2015 - Greg's Cycle Tour Bangkok to Yangon

Our plane was the first to land in Sydney after the curfew ended at 6am and thanks to that I had my bag and was at the Domestic Transfer Desk by 6:24am. Then the waiting truly began, till 1:45pm when I boarded a Boeing 717-200 (smallest of the jets) for the final leg to Hervey Bay.  As we approached The Bay so did a big storm resulting in the Captain deciding to circle over a very bumpy ocean; for over an hour!! I had two very irritable kids near me so that was fun!! Just so I will appreciate getting home even more, maybe.  We eventually landed safely, which is the best way to land and was picked up by my very patient and worried Darling Wendy.  Good to be home.   Not good visibility coming into Hervey Bay Aeroplane circle-work Lining up for a second attempt at landing Finally - on the ground after just over one hour of circle-work

Awoke to the news of the cowardly terrorists attacks in Paris, awful!! Paris is my favourite city in the whole world and it is so sad to watch them suffer once again. Makes one think about travel over to Europe, which I love doing. Can't let these b..... beat us though.  Had brekky with Ken, Bob and Kerry. Due to our common love of travel Paris was the topic of conversation. Baz and Trio had already left for the airport earlier. I was the last to check out at 8:30am. Total cost for the 3 nights, deluxe double room including breakfast was AS$255. The staff were very friendly, respectful and efficient and the room was clean and comfy.  I allowed an hour to the airport in a cab and was glad as roadworks saw us sitting stationary for 10 minutes at one stage. Checked in and through Customs quickly into a small, pleasant Yangon Airport.   The security seemed a bit 'casual'.   As Qantas doesn't fly out of Yangon I had to fly Jetstar (Airbus A320) which I'd prefer not to do...

On our last day in Yangon; Bob, Kerry and I hit the streets on foot. Due mainly to its colonial past Yangon is an interesting place architecturally, especially around the city centre. Sadly a lot of the old buildings are being knocked down to make way for concrete and glass monsters. I suspect that one day they'll regret having destroyed a lot of the character of the place, however we've all done it regardless of what colonial country you're from.   Some of the nice buildings remaining are; The High Court, Town Hall, Customs House, The Strand Hotel, Railway Station, to name a few.   One thing we did discover is that the shops are not geared up for western tourists yet, unless you're into jade or amber jewellery. None of the normal T-shirts, caps, bags etc, well none which would fit most of us westerners anyway.   Had a nice coconut and custard cake with a cup of tea; A$0.89, can't complain about that.   Dinner this night was at a restaurant just up the road from the...

I felt like jumping on a bike this morning but that part of the tour is over sadly. Brekky on the seventh floor was nothing to write about, still haven't had a Burmese coffee and have not missed it at all.  We all met up in the foyer and caught a cab to the first stop, the Shwedagon Pagoda, a massive structure 326ft (99.36m) high sitting on the top of a 199ft hill. The top terrace covers an area of 14 acres (6 hectares). The site dates back to 600BC. The terrace contains 1,000 of relics, Buddhas, statues and shrines. The glare off all that gold, marble and white paint was blinding, and the temperature went up several degrees while we were on top. Needless to say we didn't stay up there for long. I take my hat off to these devoted, gentle people who are so dedicated to their faith that they would build something so big and beautiful. Not for me though, after seeing how millions over here live I would rather see the money spent on decent housing and sanitation for the poor.  I...

Day 9: Bago - Yangoon (Cycling 78km) Breakfast at the hotel. We cycle 78km via Thanapin and Khayan. We stop for lunch in Thongwa. After lunch we transfer to Yagoon to visit Shwedagon Pagoda. Tour Ends. 84km, 28 to 33deg, fine with scattered cloud After clearing the busy city of Bago we got onto a much quieter road, a handmade rough jobbie. Although our bottoms got a workout we didn't mind as it was really interesting ride. The countryside was wet and low and a combination of rice paddies and fish farms, mostly paddies. It seemed to go on forever, as it turned out it was about 100km (some in the bus) before we reached the other side. Accompanying the paddy fields and ponds were chicken and duck farms built over the top of the fish ponds. No waste involved there. That's one more reason I don't eat fish from Asian fish farms if I can help it. It was harvesting season for the rice so lots of trucks of all description hauling bags of rice to the depots and beyond. It looked ...

Day 8: Kyaito to Bago via Sittaung River (93km) After breakfast, cycle to have the water stop at Sittaung River to enjoy this view of the river connected to the ocean. We stop for lunch in Waw. Afternoon cycle to Bago, The Battle of Pegu.  95km, 28 to 36deg, cloud patches but fine Breakfast consisted of eggs, toast and tea/coffee and was served up in a very grand looking dining area with fine furniture.   The guides decided to bus us to a market-town about 20 minutes from the hotel and we spent an interesting half hour wandering around. The walk through the fresh/dried fish and meat areas really assaulted the senses. Nobody stopped for a snack, especially the two vegetarians who are with us.   It was then onto the bikes and straight onto a fairly busy road. The traffic all the way this day was big, faster than normal and more frequent. However not once did I feel threatened or in danger despite the fact that there were a lot of big trucks and coaches, along with the n...