Bagan Myanmar
The next stop on Lance and Michelle’s adventure is to Bagan Myanmar!
There is a new toll road from Yangon to Mandalay making for a quick-ish 400 mile journey. Tolls seem to be paid in some places and in others one just waves their ticket. Not sure about the system yet. More than adequate height for any model EarthCruiser.
Dual lanes each direction with a 100 kmh or 60 mph speed limit. Slowing down on gentle curves and when overtaking seems to be standard procedure. People, children, dogs and motorbikes cross at any point.
Roads are shared with a variety of motor and animal driven vehicles. The bullocks don’t react to the constant honking when overtaking.
Myanmar must be preparing for a boom in road travel with large rest stops every 150-200 miles. Clean bathrooms, spacious parking (ideal for an EarthCruiser rendezvous point), and ample snacks are the go. Don’t expect McDonald’s yet but other local options are available. Fuel is both 92/95 octane and there are two varieties of diesel one high sulfate and the other Euro 4 standard. Feed is also available for your water buffalo teams.
Driving tip—road markers are both miles and kms.
Other local roadside options exist for a quick bite or bathroom break. I hope these small shops and restaurants can stay in business in a changing world.
Northern Myanmar
Northern Myanmar is rural and goods are still moved by bullock or water buffalo carts. This is the main sealed road between the highway and the major cultural destination of Bagan. Everything else is unpaved and with the right vehicle like an 4×4 FUSO EarthCruiser (short and narrow wheel base and low height) can be explored easily . The Burmes are a very welcoming and proud people, they love to show of there wonderful country.
Sometimes the head makes the best carrying device. Locals are not always looking both ways before they cross a high way, hard to do when carrying heavy loads on ones head.
