Myanmar Day 2 - Pyin Oo Lwin - 20 May 2012

We had no complaint with with bus ride except that one of the passengers snored sooooooo loudly! Being a heavy sleeper, the sound didn't really bother me but Mister is a light sleeper and he couldn't sleep at all!!!  Although I tend to miss my alarms, being a heavy sleep has its own benefits. Not bad at all :D

Anyway, enough of me digressing. My relatives picked us up around 6am and we went straight to Pyin Oo Lwin, or more commonly know as May Myo among the locals. It is a scenic hill town 42 miles east of the city of Mandalay. What began as a military outpost over a century ago is now a thriving resort town for locals and tourists alike as the weather is slightly cooler. As soon as we reached Pyin Oo Lwin, we stopped for breakfast. Gotta take care of our tummies first!

 Fried Tofu

Warm tofu with noodles (Shan Style)

After a quick breakfast stop , we headed to the Pate-Chin-Myaung Caves. Home to over a hundred different Buddhist relics, this is a site in Pyin Oo Lwin not to be missed. Do beware of the dim lighting and slippery floor as the inside of the caves are not well maintained. Footwear must also be removed which may make navigating the slippery caves even more difficult for some.

Pate Chin Myaung Caves

The cave is pretty long actually!

As we exited the caves, Mister was surprised to see children bathing in the open lakes. People from the city would find this rude and unhygienic but for most of the children living in the villages, this is how they take their daily showers. Running water taps are scarce and the open lakes offer them a fresh supply of water. Definitely a cultural shock for most living in the big metropolitan cities but for many in developing countries, this is a way of life.

We then went to pay respects to a Buddha Image which is known to be able to fulfill your wishes if you make them sincerely. 

There is a waterfall nearby so we went there too.  But I didn't find the waterfall to be that beautiful.  It was quite small actually. There were rows of shops selling fresh produce of that area such as kai lan, strawberry, sour prunes, wine and so on.

rows of shops selling fresh produce

However, my friends told me that there is this very very beautiful waterfall near Pyin Oo Lwin called Dat-Taw-Chait.  Of course, nothing in life worth having comes easy.  That place is just sooooo out of the way and the road has so many twists and turns in the mountain area. We decided to skip it as my cousins' 4 kids were with us.  We didn't want them to get motion sickness and throw up!

We then moved on to the Chinese temple.  The landscaping is quite nice.  But if you are not into these religious buildings, you might wanna give it a miss.

We stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Afterwards, we went to snack shop to stock up on Pyin Oo Lwin's goodies such as natural milk ice-cream (a great creamy yet refreshing treat), muruku, Indian creamy desserts and other stuffs.  Too bad I forgot to take photos :(

Horse Carriage - a common mode of transportation in Pyin Oo Lwin

How cute & retro!!!

Our next stop was the National Kandawgyi Gardens, better known as the Botanical Gardens. At different times of the year, different floral arrangements will be showcased. Unfortunately for us, we went in the rainy season of late May which meant no floral exhibitions. However, the walk through the whole park was rather therapeutic as the landscaping of the park is beautifully done. According to my dear travel partner, even treading through the muddy grounds in the wet season was worth it just to get a view of the whole park.  

But really, best time to go to Myanmar is from November to January.  It will be really too hot in February, March and April, with temperatures hovering around 40C.  Rainy season is from May to October. Look how beautiful the park is when I went in Dec 2009!

Normally, people would go back to Mandalay and spend a night there.  It is only 1-2 hour car ride from Pyin Oo Lwin to Mandalay. I heard that Royal Guest House (Mandalay) is an okay place for a budget backpacker. For a bit more comfort, you can probably try Silver Swan Hotel (Mandalay).  Whenever the price is quoted is dollar, it is USD. So it would be helpful for you to bring some USD.  Also, make sure to ask for a room with good air-conditioner as it can be quite warm in Mandalay.

However, we headed to the town of Kyaukse, a small residential area about an hour from Mandalay to rest for the night. That is my daddy's hometown and also the place where all my paternal relatives are all staying. Mister did not know what to expect as local amenities are scarce, no shopping malls, cinemas or supermarkets. Locals go with the bare necessities of family run shops. 

To make his transition easier, my relatives brought us to have dinner at Kyaukse’s one and only air-conditioned restaurant, the Galaxy Café. It is the only place in the whole of Kyaukse that you can enjoy Wi-Fi and a constant supply of air-conditioning and lighting as the restaurant will run on power generators to provide patrons with the necessary comfort of upper class dining in the event of a power outage. Dining here would set you back approximately US$6 per person, most entrees average out at US$4. Do try the special Galaxy Burger and the freshly squeezed Apple Juice, one of the best and freshest apple juices Mister has ever had.

Whee, such a tiring day! 

If you are considering of going on a day trip from Mandalay to Pyin Oo Lwin, car rental [including driver, fuel, car] might cost around 100,000 Kyats / USD120 for an 8-seat mini van.

Adios!
xoxo
Miss N