18 lanes of no fucks

Day 23 after waking up we head up to a largest temple in the new capital city on our way we got to enjoy the new freeway they have there as well. Its 8 lanes on each side so a 16 lane highway and no one is on the damn thing.  So willis and i cruised down the highway rolling with no hands going from side to side before we arrived at the temple. Before going in the temple there

the new temple in the new capital city

was a heard of white elephants across from them that are consider super sacred. Unfortunately these huge ass animals are in a pretty small cage that really only allows them to go about 25 ft front and back and maybe only ten feet left to right.  It was pretty sad to see but there were constantly fed the whole time we were there.  If you give a donation the guy on the other side gives each elephant sugar cane.  Also we were told by the guy that each night they are let out of the cage to wonder freely and take a bath down in the lake not far away.  I mean religion has done way worst so I guess it was not even slightly as horrible as some other religions.  After that we walked put the steps to the huge temple.  Its famous for the buddha statues inside because there is so much gold leaf placed on the statues that they kinda just look like a mushroom.  After about a 8hr ride we arrive in the valley to this huge ass lake.  We got checked into our hotel and I asked our guide if we

first sunset in myanmar

could go to a place to get Willis top box fixed.  He took us to this place where a guy was able to cut 4 pieces of sheet metal to make a plate welded it together and drilled out the holes for his box.  Unfortunately Willis did not think to bring the screw size to make sure its drilled wide enough so I guess we will find that out later once we put it back on.  We got back to the hotel just in time to catch the sunset over the mountains quick and went out for dinner and drinks.  We really have not drank at all since Thailand so I saw this cool pub earlier in the day when Willis was getting a plate for his top box.  So we cruised the streets till we came upon this pub.  Had a few beers and played a few games of pool but still were back in bed by 11. Day 24 woke up and got to

got to watch the youtube to really understand this shit

enjoy a day out on the lake.  After about a hour or so cruise to the other side of the lake we checked out the local market where I was able to buy my moms a magnet.  Loaded back up in the boat and headed back the direction we came from first stopping at a fabric place.  Now this will not give any sort of justice what so ever but I search youtube for a video of the process so hopefully you can understand it.  It was truly amazing to see the whole process. So here is two links that were semi good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgcL2olWIKQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zj6ur8AOGQ

knife making

If it really interest you can try and look deeper into just google Inle Lake Hand weaving silk and lotus.  it it was by far one of the most interesting I have ever seen in person in all honesty.  We had a short stop at a knife making place. Watch the 3 kids pound this knife into shape as another was getting heated up. After leaving there we went for lunch.  Next we stop at a cigarette n cigar place.  I do not remember the leaf that they use for this process but its all natural and what bonds the leaf together is sticky rice.  People who know me know i don’t smoke but willis gave the banana one a try and hit from the methanol one and the methanol one he said was insanely strong.  Once

me an the ladies

we left there we stop at a hand made silversmith watch him cut out these insanely tiny elephants that he was making for rings.  Look at the jewelry there buying nothing so we moved over to the Long Neck ladies.  yes this tradition still does exist and it was interesting to see.  They live in a small village far from Inle Lake but moved here to sell the items that they make.  I bought a little something cause they were so kind to let me take photos with them and eventually walked over to the next house

temples leaving the floating village

attached where they made paper.  It was interesting to see this process right before our eyes then showed how they decorate the paper and use them from umbrellas.  Eventually showing us how they made the whole umbrella which was out of bamboo with no mechanics  what so ever it open and collapse just from shaping a piece of bamboo inside bamboo.  On our way back to the hotel we passed a floating village before getting out and going back into the room to relax before dinner.  The guide took us to a little street food/restaurant near the hotel and god damn was it by far the best food we have had yet. That night we also got to purchase the local attire the Longy and hate all you want that shit is legit. Day 25 got back on our bikes and head further north to the place I

dripping the palm tree dry

was most interested in seeing the city of Bagan.  Just before arriving in the new city of Bagan we stop at a Palm liquor and food place.  The female palm trees produce a sweet juice where they make several different kinds of sweets with.  It was interesting to know they had to change these two pots they use to collect the juice every 2 hrs.  The male plan trees have a bitter juice where they made palm liquor. So after a few test sips convinced me to buy a bottle.   We then sat down there had some tea and ate some tea salad which I freaking loved.  I could of ate the whole thing but it was free so did not want to be that guy who just ate all of it.  After relaxing for a bit we moved into the new city and got into our hotel.  Again we had a pool and its been 100 degrees everyday since we got into Myanmar so right to the pool we went.  We were in bed by 8 cause we were to be up for the sunrise the next morning. Day 26 my mind was racing around like crazy so i was up

yeah blue sky and sunrise BLAH.. ill take a sunset

at 4am which was fine cause we were to be up by 5 so I just stayed up till Willis got up.  I will insert this is my first time ever in my life waking up on purpose to watch the damn sun come.  I hate mornings and care less about a sunrise but this city is known for one thing and its the thousands of temples here in the fields.  So I was hoping it was going to be worth it.  Needless to say the sun came up around 615am we were on a watch tower and like i expected it was not worth it.  I think Ill stick to my sunsets people are happier cause usually means work is over happy hour is around that time so the fun begins.  Anyways after waking up we went back to the hotel to rest for two hours before we started out day for real.  We

yeah that is all honesty the exact reflection in water

visited the first pagoda of the day that had some crazy interesting facts.  Took some photos of more gold leaf stuff and got a interesting shot of a little puddle where a whole is in the marble.  So somehow I guess a person must of notice this so they decided to not fix the hole in the marble.  At the right angle you can see the whole top of the temple in this tiny little water.  Anyways may sound stupid but i was impressed not really that you could see the reflection i was impressed on the detail of the temple that you could see the reflection to me that was

my little freehand engraving

kinda mind blowing.  So after that we visit a lacquer shop where they make almost anything out of bamboo and horse hair and use the lacquer on the inside for cups spoons bowls plates.  in the bamboo stuff this dude literally hand carves designs into them.  So he took my glassed and freehand a little elephant into my glasses. I again was amazed so tip him for his kind gesture and we carried on to lunch.  After lunch we visit two of the big temples in Bagan.  As i definitely appreciate them for what they were worth but this place is surrounded by 2200 some temples i would of rather gone to a little one where it was nice an peaceful.  We grabbed our photos sweated our asses off cause yes again another 100 degrees out.  That

Rocking our Longys at sunset time drinking not shitty sunrise with shit coffee smell 

night we try to catch the sunset on a boat trip but unfortunately right before we went out on the water winds an clouds came rolling in to shut us down.  We enjoyed the boat ride on the river it was a nice cool way of relaxing from a long day.  the night we grabbed din din and it may been the best dinner we had all trip and it cost us 4$ and i got to try pig tails for the first time.  Day 27 up and out of the city we keep making our way north but first I wanted to go to the smaller temples and take photos with the bikes at them.  So we did a little photo shoot with Bernard Becky and I brought Bert along to the party.  Grabbed some photos and got on out of there.  We made our way to the city of Mandalay.  We got checked into our hotel unloaded showered and our guides took us to a gold leaf

the amazing temples of bagan away from the trouism

workshop.  Now I have personally never seen a such thing as slave labor but knowing how much gold goes for and knowing everything in this country is getting painted with gold leaf I feel like there is no way any of these people are earning the appropriate amount of money for the physical hard labor they are doing.  These kids are beating this gold at the most 5hrs straight to flatten it out.  Thats the last step they beat two times before at 30 mins straight.  It was disgusting to see and made me hate the fact anyone in

worlds longest wooden bridge was not something i would go out of my for but could of been interesting when the water was high

this country would even dare to buy this pathetic materialistic item.  Well after seeing this we left and got to visit the worlds longest wooden bridge.  it was built in 1850 and is 3/4 of mile.  Unfortunately again it is the dry season so I am sure during the wet season it looks way more amazing.  But it was cool to see that one man decided to do this for his country.  We went to the center had beers and called it a day with our tour guides.  I looked into something to do that night cause I knew we had a short ride the

willis wrestling out with the comedian

next day to the next town. I found a comedy show in english literally only a few blocks from our hotel.  We cruised down there to get tickets and the guy out front told us he missed obama and arm wrestled willis.   We got out ticket grab some food and then head back there before showtime.  We were will aware it was going to be on the back side of a person house but it had 4 star review out of 191 so if you ever get off your high horse

politcal power

money hungry first would country you will appreciate a lot more of this world.  the comedy was okay he just made fun of the chinese and the politicians of this day.  Apparently his brother was arrested and killed cause of jokes he made in the past.  So it was a pretty surreal feelingg being there and knowing what there doing is completely illegal  which made me like it more.  It was only a short bit of comedy and anti government as well as tradition dancing that his wife and friends performed.  Overall it was okay we could not really understand every word he said cause he spoke low and the microphone had a crazy echo. Day 28 back on the bikes make a short ride north stopping at the the grand palace. Myanmar just

to much gold to much pain blood an suffering to even make that gold pretty sad

went through a recent election so the palace inside was closed.  After the palace kept cruising till we arrived at one of three most sacred buddhas known in myanmar.  Where again we saw this gold

leaf used beyond what it should be used for.  The buddha sculpture here is said to have 6in think of gold leaf around him.  Anyways after we saw this took some photos and moved on.  Next stop was the worlds tallest buddha but before we arrived we came to this buddha park in front that had over 1000 buddhas.  I personally thought it was incredibly creepy and awesome all at once..  all the same all staring in one direction i don’t know i like it ha.  so then we arrived to the tallest buddha 443ft i believe it was and in front

worldes tallest buddha

has a reclining buddha.  Your able to go inside tall buddha so we walked up the 13th floor literally half way before we made out way back to the bikes.  Next temple is known for having over 5800 buddhas and it was decorated completely different than the others with big ornate colorful designs. after this temple we continued our drive to the hotel had din and another early night. Day 29 we were planning on a 9hr drive north to the nearest city of india.  we made great time and arrived in 7hrs. The whole time we were in myanmar since we had tour guides willis and I unloaded some of our luggage off of our bikes into the guys van.  So once we got to out hotel we reorganized everything and loaded the bikes up yet again but do you remember when we got bikes top box plate made.  Yeah low and behold the holes were to small so had to get them customized real quick from a shop only a block away and then things went well.  We had our last dinner with the guides made it a early night cause yet again have to be up at 8am tomorrow.