Gokteik Viaduct.

 From Mandalay~Hsi Paw (29-May-2012)

Night trains are part of romanticized travel experiences. Having simple fares served in plastic little carrier bags sitting in wooden-floored cars top it off. Discomfort from motion sickness & the lack of proper sleep I try to pretend they never existed. Ultimately, the views along the way are a remedy to any ailment.

 Trains stop at minor stops for astoundingly short periods of time. I.e. 5~10minutes. It's surprising how the locals can adeptly lug all that goods/luggage onto/off the train within that time, mostly assisted, but sometimes single-handedly, 

 As the train passed along Gokteik Bridge, I really couldn't resist that vertigo. The constant creaking, squeaking of the friction between metals didn't help at all. I couldn't help thinking of the future I might or might not have. We weren't the only fascinated ones, look at the locals. But it's much too obvious that the scenery is stunning - way too stunning to be ignored, altophobic or not.

 How long will these metal rods last? They've rusted a great deal, haven't they? 112 years since initial contruction have done them this deed, it's rather appalling how hardy this thing is. Perhaps colonial rule is thus beneficial.

 Lady looks troubled. I just hope it's the height, not the fact that I'm taking photographs.

 So high, so precarious!

Looking at this photograph (above), I'm reminded of what someone told me yesterday, about being affected by past memories. How simple it is to be able to verbally console someone, yet for someone to entirely snap out of the past is almost impossible to do. Regardless of what I'd said to comfort, I doubt it'll matter very much. This ambivalence lies in the fact that even the most ostensibly happy people can be deeply disturbed. The saddest remark is perhaps the attempt to make it seem superfluous, one that goes like, "Actually it doesn't matter, haha ;)"

 And don't people want so much to keep those around them oblivious & shielded from distress?

I hope that this entire metal framework is made of sturdy nuts & bolts. We have countless lives at stake here & I'm seriously wondering if every single inch of this structure would be checked during a maintenance routine.

 Train entering the tunnel & the unconventionally-colored corn.

 More unconventionally-colored drinks. Supposedly 'fruit' drinks, but I'm really not sure how it turned out so at Hsi Paw.

 In an attempt to find the Sunset Hill, but failed. Only managed to come across this very vast water channel, which didn't disappoint.

 Roaming around quiet Hsi Paw yielded these photos. Find Mr. Kid Guesthouse at Hsi Paw, you wouldn't regret it. I enjoyed Hsi Paw because of Mr. Kid Guesthouse, which essentially was run by Mrs. Kid, & her dogs. Mr. Kid, her husband, runs a watch shop at the local market, instead of the guesthouse. How ironic!

Nonetheless, Mrs. Kid is really an awesome lady! & her dogs are awesome dogs too. (:

 The sunset was really charming beyond the centrality. But please be reminded to carry a flashlight or mobile phone to shine your way back. Hsi Paw was one of the most poorly-lit places I've ever been too (apart from Mandalay). The pitch darkness & the uneven paths can be really dangerous.

 Traditional Myanmar food for dinner. I just can't help thinking what it would be like if Myanmar had fast food restaurants. I'm not sure if I might like the country as much anymore. It is then tantamount to visit the country again before it gets permeated by all these homogenizing influences from the rest of the world. Global culture, there you have it coming your way. If humanity is technologically & economically advancing, what then about the cultural aspect? Reversing?

Travel is thought-provoking & my travel journal runs so thick, so much so that I find it a chore to refer back to it.