Many people ask about traveling by motorcycle in Myanmar. I only know two people who claim to have accomplished this. Even so, they have not produced any proof (although I believe one, unsure of the other). So, I dediced to try a road trip by truck that I was sure was possible. As it's not a "motorcycle report" as such I won't publish the whole thing here. I only travled a roundtrip of about 500 km. in Myanmar yet the paperwork was outrageous. I obtained travel documents at the border, and had to make 20 copies to be handed in at various checkpoints. In the course of travels I had to report at two other "transit control points" where I received more documents and had to make more copies. By the end of only a 3 day trip I had handed in 55 copies of transit papers at 10 checkpoints. Actual count, no exageration. {} Entry permit with stamps after only half the trip. {} One of 3 very optimistic toll booths. {} Part of the "superhighway toll road". {} Heavily armed soldiers in the guard post on the hill used a rope to raise and lower the arm. We also passed a convoy of 6 military trucks that looked like they were full of boy scouts, but boy scouts don't have automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade launchers. Are you sure you want to travel in Myanmar? To see the full report (epic in length) and many photos please go to http://www.daearly.com/burma_road.htm
Way to go Dave !! Always good to get off to untraveled areas...... I am surprised that the Chinese would want the casinos shut down. I would have thought it would be the same as Botan, the casino town in Laos on the Chinese border. Meaning that the casinos are owned by the Chinese, and they are just using the neighboring country as a physical place to put the casino since they are illegal in China. Pretty sure all the money lost ends up back in China in the hands of wealthy investors. Your difficulty in ordering food since everything is in Chinese brought a smile to my face, since I just spent six weeks facing that every day !!
A very disturbing read with great pix It may have been a poor driving/riding experience; but a fascinating insight on the sad benighted country. I appreciate you making the effort - if anything it dampens the desire to make the trip. Thank you for an excellent report that deserves to be read by many.
at times it is most helpful for dreams to evaporate, you report did just that, thanks. Wonderful web site, reading your bio, it is not only extremely pleasant because of its ease of language, but also gives a hint what is driving you. You are certainly wasting no time, Sir Pico
Pico & Rhodie - Thanks for the comments. Robert- I definately was thinking or you as I ran into the language and food obstacles. Mine was 3 days, not sure I could do it for 6 weeks.
Hawky, mate great adventure stuff, but thats what its about, mate you can look back an say "I did that", some poor SOB's can only dream of going to a country where life is worth less then a "AK". > I guess the Burmese are still stick'n it to the minorities, (alledgedly). ) Don't pass away till you do it again, 84 is always worth a visit!! Scott, Sitt'n chaff'n
Silverhawk Ok we know we cant ride in, so any chance of putting the bikes in the back of your pick up & taking them out for a potter around Kentung next trip?
