It's been up there at the top of my list of countries to visit soon for a few years. I've watched the movie about the life of Aung San Suu Kyi ("The Lady") twice. I've drooled over the charts but keep hearing just how hard it is for cruising yachts to access. So when I needed to extend my visa temporarily before my return to Australia it was a no brainer: visa run to Kawthaung (Victoria Point).
After reading the frequent horror stories about mini bus nightmare visa runs in the local newspapers and blogs I opted for the locals' bus ride. Plus I wanted to spend a night in the border town of Ranong.
The trip took forever. I was practising counting in Thai and lost track at 33 stops in the six hour journey. It was all jungle, small towns, rubber trees, clumps of colourful spirit houses, election billboards and more jungle out the window, to a sound track of Thai rock on the TV. The clock next to the TV would climb its way up to a couple of minutes to nine, then be dragged back down by gravity. The second hand unwinds. Whenever I dozed I would wake up to the clock telling me it was still two minutes to nine. Looks like deja vu again Yogi.
Southern Thailand zooming past my window
I spent the night at the Thansila Hot Springs Resort in Ranong. Great value, really comfortable bed, with the river running right past the picture windows and burbling through my sleep.
View from my room
The hot springs were about half a kilometre away. Seriously weird concept dipping in a 65 degree C pool after the hot and sweaty walk up the hill in the tropics, but I think it was therapeutic.
The next day I took a longtail ride over to Myanmar, passing through three checkpoints to get there. On the short walk to the immigration office I was joined by three cheerful and helpful Burmese fixers who tried to talk me in to buying
Duty free cigarettes. ("No thanks I don't smoke")
Duty free rum. ("No thanks, I actually prefer to drink wine")
Duty free Myanmar wine. ("What colour is it - red or white?" After conferring among themselves they decided it was a clear colour, 300 baht for two litres. "Oh thanks anyway but I'm not sure it's the kind of wine I drink")
Yahbah. (At this point I just laughed and pictured myself starring in an episode of Locked Up Abroard.)
I was happy to tip them for their help. They made me feel so welcome and made me laugh for most of the short time I was on Myanmar soil, although I admit I gave them a little less than their suggested $US1000 each.
Next time I go to Myanmar I'm going stay as long as my visa allows, in a hotel that is.
