Toto, I think we're not in Cambodia any more

I have suddenly found myself in Myanmar and travelling solo. I've been here for just over 30 hours, but it has already been quite an eventful start.  A few examples:

• When I booked my flight out of Phnom Penh I knew that the one-hour I had to catch my second flight out of Bangkok would be tight.  I figured that with only carry-on luggage I would be fine.  What I didn't know was that the airline wouldn't issue me my boarding pass for the second leg of my flight until I arrived in Bangkok and that the cut-off time for obtaining my boarding pass was 40-minutes before departure.  Fortunately, my first flight was 20 minutes early.  It was still tight as I managed to pick the slowest Thailand Immigration line and I had to watch minutes tick away in the airline desk while 4 monks checked-in for what seemed to be their first time.  However, I made it with 5 minutes to spare.

• My good luck quickly came to an end upon my arrival in Myanmar.  The hotel that I had   booked and prepaid on-line had unintentionally misrepresented their location in Mandalay.  In reality, they were 80 km away.  I spent my first night in this old hill station town and the people at the hotel were so gracious that I felt bad about being pissed-off.  I kept trying to remind myself that this is all part of the adventure of travel.

• I took a shared taxi this morning to Mandalay and contemplated whether driving techniques are influenced by one's belief in reincarnation.

• With no baby naps on my schedule and no swimming pool's siren song I did an usual amount of exploring today.  I now have big blisters on both my heels.

• I have been travelling with quite a bit of US$ because everything I've read or been told is that there are no bank machines in Myanmar.  I went to a bank today to change money and smiled when I saw their ATM.  Myanmar really is stating to modernize.

• I had lunch today at a restaurant where there was no menu and no one spoke English.  I just pointed at another table's lunch and gave a thumbs-up.  The staff included a number of young boys who would curiously watch me eat and smile.  The cost of my lunch, which included a can of Pepsi, was about $2.  Nine hours have passed and my system is still good.

• I took a motorcycle taxi ride today.  It is still hard-wired in my brain by my Mom as being a total no-no.  I suspect that she wouldn't have been impressed by the lack of a helmet, as well.

• I asked about bus options for my trip to Bagan on Wednesday.  I was told that the 8 hour bus trip leaves either at 7 am or 10 pm.  Tomorrow I will investigate flight options.