boat, ready for our adventure on the AyeWaddy river. The journey took us down the wide river alongside banks with small bamboo, and straw covered huts. The...

Arriving on the overnight sleeper train from Yangon. We arrived shaken AND stirred, just like the ubiquitous martini. The train was the bumpiest train either of us had ever been on, which made for an interesting time when nature called. There was just no way you could keep your bottom fixed to the seat, and you had to time pulling up your underwear with exact precision to avoid being thrown headlong into the metal wall surrounding the toilet area. I was certainly...

We are here in Myanmar. Only 3-4 years since the country opened its doors to foreigners they have agreed to let us in. They obviously don't share information between the countries we visit or they might not have been so keen to have two semi-aged backpackers meandering on their turf. For those old enough to remember the country was once known as Burma, and Yangon (where we made our first stop) was previously known as Rangoon. The country was a favourite haunt of ...