The First Train Ride: 270 km and 8 hours

October 25, 2016

Its only about 270 km from Yangon to Pyay, but it is about an eight to nine hour journey all the same. The ticket cost me 1950 Kyat and included 1.61 kyat life insurance. That's about $2 usd, including the free bike freight.

The family (mum and young son) I'm sitting opposite got there before me and have taken up all the available overhead and floor space, but make room for me and my gear with a smile. Come meal time, they feed both me and the young man sitting across the aisle. These people are so generous and friendly.

1600 hrs: 3 hours in and 5 more to go

The bum and back are getting sore sitting on these rock hard high back green plastic seats. The trains have actually improved quite a bit since my last train ride here 40 years ago. Back then it was old British Raj rolling stock and track. You had to hang on hard for fear of getting pitched into the aisle. These are Chinese carriges and someone must have been laying new track becauses its a much smoother ride. And there are gonna be no bedbugs on hard plastic seating.

What colours do I see from my window? Green - green rice paddy being harvested, by machine and by hand. Trackside green foilage so close that you can't get too close to the window for fear of getting slapped in the face by it. Brown - red brown dirt, brown mud, brown water.

What do I smell? Mint! The smell of freshly crushed mint as the train pushes through the encroaching trackside greenery. Wood burning from village cooking fires. We pass so close to homes that you can watch them prepare their meals as you roll by. And the stench of burning and rotting rubbish mixed with the pong of barnyard manure and sewage.

What do I hear? Overwhelmingly, the rock, rumble and squeal of train carriges rolling on old wheels and poorly laid track. It's short span rail, so we get a nice clickity clack once we build up a bit of speed. The non stop sound of screeching Burmese pop music played over the train's tinny PA system. When a popular rock tune reminiscent of AC/DC comes on, just about everyone in the carrige starts singing along. And the strident chants of the food hawkers who hop on the train every time we stop and off again as we start rolling.

My seatmate and her young son tell me through the nice young man sitting across the aisle that they would be honoured if I got off at the next stop and spent the night with them. I briefly consider the offer, but locals risk up to 3 years imprisonment if they offer foreign travellers a place to stay. I would have to hold up the train and convince the guards to offload my bike. The whole train and everyone at the small station stop would be watching. There is no way I can make a quick discreet exit and disappear into the night with this lovely family.

I tell them it would be too dangerous for her and her family and that the government insists I must stay only in hotels for foreigners. By now half of the carrige is listening and nodding in understanding and sympathy. It was a great heartfelt offer and it broke my heart to say no. I fish through my handlebar bag and find a $2 Australian coin and give it to her son. They in turn give me a fan, an apple and a packet of cakes. What can I say? These people are amazing...

By the time I finally get out of the carrige at journey's end, one of the guards is laughingly pedalling my bike to me along the dirt and rubble platform.

I had booked the cheapest hotel I could find through Agoda (the Polestar Hotel) because I knew I was coming in late. When I finally find the place about ten km out of town down a series of back alleys it's pushing 2300 hrs. The owner tells me he doesn't use Agoda and I can't stay there anyway. We talk and he relents; I can stay one night only. This seems to be the 'Catch 22' of Burma: can't stay with the locals and can't stay in the hotels either...

Well, so much for seeing the historical ruins of ancient Pyay. Tomorrow I ride...

They shared their food with me and offered me a place to stay for the night. An offer that could have cost them up to three years in jail. Had we not had to make such a public exit from the train, I would have taken up their offer. Things are changing here, just not fast enough...

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