HPA AN from 4th to 6th Feb, last days in Myanmar

HPA AN a five hour ride from the Thai border (Mae Sott) is a busy market town where we buy fruit and vegetables for a salad. After we went to visit a big lake and to find the small swimming pool Maya ( receptionist) at the Galaxy motel told us about. 

Before dropping us at Hpa An  our taxi driver who spoke English very well ( he had lived in Singapore for 7 years) took us on a guided visit to some of the local attractions.  

 While we had been basking by the pool Andres had prepared  a surprise for us ... who was hiding behind the beard ? 

 

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And yes a new Andres !

Nurses from the local hospital. 

Preparation of a big salad for Dee Dee wonderful with beer

View from our roof top terrace at the galaxy motel a hotel right in the center of town so a bit noisy but made charming thanks to Maya who has a dream to become a tourist guide but  whose  parents don't want her to. 

A second view over the busy market street. 

Even in Myanmar the eggs are different colors. 

Second day Ju and Dee Dee are sick Andres and I rent a bike and cycle 40kms all around the hill. 

We pass a local bus with ducks as baggage . 

A field of bouddhas 

Naturel swimming pool next to a waterfall , with clear water. 

The monastery we wanted to go to see for the sunset, to sleep with the monks, see the sunrise and come back to the hotel if women hadn't been sick.  (effect !)

Rock looks like the head of the reclining Buddha. ( This is what Paul says , I'm not sure what he had been smoking !)

Reflections of the beautiful countryside in the water . 

It's the bat cave, from this place Millions of bats fly out of it when the sun sets. They pour out in a constant stream for around 30 minutes :  





look at the films :

http://youtu.be/V_a7IcOvjAg

http://youtu.be/lMgHANC8j1E

 I

From HPA AN we rented a car and driver to MAE SOTT the  border town of Thailande.  200km of very bad road in a car with no suspension and a back seat that has a maximum of 5cms of foam on it . As the road is so narrow it is one way using odd and even days , so from Maynmar to Thailand you can only travel by road on odd days and obviously from Thailand to Myanmar on even days.  After 6 hours we arrived at the border and took a blue combi tuk yuk bus to town to find a hotel before continuing our journey to Chiang Mai.