A quick look at Rangoon....and 2hrs to go 8 mile!

Our last morning was spent back in Rangoon...where we birdied a local park and added the final lifers to the list...Rosey Minivet...beautiful! 

Ste and I had the afternoon free and decided with one of our compatriots to take a quick gander at Rangoon. Hoping in our taxi we speed off to come to an almost immediate halt as we hit our first traffic jam. 

We hopped out to take in the sights...The Reclining Buddha...and a rather large one at that ! 

The colonial buildings...a few still stand 

A stop at Scott's Market....where I found this wonderful device.....which if I were to have stood on it would have probably said.....'Thankyou... You are overweight and have bad taste in sandals...please get off!'

We spent the last hour of our tour at the Shwedagon Pagoda.....where it was decided my skirt was too short and I was required to wear a sarong thingy.....luckily Ste camera battery had died...so no pictures of me waddling around in desperate attempt not to fall over whilst detanlgng myself from its hem.

Oh yes...it really did take us 2 hrs to drive 8 miles back to the hotel !

 

Lake Inle.....and is that a Chinese Grass Bird?

After Mount Victoria we headed off to Kalaw in the Shan State...and found ourselves the first bottle of wine of the tour....a nice fruity Burmese number! Once again it was up and out early, trekking a narrow trail through thick temperate forest progressing in an upwards direction...so there was some degree of puffing and panting...with the occasional stop to look skyward and catch our breath!

We then took the long drive to Lake Inle...in search of Jerdons Bushchat and Chinese Grassbird...the latter only being discovered in the area a few years a go...and missed by one of my more illustrious biding buddies!  Inle Lake is wonderful...though at 6am it is still shrouded in mist and you wonder if the motorised boat that you can hear hurtling towards you will see you in time !

We stopped at the Lakes birding hide...where the walk way to the toilets was a little bit scary !

The sun rose to reveal more wondrous scenery

Rapidly accompanied by the upping of the umberlla, before we got too toasted

Oh yes...we had wonderous views of Jerdons Bushchat....bloody awful views of Chinese Grassbird....but I'm not complaining!   

Lifers and Life without the Internet

We spent five nights on Mount Victoria in the Chin State....with no internet or phone access! It was dawn to dusk birding...well pre dawn & post dusk...so that's 13 hr days..getting up at the oh so delightful time of 04:15...scoffing toast and a cuppa...before hitting the road. I use the word road in the losest possible tense....more of your deeply uneven...dusty dirty track, which winds up hill...with a Burmese driver who scoffs in the face of blinds bends....and has a almost fundematal aversion to changing gear! So we were thrown around in the back of our hardy four wheel drive! To add to the fun we often wondered if the local bridges would take the 4WD loaded with heartly fed birders! 

These driving roller coasters were interspersed with some exceptional birding....but I will not bore the pants of my non birder mates....but each night a bird was toasted with the local brew! My favourite bird was the Spot Breasted Parrotbill..little stunner as well as Mrs Humes Pheasant.

To add this wonderful abundance of avifauna...the scenery was well....breathtaking...each morning we  witnessed the sunrise above the clouded landscape below.....and have been serenade by Hoolock Gibbons calling in the distance....! 

We spent a little while pondering the park rules and regulations ! Then promptly gave up !

For those of you who are interested in my ability to fall on my arse at least once on holiday....not one to disappoint...i ended up only once in a horizontal position..so have a few more scars! 

Temples, Temples and Do I really have to get up @ 03:30!

A Blog Backlog ! 

Up at some ungodly hour this morning...you would think I would get used to it...but I really do hate getting up at 04:15!..and snaffling breakfast in the dark...God knows what your actually eating! Today we did a boat trip up river and added to the life list with some stupendous views of White Tailed Stonechat and River Lapwing...much discussion over a Minivet species....and scanning the banks for the ever absent Small Pratincole. All of this on the Irrawaddy River...which the King and Queen of Norway were to visit the day after we left...the locals were hastily building a road...read..dirt track..and reception area...visualise white picket fence..at end of dirt track....neither of which were needed in my humble opinion as this country captures both heart and soul! 

Birding is very tiring as you can see !

We joined a break away faction in the afternoon and rented a driver..horse and rickshaw contraption and meandered around the temples of Bagan....we had after all notched up all the expected birds on day one! I will confess it's not the most comfortable way to travel for 4 hrs.....with only room for two you get toasted by the sun at the front or suffer a sore butt sitting at the back....I heartily enjoyed equal measure of both! 

Our enthusiastic rickshaw driver encouraged us to climb the dark, dusty,  steep stairs...bare foot....up to the top of a temple! You emerge into the sunlight and gasp at the view, as far as the eye can see there are temples...it is mesmerising....you just look out in wonder.....!

As the sun started to desend we bounced along to our final temple..climbing our final set of steps to sit and watch the sun go down...a moment  that I will never forget! 

Oh yes...the other thing I won't forget in a hurray...our guide reminding us that we were leaving at 4:00 the following morning...such a joy to set the alarm for 03:30! 

Burma...Day One...Temples and Rain Quail

Arrived in Burma yesterday...sign at the airport which I did not study....so I hope I do not cause any international incidents whilst away! Anyway overnight in Rangoon with an early morning flight to Bagan!

First full days birding around the temples of afore mentioned area...all target birds achieved...particularly enjoyed the formation walking through grassy scrub as the sun went down...in order to flush Rain Quail......got 4 of the little critters!  Words truly aren't enough to describe this place...not sure the photo does it justice...(hasten to add not one of mine)

Our group of birding buddies are multi-national..with good spatterings of warped humour! Local beer is acceptable...comes in 640ml bottles...so hoping it will assist in rapid snoozing before the snores commence! 

Snails, Owls and Leicetster City

One night stop over in Bangkok...greeted by signs for a product called Snail White....a teeth whitener.....not sure it would catch on at home...YUK! I found a Spotted Owlet in the tree outside our hotel this morning...non birders...looks like this...not my photo! But he looked just as shocked at seeing me!!!!

Probably most oddest encounter today...a Leciester City FC store at the airport.....they did not seem to be bothered by my comment that they were beaten 2-3 by QPR yesterday! 

Perhaps I will find an Ipswich Town FC Shop at Rangoon Airport....see they beat Charlton Athletic...hurray John and Chris!!!!

Quick Recommend !

For the beer lovers amongst you...came across a rather good IPA by Camden Brewery whilst whiling away a few moments at Terminal Two...also shopped a little.....lovely! Now sat patiently waiting for Captain Kitty !  Might have to break out the emergency ration of Cadburys Whole Nut shortly!