busy time in Bogalay

Bogalay is a town in Irrawaddy delta, area that has been closed to tourists since the cyclone Nargis. Recently the requirement to get a permit for going there was abolished. So we go without. It seems that it's not any easier to obtain information about the delta from inside Burma than from outside. Thiri has been to the bus station to ask about the area from people who arrived from there to Yangon.

A painless bus ride through greenery. Water buffaloes are back, as is rice.

After checking in to a a hotel we take a stroll in town. Quickly we get dragged along some celebrations and events that are difficult to describe. It involves some statue, the river, a lot of eating and monks. Next day we have to rise before dawn, wear Burmese skirts, feed the monks, eat, wait, eat some more, wait some more, visit temples, visit a home, meet a lot of important people, ride a boat and visit a dance and comedy show. Exhausting.

Second day is a bit easier. We take a boat to see a crocodile and then to Kadonkani island. It is an island from where we could go to watch turtles laying eggs. The actual egg laying place is on another island and our boat is too little to go there. So we leave it for next time after some hesitation. Still we manage to look like adventurers on an exploring trip, gathering a band of followers to carry our trophies. On the way back we meet an elephant and call in a small temple and a rice mill.

Lot of conflicting information whether  it is possible to go to Pathein by boat. The main problem seems to be the conviction that the boat is not good enough for white people. We respectfully disagree.