Trip 2015-16. Day 325. Myanmar, Mandalay - Hsipaw

Today we took a 4am train from Mandalay all the way up into the mountainous Shan State which borders with China and Thailand. We chose ordinary class ($1.50 a ticket) to Hsipaw, the ride was twelve hours, and was very bouncy on the wooden benches and breezy through the open windows. Only local people usually travel by this class, it was packed with sacks of vegetables and fruits, baskets and bags. Our morning sleep was constantly interrupted by a cock which was apparently hiding from a conductor somewhere under the bench nearby.

The upper class looks like this:

All the Myanmar railways were built by the British in the XIXth century. The carriages are old and from China, they are large for the narrow gauge, causing the bounciness.

A key landmark on the journey is the Gokteik Viduct built at an early point of the XXth century. Its silver legs extend deep into the gorge as it bridges the two sides of a dramatic canyon.

We've witnessed a lot of beautiful moments during the trip: people sharing food, smiling at each other, cuddling little children. This boy, who traveled with his parents, was curious to see the pictures I took of him so he moved to our bench and stayed with me. He was very smart and keen to learn.