Stepping out of the immigration booth, I started walking down the street. Suddenly, a man approached me telling me he could take me to Hpa An for 10,000 kyat ($10). Hpa An is quiet far and the buses cost double this amount, so I didn't believe him. Nevertheless, I figured it'd be okay as long as I didn't pay him until I arrived. It was shady, but Myanmar is a shady place.
After a bit of waiting he drove me to a copy-shop to make six copies of my passport for the checkpoints. I was relieved to hear this, meaning he did intend to take me to Hpa An and police would see me with him.
An interesting thing to note about Myanmar is the driving situation. The roads are oriented like they are in the Inited States, however, the cars are British-style. This means passengers are always closest to traffic, not drivers.
The road to Hpa An is extremely treacherous and the drivers drive very fast. I have driven on some of the most dangerous roads on Earth, and few compare to the insanity of the Burmese drivers on this particular route. Furthermore, traffic only goes one way on even days, and the opposite way on odd days. The rule, however, doesn't seem to apply to motorcycles. This makes it absolutely crucial to plan your crossing correctly so as to avoid staying a night in seedy Mywadi.
Once you're through the mountains, the road opens into beautiful plains and Hpa An comes into sight! Read about Hpa An here.
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