Mawlamyine (26-28 Jun 12)

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I never thought it could rain this much!

Mawlamyine must set a new record, as it rained pretty much almost continuously for over 30h. And when I say rain, I don't mean a persistent drizzle, but unending cats and dogs! The K1000 I paid for a poncho back in Kinpun really came in useful here.

When they said it was the rainy season now here in Myanmar, they must have had Mawlamyine in mind, cos it was almost unreal that thunderstorms could last so long!

Anyway, Mawlamyine (aka Moulmein the Anglocised name) is supposedly the third largest in Myanmar, but despite its obvious size, the streets seemed pretty quiet most of the time. And the shops were pretty much almost all closed once night fell. What a contrast to Pathein, which though seemingly smaller and more compact, felt a lot busier, and with more activity and many more people in the streets.

One of the main reasons I'd made the trip here was to possibly try the boat ride along the Ayerwaddy north to Hpa An, which is much talked about. However, it turned out to be true that the boat rides are now pretty much non-existent, thanks to the new bridge connecting the two cities that opened some years ago. I guess I will just have to be satisfied with yet another bus ride instead.

The highlight might just be my time at the wonderfully welcoming Breeze Guest House, where I managed to get some traveller's essentials done -- laundry; and breaking a one hundred dollar US note to smaller bills (which somewhat perplexingly, the banks, money changers and goldsmiths in Yangon all refused to do!)

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Photos

Ayerwaddy River
Unfortunately, the boat ride recommended by LP to nearby Hpa An along the river had ceased operations.

A Typical Teahouse
They had no menu so eventually the boy serving me brought out a bowl of noodles for me to see before I sheepishly nodded my head. They also served extremely sweet milk tea -- truly Asian style!