This is part of the Trip Report So Long Mongolia, Hello SE Asia (December-January 2015) which covers:
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Yangon, Myanmar
- Ngwe Saung, Myanmar
- Mandalay, Myanmar
- Bagan, Myanmar
- Hong Kong
- Orlando, Florida
Catch up by reading the preview, The Banana Pancake Trail to Myanmar Starts This Monday, then the overview, Thailand, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Disney, Home, where the game time decision was made to leave Mongolia for good.
Tired of taking the bus, I thought it would be a great idea to float down the river from Mandalay to Bagan via the Irrawaddy River for ten hours. The cost was $50 per person while the cost of all the bus rides reported up to this point (RT Yangon to Ngwe Saung, Yangon to Mandalay, and finally Mandalay to Yangon) was only $85.
Sailing down to Bagan was described as a pleasant, romantic journey that included breakfast and all you could see nature. The first few minutes were tranquil as the ferry left port and began the trek. We were seated on the middle deck which provided many opportunities for taking photos.
Hours later the sights and sounds were the same and the snail speed was maintained. After an endless assault by mosquitoes, we went down below and sat idle staring out the window hoping that the itching, sweating, and general nausea wasn’t a result of malaria running through our veins.
Finally, night came and we disembarked from the hell boat and arrived in Bagan. Personally, I love boats and thought this experience would be a lot more rewarding and peacful. It ended up being interminable and insufferable. I would not recommend anyone take this rickshaw of the river. Stick with JJ Express VIP.
<==Back to Mandalay Travel Guide – Onto Guns & Butter: Bagan Travel Guide==>
