All the reading we've done in preparation for, and during, our trip as well as the advice given by the MTT (Ministry for tourism) has told us we cannot go south from Dawei. The advice is sometimes "not at all", occasionally "special permission" is mentioned. We have heard though that travellers can get there. We decide we've got to try.
The bus journey from Mawlamyine to Dawei must be undertaken at night by foreigners, the day bus is only available to locals. The road is 90% unpaved and unless you've drunk a half bottle of whiskey like my travelling companion you are unlikely to get any sleep. My inner rebel keeps me awake and I peer through the dust until it becomes unbearable and I have to close the window. It's heavily tinted but I can still just about see. We pass through numerous villages and towns with no one in sight from 8.30pm. They're either all at a party somewhere or there must be a curfew. A second carriageway to the road is under construction, possibly that's why we must travel by night. We've read that roads are constructed by forced labour including women and children, which we have in actual fact seen, although we'd no idea at the time it could possibly be forced labour.
A switchback road climbs us up and over the mountain, accelerating wildly between bends and breaking heavily for them. I wish I'd bought my rosary, Adrian snores on beside me. Several times the driver's mate hops off the bus and slowly guides the driver onto a bridge, just two tracks for the wheels to go on. My view of these proceedings is a reflection in a trim on the underside of the luggage rack, I can see the bridge in all it's glory and the dark gorges below. Hail Mary full of grace.....
We reach our destination of Dawei exactly on time, 5.30am, to be met by the usual mob of taxi drivers pushing and shoving. Our packs are so dirty from the dust on the road I'm not sure they'll ever be clean again. My nerves are rattled and I need coffee so the taxi drivers have to wait. We finally arrive at the Dream Emperor Hotel, seemingly the cheapest place in town with hot water and immediately avail ourselves of the facilities.
Dawei was the first place in Burma to be taken by the British during the first Anglo Burmese war in the 1820s, it has only recently been connected by road to the rest of the country. It is very reminiscent of Kentung, a hark back to the old days. The people of the town do not see that many Westerners and everyone wants to wave and say Hello, we raise many a giggle when we respond "Hello, Mingala ba".
Boat tickets are purchased with relative ease, the only problem being the language barrier, Mingala ba can only get you so far! Another early start beckons and at 1am we're sat outside the ticket office awaiting the truck to transport us, our fellow passengers and what feels like a full seasons supply of tomatoes. The boat departs at 4am and we have the upper deck pretty much to ourselves, a video of Buddhist monuments with a Buddhist chant soundtrack plays loudly but we manage to sleep. The boat motion stops waking us up and we're just drifting. After about 20 minutes it starts again and we head off to the first stop of Myeik.
The archipelago consists of 4000 Islands and atolls according to the Burmese government although apparently British Surveyors state less than 900. Many are uninhabited with only the sea gypsies occasionally visiting them. It feels like we are sailing past paradise, tantalising glimpses of white sand beaches and atop the tallest mountains, the glistening of golden pagodas.
After 11 hours at sea we reach Kawthaung the southernmost point of Burma. A town that is completely bilingual, and trades in 3 currencies, Kyat, Baht and Dollar. Our hotel is the Penguin, immaculately clean and reasonably priced. Dinner tonight is a tasty red chicken curry, my first good meal in 3 weeks. It's devilishly spicy but I can't leave it, all washed down with lovely Chang beer.
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