Onward to Manitoba! Elliot Elliot Elliot Moose!

 Alright so my night in Regina was something to remember.. I did a little grocery for snacks for when I drive, had an amazing quesadilla and to wrap it all up I thought I'd chill in the hot tub for a bit before bed. Little did I know it would lead to a memorable encounter. 

Firstly it was a phenomenal amenity. 1st class, kind of awe struck as I walked in, I eyed the tub to see if there was anyone in it. Empty! Perrrrfect. I get to relax, not have to worry about anyone else in there. I get in to the streamy hot water, take a deep breath and sit down. My whole body just embraces the warmth and relaxation. Oh man, this is what I needed to end the day. I hear the door shut and a few people appear. One goes straight to the elliptical, noice ! The other makes his way to the hot tub.. not so noice.. This approximately 50 year old native man with a plastic bag and a big stomach takes off his shirt, takes a beer out his plastic bag and almost slips on the first step entering the hot tub. Beer in hand manages to catch himself on the banister and says oh man, close call. I'm in the hot tub trying not to make eye contact thinking okay well I guess I won't be in here very long :(. This man attempts to talk with me and I answer and ask the same questions back. Where you from, hows it going. Very little dialogue. As we sit there in silence I kind of feel bad. If I'm being honest, I have my certain judgements I've formed at this point. I think for a bit and figure, ahh whatever, lets see how this goes. 

What brings you to Regina, I ask inquisitively. For the next hour we embark on this very interesting and thrilling, sometimes gut wrenching conversation. The contents of what we talked about and what he shared with me were incredible to say the least. I would say one of the most interesting conversations with a stranger I may have had in my lifetime. With a man I poorly judged at first and made my assumptions about. This man, Gord, as I would later find out, tells me a very personal account of his life and asks me some very insightful questions. To summarize; Gord grew up in Vancouver, east Hastings, completing high school and went on to be a severe drug addict. All the drugs you can think of (he listed them off to me) until he was about 35 years old. The turning point was when he had a 21 year girl die in his arms of a drug overdose. He goes on to tell me that he's seen and held many other people who died of drug overdoses. This 21 year old was the final straw and something inside him changed. He went on to tell me that he found God and begged for help. After a year of struggling and dealing with withdrawal / recovery.. and trying to change his life he finally felt that he was ready to pursue something different. He went on to earn three separate degrees, Psychology, counselling and theology. The way he spoke, his understanding and ability to articulate himself in the subjects were impressive. I listened to him speak about the different experiences he's had in his life and how he had turned it around. How he opened up a charity to help recovering addicts in Grand Prairie because no one would hire him due to the shady and drug fuelled past he lived. It was truly a amazing account of his life. Now, recently his cancer that he told me about had progressed to stage 4. He took 10 weeks off work and traveled all around Canada handing out bibles, going sky diving 10 times and going to different cities (within Canada) speaking to homeless people and trying to spread as much good as he could. He was currently at the 8 week point of his trip and was sitting in the hot tub here in Regina. The way that he was speaking and how he presented his thoughts. What he talked about and just the way he spoke, how he interacted with me. It was truly remarkable from where he was to the man he had become today.  He said he was christian. It was just amazing listening to him. It's one of those rare occasions. You could just tell he had been blessed. It was really cool and I'm glad I got the chance to put my initial judgements aside and have this interaction. He said he was in the middle of writing a book - "From Hell to Heaven".  Be unreal if it actually came out and I got to read it. 

Moving on!

Regina was a great time, not only did I get to have that meaningful meet with Gord but the hotel was beautiful. When I walked to Shoppers Drug Mart to pick up some road snacks it was certainly apparent that it was a rougher city. It was dark and I was a little uneasy walking around but felt comfortable enough to do it. The interaction I had with the front desk personnel was awesome, she was extremely nice and ended up letting me park in front of the hotel in the unloading area because of my truck and trailer. I also got free parking which was quite kind. I put my industrial hearing protection on due to the drunken shenanigans going on in the hallway and in the room above me which was crucial to a goodnights sleep. Those people above me were running wild up there until 4 am LOL. So those lawn mower ear muff style hearing protection were key. 

Bright and early on the road to Winnipeg boy!! To see ma boi Stevie!

I barrelled down the highway trying to get to Winn boy a bit early because we had a hockey game to go to! Pretty uneventful drive except for hitting a new province, which is always exciting and gets me jacked up. Screaming and cheering in the Uhaul by myself. I'm not sure if I said this in a prevues post but music was extremely helpful getting me through those long drives and this was only the beginning. 

Lets rewind back to when I was working at a Hotel in Ottawa. The Lord Elgin, great staff (for the most part) and a 3.5 star hotel at best but looked much nicer from the outside. A massive victorian style hotel in the heart of Ottawa. I was working as a bellman/valet/concierge in the summer of 2011. It was really fun (that summer). It was a weekend and the folk festival was going on in the park literally right across from the hotel. Lots of performers, vast majority I'd had never heard of but great music, banjos, tambourines. It was a moderately sized event. Lots of people coming from all over to attend and perform. A van pulls up to the entrance of the hotel, I start helping them unpack their gear, putting it on the bell cart and initiate some friendly conversation. "Hey, I assume you guys are playing in the folk festival across the street?" I think there was about 4 or 5 guys long hair, bushy beards, tall and scrawny get out of the van. One says "Oh yea, have you heard of us? The Sheepdogs?" I shake my head no, "sorry man." A band, kinda just starting out from Saskatchewan. Within that year I hear some songs on the radio and not knowing its them start to really like their music. When I hear their name it doesn't even click. Then finally a few years after I had met them It clicks! Hey! I met these guys at the Elgin! Well here I am in Saskatchewan diving through, what better time to buy their album on iTunes (I know 5 or 6 of their songs well too) and cruise listening to them play! Boom did it and it was great, pretty laid back chill sound. Perfect for the roadddd

I finally arrive in Winnipeg and pull onto the street in front of Steves house. This will continue in the next post.

Good Bye BC, through Alberta and Hellllloooo Saskatchewan!

Here we go for the second instalment of the return to O-Town!

Yesterday I drove from Revelstoke, British Columbia to Claresholm, Alberta. It was alright, I was still in get the hell out mode so I was pretty excited to see that "Welcome to Albert-boy" sign. I don't remember driving through those rocky mountains when I initially moved from Ottawa to Vancouver.. Damn those were noicceeeee.. The drive itself was pretty uneventful aside form the unreal views through Banff and a flipped over transport truck I drove past. Just plopped over on its side on the rand hand of the road. See ya bud, hope you're alive but I'm peeling along out. It looked like it had been there for at least a few hours, like 4 maybe 12. 

When I finally was out of the mountains and skimming along through the heart of southern Alberta  I was a little more relaxed, not fully in the mindset that I was chasing but one step closer. 

I finally arrived in Claresholm, which is an hour and twenty minutes south of Calgary, I exited my wildebeest and was pretty pumped to see Woodsy. You know what...? It did not disappoint in the least. It was definitely the highlight of the trip so far. Woodsy that beauty, barby'd up some roast beef  that had been marinating for 24 hours, sided it with rice and a noiceeee fresh salad. He had this green sauce that he swore by and it was oooohhhhh yea finger licking gooood. The meat tasted like medium rare steak and the green sauce added a tasty zing to it. We sat at his dining room table, got caught up and then reminisced about all the wild adventures we'd been on. Soooo we drove up from Vancouver to the Yukon together, that was a unforgettable drive.. some cherished memories there from "getting pinched!" Then another day, being pretty screwed in the middle of nowhere with little gas and no towns or fuel stations in sight.. It was getting hairy for a little while until we randomly saw this back road that went God knows where.. oh where did it go? To a native reservation which had gas and the best bannock you can imagine. Dipping that bannok in hot vegetable soup with a full gas tank was pretty much the equivalent of finding an oasis in the Sahara when you're dying.. okay thats a little over dramatic. Maybe your in the Sahara and your injured and you're being followed and by coyotes and then you find shelter and food and a 10 star hotel! Then in Liard hot springs another day the paper bag and handle was floating everywhere.. ya it was a hell of a trip.

Anyway getting back to it here: Honestly seeing Woods and spending that time with him was incredibly meaningful.. it was calming, the joking and just a friggen blast. So happy it worked out that we got to see each other on my journey back. We washed the night down with some camomile tea which clunked me right out. Love ya brotha!  Kill it in your training! 

The next morning I woke up feeling quite energized and went for a 5k run. It felt great and got me primed for the road. A little breakfast a la cart Woodsola and I was on my way. 

There I was barreling down Alberta and headed for Saskatchewan. I felt good and finally started to really enjoy the road, although I hadn't reached my zen spot yet. I threw on some Stomp'in Tom Conners, who has literally the best music for driving across Canada. Seriously, check out "I've been everywhere man" it's originally done by Johnny Cash but Stomp'in Tom did a remake and it is awesome. Also check out "My Stomp'in Grounds", another beauty! There are many. Then out of no where I see it; 'Welcome to Saskatchewan!!!" the big sign with green writing and barley all over it. There I am screaming SASKATCHEWAN WOOOOOOOOOO, I'm in SASKATCHEWAN!!!!! Going absolutely bananas alone in Andrea the Giants car. Felt great. I'm going along, speed limit is 110, I'm going 120 which is pretty much the max speed for this Yeti and I'm soo pumped to be in Sask. All the land and terrain around me is yellow wheat fields, I'm excited, still excited, then getting hungry then theres no town or restaurant for at least 2 hours.. shitttttt. There is nothing is the majority in Sask hahaha, I found a gas station that had a big restaurant sign, pulled in.. soo hungry. Yep closed. Got couple of pepperoni sticks to tide me over and jumped back in the poncho. They tided me over and then finallllllyyyy finally, I'm driving along and there is that bliss feeling, that utter peaceful, clam. Entire relaxation from the mind all the way down through the chest and into the toes. A country song came on "Two of Everything" by Jack Marks (Check it out). It was that bliss that I was trying to find. I had finally achieved it on this trip. I enjoyed it and even took a video of the road / song in the background and sent it to the most wonderful person :) Kristine.

I would like to revisit what I mentioned in the last blog post. The living and doing things. This means different things for different people. One incredible way to live and be happy with your life is to have kids, a family and reach a sort of fulfillment that I don't know yet. But that is an amazing way to live and do things with you kids and wife that you couldn't do later on in life. I just wanted to clarify my thoughts on the fact. Everyone has a different way of living there best life. 

One thing I'm doing that has been a cool little side thing for the trip isssssss in every province I pass through I'm been visiting a craft distillery and buying a bottle of whisky. It started in Sicamous BC and then in Thorn Valley Alberta. Then today I went to Lumsden Saskatchewan. Tomorrow I'll be in Manitoba and look for a place in Winnipeg. Anyway, I thought this would be cool and I will only have some when people come to visit so they can try only little and it can last a long time. In Lumsden today there was a huge festival called the Scarecrow festival. The tiny town was packed and I had to manoeuvre the mammoth on some side streets.. that was a ton of fun. Oh yea did I mention theres a hell of a lot of nothing in Saskatchewan LOL. This town was pretty cool though. Then I finally got to "The Last Mountain Distillery" which is famous for their dill pickle vodka so I had to get a bottle of that too. The manger heard about my trip, where it began and would be ending so I threw on a store shirt and she was took a picture of me holding both bottles. She posted it on social media for their business. If you want, you can probably search on their instagram or FB and there'll be a pic of me. She posted it LOL. The most ironic thing is I don't even feeling like drinking so I don't even want to try these spirits for 2,3 maybe 8 months. 

I'm here now in Regine girl at a beauty hotel, had a little food and getting primed for the hot tub so excuse me while I indulge after a long and great day. By far the best full day of driving and just pure enjoyment thus far. Tomorrow I'll be headed for Winnipeg where I'll be staying with Stevie ! We're going on a little excursion which I'll talk about the day after tomorrow in another post.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Shaneola 

Oh by the way! loveeee the comments on the last post, I absolutely love those.

Also! Its time for the trivia section of this bloooogg. Here goes 

How much will it cost in gas for the entirety of the trip? you must post your answers on the comment section to be valid. There is a prize for the closest person but it must be a comment on this post. Good luck! 

For everyone who's not familiar with this blog or wants to see the comments, click on comments on the last post to see all the great things people have wrote. I love the comments.. 

Ottawa Ottawa Ottawa (The Return) - Surrey to Revelstoke

 Good Day Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls,

If you have enjoyed this blog in the past and have been hoping for a post then you are in luck! This is a special edition of the blog. 

The idea struck me as I drove passed Abbotsford, British Columbia earlier today. I have had so many thoughts flowing though my brain over the past week and my wonderful and beautiful mother mentioned to me a few days ago that I should write out what I'm thinking. What better way then the blog which I've appreciatively had some solid feedback from. 

Alright LETS GO! 

I have been living in the Vancouver, British Columbia area for six years now...... I drove out here from Ottawa in November of 2015. Holy Crapola six damn years.. where did the time go?! It has been an amazing experience. One that I'm very grateful for. It weirdly doesn't seem that long but at the same time feels like an eternity ohhhhhhhh yaaaaaaa, you or no!? Oh yea an eternity, I've done a lot of shite while out here in beautiful BC. I mean theres a lot of beautiful places in BC but ummmm sorry to say that Surrey isn't one of them (Keep in mind I don't consider Whiterock Surrey). I lived within different areas of Surrey for a good chuck of my time there. BUT! I've also had the chance to live in Kitsilano, which which pretty cool with the beach and close to the city where I watched a couple a Canucks games live.  Skied Whistler, Blackcomb hiked up the Chief and Grouse Grind so my time wasn't wasted. Road trip out to San Diego. Went up to Yukon for 4 months, I was lucky to do all that stuff. 

One thing I've learned, for myself anyway, over the years is, well.. here, go to youtube and play the song "Live like you're Dying" by Tim McGraw. I mean you can't in actuality live like your dying cause you need to be somewhat responsible but I like the idea and it encourages me to LIVE. To go out and experience as much as you can (somewhat responsibly) but to do things you can, while you can, before.. well.. you can't anymore. The older I get the more I realize I can't do what I did before entirely. Like.. Train for hockey and pursue a career innnn the NHL? The AHL? The ECHL? Nope nope nope. Well I can't realistically pursue that dream anymore but I did when I was 22 :) did I make it ? Nope. Did I make anything? Nope. Did I tryout for a University team and have a shit tom of fun doing it, get in great shape, drastically improve my hockey skills and fulfill a dream? HELL YES I did! And guess what.. I still play hockey and I love it. Okay Okay I'm ranting.. but I think you get the point.

Me going back to Ottawa is important to me. It's where I truly believe I'm suppose to be. You know what, I don't know if I would have really been able to say that if I didn't leave. One thing I really didn't know would happen is I would cry before I left today.. It felt so good and it felt so right to cry and release my emotions. I got to share a few special moments with some special people before I left. I did not think at all that I would cry when I left AT ALL. It just hit me all of a sudden (a few times). It felt a little weird at first and then I embraced it and enjoyed it. I'm a wuss right, I'm a bitch no? Any of the insecure macho's out there who think that can suck my Jane. I could care less, its about embracing how you feel and not feeling ashamed of it. Be who you are, not who you think you should be or who someone else thinks you should be. I have the most incredible parents and amazing friends who are sooo supportive and loving. For me it's about surrounding yourself with those kinds of people and building meaningful relationships where you're there for one an other and can open up to them or listen to them - too be just be there. It's important to me and I've been so fortunate that I have these types of people in my life. Not to mention I have literally the best girlfriend on the face of the earth. I can't say enough good thing about this woman whom I love with all my heart. She was the last one I saw before I set out on my cross Canada road trip to return home. It was one of the hardest things I've done having to move to Ottawa so far away from her. Love ya bab! Man, my fingers are just flying on this key board. Feels good. 

So I left today and I'm currently in Revelstoke where I'm hanging em up for the night. I'm driving an enclosed box Uhaul truck and towing my vehicle on a flat bed trailer behind. It's a big bastard and was certainly intimidating to drive at first but I'm starting to become more and more conformable as the kilometres pass. I had to stop at a truck weighing station to eat and go to the bathroom in the middle of the trip. I was getting tired and hungry so had to make the Pitt stop. I went into the out house thing they had, which was pretty big. I guess I wasn't really paying attention so after my piess I turned around and stepped in human shite which was on the ground. I was extremely impressed and wiped my shoe on the grass for about 25 minutes after. Jumped back in this beast and kept er goin. What should have taken me 5.5 hours today took me about 7 maybe 7.5, which is totally fine. Gotta go slow and take precautions when you're driving a 50 ft behemoth. This thing shams down gas pretty good too but hey gotta do what you gotta do. 

I finally arrived at the Sandman Hotel Revelstoke, I immediately checked in and did my dirty dozen pushups workout accompanied with a little back and abs all body weight. I guess that pushup routine is gonna stay with me until kingdom come. I remember writing about it in my first ever blog post when I as headed to Australia in 2011. After my mini, much needed workout (I did 11's by the way Phily, not bad) I ate and finally got to do what I was thinking about the entire drive.. any guesses? Starts with hot ends with tub. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh it was a treat. Cycling between the piping hot tub and the chilly pool to get the blood flow going. The night was capped off by a beauty call from my oldest friend and eventual best man J-Boy. Josher who lives in Halifax with his beautiful family. He just finished playing hockey. Which is how we became friends in grade 5, hockey is the sport that just never stops giving. We had a great chat. It was a splendid way to end off day one of my cross country road trip. 

I sit here now on my hotel balcony looking down at the hot tub and pool. It's been a long and anticipated day, one with so many emotions and thoughts. It's finally over and tomorrow I'll be heading to Claresholm Albert-boy where I'll be staying with Woodsy. Pretty damn excited! 

Six years.. well (as a lot know) turn into 16 years and then 26 years and finally 60 years.. nice to sit back and think about these things every once in a while. Living in Vancouver was a monumentis part of my life, the experience / growth has played a big part in defining important parts of me. Now I can only look back on the memories from my time in Van and reminisce with friends about the various incidents which have occurred. A long chapter has finally come to an end and a new one is unfolding as I type. Thank you to all the people who have played a part in making my time there memorable and invaluable. It's a part of my history now and I'll always look back at it fondly.

I will most likely not on the blog tomorrow and maybe write the next day from Regina !

Smell ya later

Shaner

Myanmar

We left Chiang Mai late afternoon on the forth of November. It was a bit of an interesting understanding, how I felt and what I was thinking. I mean, I was happy to have arrived in Chiang Mai only six days earlier, it was great to see Amphawan and I thoroughly enjoy the city of Chiang Mai and Thailand as a whole. The thing is, I've seen it all before it wasn't new, I've spent a lot of time on a different trip in Thailand so the culture wasn't shocking to me. The massages are great, the food is sensational, the people are kind and lovely. However, I did not yet experience the culture shock that I craved and ultimately live for. I did not yet get a chance to feel the complete shift of another country and their lifestyle which releases endorphins and a feeling of bliss in my mind. The feeling is like a drug that I chase. Chasing the dragon..

We took advantage of my Priority Lounge Pass at the Chiang Mai international Airport. This included a fifteen minute complimentary back and neck massage each, free food / beer and of course a strong wifi signal. It was a nice segue into another part of the trip and the start of Amphawans vacation. The food was decent and the beer was cold. Overall I was impressed, not to mention the staff was awesome.

The flight was an hour. When we were 30 minutes out the anticipation began to build and I started to feel that excitement, I was acting like a child (kinda like me and Scur boy do) Eye eye eye eeeeee shoe shoe sheeeeee su su suuuuu. Amphawan was a little confused at first but then her playful side came out and we had a great time preparing for our first introduction to the world of Myanmar.  Ohhhhhhhh I was jacked up, I heard so much from Willy Chia - his incredible stories about the culture and about his unique experiences within the wonderful Myanmar. I had high expectations, too high - somewhat unattainably high. You know what, this is what it is, living and learning and expecting. Expecting the best thing ever.. ohh this is gonna be the best place in the world, why? Because I haven't been there and I heard so many detailed incredible stories from other travellers.

We debarked the plane and headed towards immigration. Those immigration agents.. you never know what to expect with them.. they can make your day or ruin your trip. They can ask you to prove the world to them, its a matter of who you get and if they are reasonably going to assess you or look to pad their stats. Honestly I'd been thinking about this a little bit ever since I got approved for my visa a few months earlier. I did everything right.. but as a Thai citizen you can visit Myanmar for four-teen days without a visa. How long were we their? 14/15 days. How strict are they here? Easy peasy Japanesey. Done, we were in. It only takes a minute to be denied entry to a country. The consequences could be devastating, they could affect your whole trip and thieve away an experience of a life time, precious memories. BUT! If you shouldn't come in based on a proper assessment then you shouldn't come in.

The cab ride was about an hour from the airport countryside into the bustling streets of the city Mandalay. The traffic and how they conduct themselves while driving.. HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK. You can't drive two minutes without honking but it not like honking back home, its a honk here a honk there to say "Hey, I'm passing you" or "Hey, don't kill me, I'm a little scooter and your a panel van." Nevertheless the honking is endless. While we drove through the city and looked attentively at the structure of the streets, looking for bars - how did they look? Hmm I'll get to that. At the hotel the it was apparent immediately that the service was second to none. The people seemed genuinely friendly and happy to service any and all questions or needs. Check-in, drop bags, eat at the hotel anddddddd Amphawan what do you want to do? Pool table, ohhhh yea you do.

Tuk Tuk, whats up bra, can you take us to a bar? Yea sure. He took us to this open concept "restaurant / bar" Nothing like I've ever seen classified as a bar.. we were the only white people there.. well I was and she was the only Thai person and let me tell you they were looking at her much more than they were looking at me. It was fascinating for them to see a Thai girl, a gorgeous Thai woman. It was like they'd never seen anything like it before. Then there was me. a pure white cracka. They were all sitting at small plastic tables on small plastic stools. Ummm I think we should buy a beer and leave immediately. This was my introduction to Myanmar, all of my expectations as high as they were. They were shattered. We talked to another Tuk Tuk boy. He said there are no bar here. WHAT?! Really....? No bars (other than that back yard BBQ pour excuse for a bar we just came from) A shanty.. Okay okay lets think about this pragmatically. I presume there are restaurant / bars in high end hotels. Theres one across the street. Lets check it out. Roof top bar, nice. Go in, it was alright... we talked to an english speaking Burmese guy (for those of you who don't know, I'm guessing most of you do. Myanmar is formerly known as Burma. The people are called Burmese and they speak Burmese) Apparently, from what I was told by a Burmese guy on a boat the country's name was changed when they were liberated to Myanmar but honestly I don't know if this is true or not. My mind immediately goes to Rambo when he was in Burma. I'll have to check.

After talking with the guy on the rooftop I was a little discouraged because damn no bars.. and I have to be 100% honest, Mandalay wasn't a nice place. It was run down and much more povern'd then any other city I'd been to. We went back to the hotel and relaxed. We were very tired. I was hoping the next day would slank up my excitement again. For the time being the silver lining was the beer called Myanmar. It was solid and price was 2$ CAD for a big bottle 640 ml. I could get used to that.

The next morning I had an itinerary, two temples and the U-bein bridge. First we went to Mandalay Hill. We hit up Mandalay Hill first. It was suppose to have a spectacular view of Mandalay. Tuk Tuk there and a on the back of a truck to go up the hill. It was cool to see, it was a temple and the view was good. A little, okay okay yea yea I've seen this kind of thing many times. It was interesting to see the people and the layout of how they lived more. they didn't aggressively approach you to sell their goods. They smiled, but only after staring and you would typically have to smile first. The they would open up with their red stained decayed teeth, theres something called Betel nut here its like chewing tobacco but you don't chew. You Jank the concoction in your mouth on either side of your check. Then a red substances slowly slinks out and you spit it. Its gives you a nicotine like satisfaction. Then you spit a red substance. This stuff rots your teeth very badly, most peoples teeth here looks like they sucked Jane everyday then shammed out shite. Sooo I'll try it once but I haven't yet.

After Mandalay Hill I changed the itinerary, screw the other temple. We were going to U-Bein Bridge. A wooden bridge built in the 1850's. 45 minutes on a tuk tuk and we were there and it was coooooool. Crazy ass old bridge, no banisters. We watched fisherman cast their nets and wade out in this beautiful lake with boats and ready for taking out tourists. We took at this in while eating and drinking Myanmar beer. After we finished we went out to the bridge. Very long and high, not packed but a solid amount of tourists but more locals. Watching the peaceful sight of fisherman was everything I wanted and needed from Mandalay. Walking along that bridge and taking it all in was awesome. Then a woman approached me and said you want to free these birds from my cage ? I looked. You'll never guess what kind of birds she had.... not a sparrow or pigeon.. not a parakeet or parrot... hmmmm seems like a good next trivia question: What kind of birds did she have? We have them in North America. I have only seen this bird a few times in the wild, they're not common. They are beautiful too... I told her ohhhh yes they'll fly right back to you bud. no no they don't I promise... Ohhhh bud they do I promise. no or yea?! She tried to reel me in but then I saw these this Burmese guy drawing... what a talented individual, he said look I will draw in two minutes.. I said no way.. he did and I bought two outrageous black and white water paintings. They were $4 US for both. One for me and one for Amphawan. The whole evening was calm and perfect. Its what I wanted but not what I expected. The next day we were to on a a 10 hour cruise (big boat) not huge but perfect. I'd been looking forward to this for a long time and... I expected a lot from it.. damn why are my expectations so high! We would take a 10 hour boat from Mandalay to Bagan (town of 3000 temples and the hot air ballon ride).

We had to wake up at 5am for the a tuk tuk to take us to the jetty (where we get the boat). We boarded this beauty looking old school wooden, two story boat. When we arrived I was exxxxxx-cited! There was a bar on the top level on the open concept dinning and sun deck area. It was stupendous, they fed us well and we enjoyed every minute of it. One thing that I started to noice at that point in the trip was there were not a lot of younger travellers. There were people in their 50's and up for the most part. Don't get me wrong we did meet a few couples closer to our age for younger but it was apparent that an older demographic put on their adventure shoes and dove into the underdeveloped mystery that is Myanmar.

Thus boat trip was sensational, a perfect exit from the Mandalay chaos. I talked with a few of the Burmese bartenders for about and hour about the history of Myanmar and the civil unrest that is currently taking place in the north of the country by the Bangladesh border. Its always fascinating talking with the native countrymen of the places I visit, I'm not afraid to ask difficult questions so we have actual conversations. This is one of my favourite things bout travelling; speaking with locals and asking about the history (especially when the history is fascinating and there's been a civil war). Not too much happened on the boat trip but it was awesome and certainly an easy and relaxed way to go between two cities in Myanmar.

We arrived in Bagan and were excited to the see the town of 3000 ancient pagodas.

Bagan and The Balloons Over

Are you considering travelling to the underdeveloped and much less touched by tourists Myanmar? Myanmar is quickly becoming a destination sought out by travellers, backpackers and vacationers alike. In the last two years I have been to Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, China and now Myanmar - some of which on multiple occasions. With all that adventure under my belt I must say that Myanmar has both exceeded my expectations and caught me by complete surprise. From the outrageously cheap novelties the country has to offer to the immensely kind Burmese locals and the deep rooted unique history, the country has left an inherently strong impression on myself and how I perceive travel.

Although I flew into Mandalay I will be concentrating on the time spent in Bagan, a must visit for anyone who is adventurous to take the leap into the country that is Myanmar.

We arrived by boat from Mandalay at approximately 6pm in the evening. I was excited and filled with enthusiasm as I had heard nothing but good things from friends about the small two part town (Old Bagan and New Bagan). Quickly after negotiating the taxi fare (9000 Kyat) with one of the many local yet approachable taxi drivers we were on our way! My excitement was diminished within three minutes of the ride. All the taxi's were stopped at a small hole in the wall office and the driver advised me that it was necessary for me to pay a national park entrance fee.. The cost was $20 US dollars each, this is a large amount of money to spend in Myanmar. I immediately thought it was a scam and refused to pay. The taxi driver didn't know how to respond - I was visually upset and displeased with what I felt was a degree of extortion. Finally after about five minutes of deliberating with myself I realized I could not pass though without paying and anted up the $40 USD which paid for myself and my girlfriend. It left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth but I was swift to acknowledge and recollect the many times in Thailand or other South East Asian counties where a similar "tax or fee" was collected for entering a certain area. Therefore be prepared and realize, as I did, that although inconvenient it was a minuscule price to pay for what lay ahead.

It was about a twenty minute taxi ride from the boat docking area we passed though Old Bagan and arrived in New Bagan. As the name suggests its a more "modern" town compared to Old Bagan with many restaurants and shops catering to the tourist industry. For the first night we stayed in the Bagan Central Hotel with costed $20 CAD a night and it was beautiful, it was situated on the main road surrounded by many options of where to eat and offered scooter rental, as every hotel does.

Over the next five days in Bagan, staying in both new and old, we found our days consumed by scooter rides through the wide and narrow paths of red dirt roads where over 3000 ancient pagodas reside. Always trying to find new paths to explore it was incredible to experience driving through these endless beautiful fields captivated by the sometimes small, sometimes monstrous pagodas. You should be aware of the potential danger of flipping your scooter as the dirt can be too forgiving beneath you or take hold of your front tire like a vice causing you to catapult forward. We rented one scooter with myself driving 99.9% of the time because my travel companion was too afraid to drive. Who could blame her, in Myanmar the drivers are unpredictable and traffic regulations almost cease to exist. It's utter chaos, horns being sounded in every direction and self yield, self merge rules. Luckily Bagan was small and traffic was much less than bustling cities such as Mandalay or Yangon. She proved to be a voice of reason literally right behind my ear "don't go down that road!" "No no no! Not that way!" "That road is crazy, do you want to crash! I don't want to crash!" and the list goes on with reasonable yet sometimes irritating directions. Lets just say we met each other half way.  We went through some questionable routes, some of which we needed to turn around, which were then used as references of why I should listen to her pragmatic advisory. All joking aside it was magical. we felt as free as you'll ever could on those paths. It's like you're going back in time.

During our time in Bagan we had the privilege of taking a hot air ballon ride with the company Ballons Over Bagan. Although the price was outrageous I highly recommend this for anymore travelling to the area. Let me paint you a picture: you wake up at 4am to prepare for the transportation from your hotel. Depending where your staying it could be a 20-45 minute bus ride in an antique wooden bus which you are accompanied by other travellers destined for the same adventure. The bus is very quiet as people are half asleep and waiting to see what this excursion has to offer. You arrive in a flat field where your welcomed by tea, coffee, biscuits, are given a briefing on what to expect regarding your ride along and important safety protocols. Before I left for my trip I spoke to numerous people about the hot air balloon ride which I had planned. One question almost everyone asked my was; "Will it be safe?", "Aren't you concerned at all?". After the experience I can confidently say that you have nothing to be worried about, unless your afraid of heights. Our pilot was a British man (along with 90% of the other pilots) who had 30 years of experience. He was professionally skilled and reaffirmed his passengers confidence during his safety checks and vast knowledge of his craft.

The field went from a dark, desolate and flat platform to a fascinating fairy tale with over 50 enormous hot hair balloons exploding with life. Fire being blasted into these magnificent giants that expanded all around you. It reminded me of how I felt as a child on Christmas Day. As you age these types of feelings are few and far in-between. We acknowledged the significance of this experience even before stepping foot inside the balloon's basket, the pictures below we give you a slight indication of the marvel which took place that morning. Finally we were directed to get into the basket and slowly began the ascent over Bagan. Balloons to your left, ballons to your right, rising before you, after you, with you, they're everywhere! The radiating heat from the gas powered flame and sound of the roaring fire was magnificent, in the future when I see a camp fire beginning to take life it will act as a reminder for the that once in a lifetime experience I'm fortunate to have ingrained in my memory. Soaring high above the 3000 pagodas and the sunrise ascent was beyond special. we soaked in every second of the approximately 45 minute ride with no other option then to take in the beautiful views and watch the towns wake up beneath us.

As we prepared for finally we were advised that no landing is the same and there is always a possibility of the baskets tipping over after hitting the ground and dragging the passengers for an unknown period of time. A group of Burmese men sprinted to where we were about to hit the field.  Shouting and chaos ensued as the group of men tirelessly attempted to stop the basket from being dragged but the massive hot air filled balloon above didn't make it easy. They finally took control of the beast and waited until it was safe for the passengers to disembark until giving the order. We then walk a few steps to celebratory champagne and snacks. The company did a phenomenal job throughout the entire excursion from pick up to drop off at the hotel. The cost was $450 cad a person but was worth every penny and like previously mentioned I highly recommend. So if you're in the mood for a different type of trip filled with immense culture and less drunken young travellers then I would suggest looking in to Myanmar. This article is only one of the various intriguing and awe inspiring places that Myanmar has to offer. Pack your sunscreen and money clip and book today!