When you travel in Myanmar, you have several options, one being the night coaches. It is a great way of travelling long distances without losing an entire day.
You would think that, being in the warm season, you would need to make sure you won’t get too warm while travelling. However, what you don’t know is that they turn on the air-conditioning so high that you feel like you are in a freezer. It is of utmost importance to be well equipped, so there are a few things you should not forget: socks, a scarf, a pullover, a jacket and, of course, a neck pillow for the night. Besides of being really cold, these coaches are very comfortable.
With the air-conditioning, it is necessary to be well equipped.
We went to Taunggyi (a 12-hour trip) in the night bus, and it is probably not the best way to sleep as there are food stops, bathroom stops and curvy roads but it is very practical. Taunggyi is in the mountains (it means big mountains), so your stomach needs to be ready for some rocky and zigzaging roads. Fortunately, we didn’t have any problems while travelling.
We went there to meet some friends and had the pleasure of visiting Inle Lake for a day. We had a really great time. We enjoyed riding in a boat and discovering the different arts and crafts they make in these villages on the lake. Particularly, we met two men that do incredibly beautiful crafts, one, painting with his foot (he doesn’t have his arms anymore), and the other carving traditional stories from Myanmar on thin pieces of wood with his arms (he doesn’t have his hands anymore).
After four wonderful days with beautiful weather, it was time to go back to the heat of the city.
