Day 7: Fri 6 Nov - Ye to Mawlamyine

Day 4: Ye - Mawlamyine (80km) Breakfast at the hotel. Today we cycle from our hotel in Thabyuzayat to our hotel in Mawlamyine, the former British Capital in Southern Part of Burma. We cycle to Mudon and then turn right to cycle on smaller road to Kyaikmaraw to make our last water stop. Then cycle to our
hotel in Mawlamyine passing Tanbingon. Dinner and overnight in Mawlamyine.

84km, fine and hot, 30-33deg

Brekky at the motel consisted of one rice flour and coconut pancake and a banana. A bit light on for cycling 84km in the heat, but we get plenty of snacks along the way so we survived. 

Rode away at 8am into an already hot day, got up to about 33deg but in the sun it was energy sapping and felt like more. Luckily there's a lot of rubber trees growing close to the road so we got some shade as we rode. 

Didn't see any cities or big towns, just a series of villages and shops out in the middle of nowhere. Very rural or subsistence farming all day; with rubber, rubber everywhere. Saw some paddy fields and a water buffalo farm; not sure if it was for the meat, milk, cheese or all of them. Also some cashew nut plantations.  Finished the 84km at 2:15pm, loaded the bikes and drove to a WWII Commonwealth War Cemetery at Thanbyuzayat. 80,000 Asians, 6,500 Brits, 2,710 Australians and many others died during the construction of the Burma Railway. Most were worked to death or died of malnutrition. This was one of the many cemeteries from that awful event. 

Got to the Motel, Cinderella, at 3:40pm. Very nice digs, the aircon worked sort of continuously, huge room, fridge, ensuite and two beds to choose from. There was a power cut at 6:15pm and within seconds a huge generator at the Motel kicked in and everything came back on. 

Dinner was at a nice restaurant up the road. I had prawns and veggies, washed down with a bottle of Myanmar beer.  I’ve never had a really bad beer anywhere in the world. I suspect they've just about got the recipe right. 

"Rest" day tomorrow, which means we don't move motels, but we still ride. 

Breakfast venue

Baz and Trio at brekky


Getting the bikes ready in Ye

I could have made a trunk call!

Tapping the rubber

Rubber drying beside the road

Water buffalo having a swim

Tending the herd

A typical rustic house

Sometimes the trucks cam a little close!

Burmese RACQ

Another Commonwealth WWII Cemetery

Cinderella Hotel







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