RTM Mission cont...

So, when we stopped typing last night we'd got as far as the longyi cocktail party on the top deck - very cool!! We had some dinner in the very plush restaurant, then we all had to assemble on the top deck at about 2145hrs for a surprise on the river - the crew wouldn't tell us what it was at all...

So, off we go (luckily they'd turned all the lights off so we didn't get eaten to death by buzzy things!!) and on the river below us and floating around both sides of the ship were thousands of yellow and red bamboo candle-holders with tea lights in - it was a pretty awesome sight, for sure!!

Normally, they have the Festival of Light in November after the Buddhist Lent finishes and it's meant to be an auspicious time for couples to marry. On this occasion though, as it was March, they had done this just for us as we were on our honeymoon - we have a suspicion that Captain John may have had a hand in it because he knew there was going to be a surprise before we even left the country!!! A very cool finish to a really relaxing day :-)

The next day was not quite so relaxing - we were up quite early in the morning as the RTM docked at Bagan at about 0845hrs and the tour for the guests left at about 0900hrs. Not for us though, oh no!!

Mike had organised for a donation to be made to the Buddhist Monastery at Bagan just up the steps from where the ship berthed. As part of this donation, he had arranged for the head monk type chap to bless our marriage and have the whole crew from the ship come and have lunch with us - normally in Myanmar, if you get married you have to provide munch etc. for about 400 people so I think he got away quite lightly with about 76!!

The blessing basically involved food being set out on the table for the head monk and three others, Mike and I had then to sit on either side of the head monk and lift the table three times while he chanted his blessing. Only after we had done the table lifting could the monks accept the donation of food.

It was a really special morning actually, the head monk was a very smiley person and he seemed to enjoy himself hugely! The food was made locally and consisted of various chicken, fish and pork dishes as well as lepetho salad (made partly of tea leaves, very yummy!) and lots of rice. Mike and I had to stay there until the whole crew had been in to eat, which took about 4 or 5 sittings, and we definitely couldn't leave until the Captain of the RTM had been to share the food with us.

So, after everyone had had enough to eat we went and had our picture taken next to the steps that Mike had paid to have restored while he was working on the ship - the steps have got a big plaque on with his name and the date written in english and burmese. We then got bombarded with stuff and chatter by all the kids that Mike had met and taught while he was on board the ship. Even though it had been 4 years since he left, they all still remembered him and crowded around to talk to him.

We'd brought 2 little albums of photo's of our house and us getting married to show people, so we got those out and within minutes the children were all asking if they could keep a picture from the albums!!! Luckily we had enough to go around, but it seems kind of surreal to think that there are photo's of Auntie Peg, Mum, Dad and Nana pinned on walls somewhere in a village in Burma - who'd have thought!!

In return of course, we got given lots of presents - a bamboo bracelet, lucky money, thanaka to put on my cheeks to stop them getting sunburned and longyi for me (at a discounted rate of course!). In the afternoon, when it had got a bit cooler (the temperature at Bagan was approx 40c) Mike and I took a boat across to the sandbar for a romantic stroll in the sunset - with about a dozen of the children, all aged from about 5 to 12 years!!

It was very cool, Mike and all the boys ended up soaking wet from running around in the water while the older girls and I were far more sedate and laughed at them while taking photos of their antics!! Unfortunately, it wasn't long before we had to go back to the ship but I reckon they were all tired out from the running around and amateur gymnastics they were doing, so as least their Mum's would have been happy!!

After all that, we had to get back onto the ship covered in sand and (in Mike's case) soaking wet!! So Mike led me on a mission through the staff quarters, which are suprisingly big (although the cabins themselves are teeny), all the way to reception to get our key and then in to our room to get showered and changed for dinner - I dread to think what house-keeping thought when they saw the state of the shower mat and wet clothes draped around the place!!!

The next morning we were up bright and early to have breakfast ready for our transfer to the hotel in Bagan, the Hotel @ Tharabar Gate (worth a look online if you can find the website). We said goodbye to the kids, who were waiting at our car, and handed out our home and email addresses, then we were away.

It didn't take very long to get to and, given the expenditure of energy the day before and the searing heat, we spent most of the morning dozing. Later in the afternoon, we spent an hour or so lying in the sun on our own little veranda type thing, then showered and headed off for a walk around Bagan.

The pagodas are spectacular around here, and there's a fair old number of them. It was awesome to watch the sun go down and the lights on the bigger pagodas get switched on. Many photos were taken!! We then stopped at a tea shop for a cold drink, and caught up on some of the Japanese soap operas (subtitled in burmese, of course!). We figured it was about time to head back to the hotel then, and seeing as we had a couple of hours to spare, we booked ourselves a Thai Massage in our room - very very relaxing and I highly recommend it, Mike had obviously had one before and I think he actually might have dozed off at one point!!

We had to be up reet early this morning, which is Sunday 1st April, in order to get to Mount Popa before it got vastly hot. On the way, we stopped at a market, which was bustling with people selling all kinds of things - our guide bought us a packet of the local product which, surprisingly, turned out to be potato crisps!!

After that, we stopped off at a toddy farm. And yes, it did involve alcohol!! It's a little palm sugar factory in a hut on the side of the road and there are quite a few of them as you go along - there are lots of toddy palms growing and they collect the juice from the male plants to distill into "Sky Beer", which is very similar in smell and effect to Scotch. I think it's about 40% proof, so we only had a sip to show willing!!

We bought some palm sugar sweets, which are very sweet let me tell you, then headed off to Mount Popa. When we arrived, it was kind of over-whelming - there were a lot of people there and most of them for one reason only, to climb the 777 steps to the top of the mountain in order to make an offering to Buddha.

It was kind of steep and the steps were sometimes quite precarious, but the views at the top were definitely worth it. It was obvious why the local people feel closer to Buddha there and make the hot and tiring climb so often. It's 800m above sea level at the top. Again, many photos and lots of video was taken!!

On the way back down, Mike bought me a little sandlewood Buddha and also a teakwood Bodyguard - locally made and very beautiful. I think the lady at the stall would have made him buy something else too, she was a very good saleswoman but Mike had none of it!!

As part of the days tour, we went for lunch with our guide to the Popa Mountain Resort, which was down a valley and up the other side. It was about 300m higher than the top of Mount Popa and, because it was hazy down in the valley all we could see was the mountain on the other side with the temple on top - it kinda felt like being on top of the world!!

We had a surprise on the way back down, as our guide took us to a Medicinal Plant Research Centre. Most unexpected in a place where much of the land is parched and sandy. We took lots of photos of the gardens there (which Nana would have loved, and probably would have filled her handbag full of bits from!!) and then came back down to Bagan.

And that's where you find us now, although a lot less grubby having had a well earned shower!!

It's off to Inle Lake tomorrow, via a place called Heho (how cool is that?!). We're going to be staying at a place called the Inle Princess, which is a teak hotel situated on the edge of the lake. Apparently, I have a few more suprises coming my way so I'll let y'all know what they are when I do!!!

TTFN chaps, catch up again soon hopefully....

Lots of love,

Mike and Nicky xxxxxx

p.s. very cool to see some more wedding pics, thanks Mum :-) xxx