Peeing In the Woods

Our very first overnight intercity (express bus ) from Yangon's Aung Mingala ( no 'ba' ) bus station to Bagan. We could see the worker from the bus company made an effort to improve the quality of the bus ride. He sprayed 'febreeze' stuff everywhere and gave us mineral waters. It was 6pm, bus was supposed to leave but only 3 of us were on the bus, I was thinking : empty bus huh, maybe I could lie down somewhere.

But, a little intro of Myanmar, BUSES are NEVER EMPTY.... You'll have to picture a total opposite image of that. When we left the station, the bus was almost full, but they would pick up passengers along the way, not only to fill the few empty seats but also the aisle was full with a row of passengers. Some are sitting on custom made chairs extended from the side of the usual seats.

I was looking at the digital clock on the bus, hoping they would stop. I really needed a toilet break. Being too 'paise' to ask the driver to stop I just sat there. I won't be easy walking to the driver seat anyway, have to trouble a row of passengers sitting on the aisle to give way. I told myself, if by 8pm if they don't stop I would have to ask for toilet break, but thank god they did !..BY the ROADSIDE.....

Frankly, they didn't have a proper highway and R&R.. But it was a safe journey, it was better than the highway from Penang to Kelantan. So, the toilet break.. I followed the local passengers who went down the bus. There was this average sized compound with grass and a tree by the highway, I saw people started squatting down making their business so I walked to the very end of the space next to the tree to do my mini business. 2 weeks before this I went to Raleigh's IW ( a jungle camp ) where we have to pee and poo in a hole we dogged, so it wasn't very awkward for me but Mamu and Ji ee find it a little disgusting.. Although I did it with a small towel covering my back.

I felt 'honoured' somehow, getting to do this together with the locals. Also a nice story to tell when I'm back. Haha.

As we were told by a nice Chinese lady, 朱小姐 whom we met in Kyaiktiyo, that it will be a cold ride so were prepared for that. Mamu packed longyis and jackets in the day pack for us. So sweet. We reached Bagan at about 4am, the driver was so nice he dropped us right in front of the hotel that 戴永明 booked for us beforehand.

Yea, before that, once we were in the town of Bagan they started dropping people along the way ( some even halfway ) all our luggages were squeezed and stacked at the last row of the bus seats. Those with big boxes they will pass it through the windows.

Manpower of the Bus Ride : One driver and a coordinator. This is how it works in every bus we took. The coordinator is in charged of everything like arranging the luggage, counting the passengers before we leave and everything else.

So this was our first bus ride, and also the ONLY bus ride that the air-con is working. To be continue...

PS : INSPITE of having to pee by the roadside, no proper R&R , I LOVE IT ! The entire jouney !