Choo choo

A jolly crew set off early to catch the train today. Our departure station was about an hour away straight up the main road to China.  The train starts in Mandalay but, as the track is not the best, it only manages around 24 kms per hour.

The little station was quite delightful.  There was a little 'buffet' and a few ladies with little baskets laden with everything that the weary traveller might need: cake, crisps, quail eggs, beer, cigars etc. I bought some quail eggs, 5 in a little packet for 15p. The train arrived  half an hour late, but we didn't mind as the station was an interesting place to be.

Off we set for our one hour journey where buses would be waiting to ferry us back to Maymyo.  It will not surprise you to hear that Adrian, along with mechanic Richard, managed to ride the whole way in the cab.  I don't think Richard will ever stop smiling!  Travesing the Shan Plateau, the scenery was, as always, ravishing.  The highlight however, was crossing a very deep gorge on the  Gotkeik viaduct! a trestle bridge built by the Pennsylvania Steel Company in 1900.  At 2200 feet long and 820 feet high, at the time of construction, it was the second longest bridge in the world and the largest in Asia.  We slowed to 6 kms to cross the creaky old lady.  It was fantastic - if a little scary!

On returning to Maymyo we went for a little carriage ride around some of the old colonial buildings which are deeply atmospheric and pretty untouched since their colonial occupants left.  It was easy to squint and imagine their former glory.  Happily, Julian had found the house where his father was born, less fortunately, there was no one at home to allow him in.  It is exactly the same as in the contemporaneous photograph he had of it.

Dinner was at The Govenor's House.  Actually, it has been faithfully rebuilt as an exact replica and is now an hotel. There are just five rooms in the main building with little chalets dotted around at the rear.

What a place!  Stunning, stylish but with one rather special and, quite frankly, bonkers addition.  The hallway is filled with waxworks depicting former Govenor's.  Eerily realistic but with scary staring eyes and green tinged skin, in some cases.  Photographs of the real people were displayed alongside. One model, sitting in a chair in a tuxedo had his arm stretched out and his hand poised looking as if a gin and tonic was about to be placed there.  Freakiest of all though was the model of Sir Harcourt Butler, who quite obviously shares genes with Richard Cunningham. It was uncanny, even down to the model having a liittle bit of cheek stubble.  Running my hand across both cheeks felt exactly the same! Sadly, my waxwork pics are not that good as I only had my ipad and did not realise that it was set incorrectly.  But you can imagine the scene - and the hilarity!  We were served French champagne and Shan food.  What a hardship this rally is. I'm sure that it was one of Kate's more memorable birthdays too!