Early morning rising after a sleepless night and a short taxi ride to the jetty. Passengers are all huddled in the darkness to check in for the boat at 6.30 am, to launch at 7 am precisely. First light appears as we wait and the misty dawn permits glimpses of boats, bank, daily life on the water, temples after temples. We pass under two bridges as we leave Mandalay, both bearing scarce road traffic. The river is enormous and wide.
We settle in for the long voyage. Breakfast is served, nescafé or tea, a boiled egg, two slices of bread with margarine and jam! Delicious!
We have comfortable assigned seats in the inside cabin, probably a hundred passengers, full boat today, and there are many extra seats on two upper decks for fresh air. It is amazing how cool it is outside, for hours. I don a sweater for the first time in ages. I wear the sweater inside the main cabin!
There is lots of time to meditate, read, gaze, ponder. The river is wide, with high sand banks all along. At one point, we had two men sitting up front with long sticks guiding us over a sandbar. We made it across unimpeded and not delayed.
We see many rafts of piled bamboo sticks tethered together as platforms. The larger settlements along the way on either bank are peppered with temples. The boat takes the long route! We always travel from high bank to next high bank, looking for the deeper water. As we proceed, the water smoothens as the elevation change lessens. There is not a single bridge between Mandalay and Bagan.
The journey takes twelve hours. No reason is given for the extra three hours! Perhaps the water is low and speed must be reduced.
Lovely vicarious tour to Bagan.
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