Mr & Missy in Myanmar - Day 5 - 23 Dec 2013

As we started the 5th day of our tour, first stop was the iconic Htam Sam cave, located 19 km east of Taunggyi (1-hour drive away from Taunggyi). Believed to be one of the longest caves in Myanmar, Htam Sam is found in Hopong Pa-O self-administered area.  From the entrance, it did not seem like there was going to be much to see inside but the moment we stepped in, we were taken aback by its natural beauty inside. Never, ever judge a book by its cover. 

Limestone and natural rock formations littered the place and were truly a sight to behold. They reminded us of icicles, just in the form of rocks. Also, further down in the cave, various Buddha images were scattered around and at the end of the path was a small waterfall. 

Discovered only recently, this cave currently does not have the popularity of Pindaya Cave but surely in time as more people come to know about this, it will be a new tourist hot-spot.

We took an hour drive back to the city center of Taunggyi where we explored the area before enjoying a sumptuous meal of traditional Shan noodles. We started off with some appetizers of fried yellow tofu and something that may gross many of you out, a pork fat jello. 

While the fried tofu was delicious as always, I was rather grossed out by the thought of eating pork fat. The Shan people consume such foods in the winter season to keep themselves warm however, just the thought of eating animal fat in a jello form grossed me out enough to say 'I'm gonna pass on that'.

Our mains of traditional Shan noodles finally came and we were not disappointed at all. A mouthful of flavors in each bite, this noodle dish consists of yellow tofu, fish sauce, barbecued pork and of course, noodles. A definite must try when you're there! 

Some of us also had the Warm Yellow Tofu noodles, which was an absolute delight in the cold weather. Sweet and savory at the same time, this dish showcases the excellent culinary expertise of the Shan people. It truly was an unforgettable meal.

Don't forget fried tofu too!

After lunch, we went back to our hotel to check out. We then separated from our 3 friends as the sisters' cousin fetched us and took us around to see the city of Taunggyi. Our first stop was a pagoda situated on a mountain (Mya Sein Taung) that required a high effort drive. When we got there though, we enjoyed a panoramic view of Taunggyi which was truly amazing. 

The highlight of this afternoon however, had to be the visit to the Aythaya Vineyard. We went for the 4 course wine tasting which consisted of a Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz Muscat, a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc and the regular Sauvignon Blanc, for just 2,000 Kyats per pax.

Here are my tasting notes :

Shiraz-Cabernet: Fruity, slightly dry, fine tannins. Hints of oak.

Shiraz Muscat: Slightly fruitier and sweeter. Almost close to a dessert wine.

Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc: Sweeter than the regular Sauvignon Blanc, hints of gooseberry.

As we sipped away on the wine, we were also treated to one of the best views we had experienced in Myanmar thus far. While the view of Aythaya Vineyard is definitely more breathtaking than that of Red Mountain, I would have to acknowledge that Red Mountain Vineyard produces better-quality wines. 

With the very nice cousin 

 Mesmerizing view of the vineyard taken with iPhone 5

Having said that, both are really great and I never would have expected locally produced wines to taste so great and affordable at the same time. Each 750 ml bottle is sold for just 10,000 Kyats (less than 14 SGD). These wines could easily give any Old-World or New-World wine a run for their money. 

cousin's 2 cute kids

Then came the time for us to say goodbye to missy's wonderful cousin (thank you so much for everything). We had to board an overnight bus to reach the town of Kyaukse. All of my experiences with overnight buses in Myanmar so far have been efficient and comfortable so I expected nothing less for this trip. However, we were shocked to see that our bus was actually a minibus and not the normal coach bus. Also, space was limited (shared with 14 passengers and a driver). With all of our luggage, fitting it in the bus was tricky. However, after some maneuvering, we managed to fit everything in and went on our way and left Taunggyi around 8 pm.

While the 2 sisters managed to grab some sleep (they sleep anywhere and everywhere), I on the other hand was suffering. First of all, it must be noted that it was in the middle of the night in winter and the temperature was slightly above 0 Celsius. Also, I did not have a single pair of long pants (blame Yahoo weather for that) and I was sitting next to the window and I had no choice but to open it slightly for ventilation. My legs were freezing and cramped from the small space. And the bus ride lasted for about 8 hours. Even with pit stops in between, it seemed like an eternity. Mercifully, we finally reached Kyaukse at about 4am and I was able to take a hot shower and grab some well deserved sleep.

Well, it was cheap (7,000 - 8,000 Kyats per pax) but it's not worth the trouble. Worst bus ride ever....

Adios!

Mister

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Dec 2013 Trip Itinerary

http://musingsofmissn.blogspot.sg/2014/03/mr-missy-in-myanmar.html

Day 1

http://musingsofmissn.blogspot.sg/2014/04/mr-missy-in-myanmar-day-1-19-dec-2013.html

Day 2

http://musingsofmissn.blogspot.sg/2014/04/mr-missy-in-myanmar-day-2-20-dec-2013.html

Day 3
http://musingsofmissn.blogspot.sg/2014/04/mr-missy-in-myanmar-day-3-21-dec-2013.html

Day 4
http://musingsofmissn.blogspot.sg/2014/05/mr-missy-in-myanmar-day-4-22-dec-2013.html