Our train started at 4am sharp. The speed was higher than expected. Breeze came through the partially opened windows and the car waved rhythmically as the train puffed. Within the first five minutes of journey, the first rucksack fell from the luggage tray as the train swayed. Cabin classes are Upper (U), First (1) and Ordinary (O). Have read that foreign visitors could take First class; however, we did see quite a few tourists on Second class which greatly enhanced interaction with local people. Three hours passed easily and we already left the flat land and was climbing up. Bushes on both sides are intense and constantly hitting the car as it comes through, making sound of rolling films. However to the passengers on window seats, it felt like shooting bullets or waving swords which ended up with a full body grassy-leafy 'scrub’. 點擊圖片放大 +2 On the way, we encountered very different landscapes: inhabitants' residences, chrysanthemum farm, rice field, corn field, daisy farm, valleys, low clouds, viaduct... the best activity was to stop over and got a chance to stretch legs and body every few hours. In every stops, there were food sellers mainly and not souvenir targeting tourists. One of the interesting stories was that there were at least three times that the train went backward after a short pause. We suspected it might have been got into wrong tracks and finally realised it was climbing up a Z-shaped track on hill. The bumpiness was so enjoyable which makes this train journey very unforgettable as well. Absolute FUN! Gok Viaduct is the highlight of this train route. The sleek viaduct in white appeals to many cameras. This appeal is too strong that passengers were all so eager to linger around windows even if the train was still in a far distance from it. Everyone wants to take a beautiful shot of this gifted creation. The locomotive slowly dragged the car to the viaduct and unveiled the magic from both sides: on the left it is a very very deep valley with a river flowing through while on the right side, the mountain ridge is long and lush with a graceful waterfall almost lost in sight. The hidden gem is the old viaduct in far deep down the valley which is not in force but still significant in its historic value. 點擊圖片放大 +4 Post-highlight it came to a calm moment when I was curious about the massive corn field that we passed by. It was dry and post-harvest season but there were still a lot of dried and almost brown corns left in the field. We did not know why until our local guide told us those corns were to be used as animal feed after powdering. According to the route, our destination (Kyaukme) is two stops after the viaduct. It has come to an embarrassing moment that we did not know which stop we arrived as there were no stop announcement and English signs at any platforms. All you can do is to match the little and tiny circles of the Burmese characters to figure it out, or attempt to pronounce the English name of your destination and 'test' the locals' listening skills. Our train only stopped for less than a minute at the second stop after viaduct. At the moment when I was hopping down the steps at the train door, the train was just starting up again. Seeing no one at the station, it was fortunate to know that we did not miss it and that was just a minor local stop. No more than another thirty minutes we finally arrived with amazing memories. Joy, our hiking expert was already waiting for us right in front of the train door on the platform!
