Having to swallow the bitter pill over the cancellation of a river cruise tour from Bagan to Mandalay on the Ayeyarwady River in the month of February 2013, I decided to explore a little bit of the Thanlwin River in Lower Myanmar instead.

Flying with the ever-increasing low cost carrier (LCC) AirAsia from Chiang Mai to Myanmar via Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok on February 20, I safely landed at Mingaladon International Airport in Yangon, just to catch a taxi for 10US$ to the May Shan Hotel near the Sule Pagoda downtown. The sun went down at 18.15, when I checked in at the hotel for 45US$ a single room. In the top restaurant at the nearby Sakura Tower with full view of the Shwedagon Pagoda it was easy to get some food and retire early in the evening.

Next day started with a bang as the southbound train from Yangon (14US$ per tourist) to Mawlamyain only started after 11.00 o’clock with a four hours delay. Two hours later we passed the golden Shwemawdaw Pagoda in Bago and via Waw, Sittaung Bridge, Kyaikhto, Thaton as well as Mottama reached around 23.00 the railway station at Mawlamyain, which is some 200 miles away from Yangon.

With a motorbike taxi I was driven to the Sandal Wood Hotel, where nice rooms for 40US$ are available. After the hard and rocky train ride I had a spicy noodle soup at the river close by the Strand Road. The whole next day was reserved for sightseeing at the former capital of British Burma mentioned by Rudyard Kipling in his famous poem about the “Road To Mandalay.”

In the morning I inspected the busy market and after finding a typical Myanmar food stall enjoyed the atmosphere to watch people of different ethnic stock. In the early afternoon I visited the Mon Cultural Museum to find out more about the 40 million years old “Amphipithecus bahinnensis” as the fore-runner fossil of early human beings found at Pakokku in Upper Myanmar.

Later I climbed the eastern mountain range to marvel at the replica of the copied Buddha image at the Mahamuni Pagoda and listened to the meditation music played at the famous Uzina Pagoda. Also, there was an exhibition about the myriad of Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India. Seen from the popular viewpoint, the sun went down towards the western sea - a daily spectacle not to be missed. Dinner was taken at the Beer Garden II Restaurant, where sweet and sour eel was professionally served.

On February 23, I took the local bus from the eastern side of the Mawlamyain Market at 10.00 o’clock (1,000Kyat=1 Euro) to drive to Kyaikkami, or Old Amherst, which is three hours away towards the south of Mawlamyain.

Passing the relatively new university area and endless rubber plantations, we arrived at the Thanbyuzayat Junction not far from the War Memorial, where many allied soldiers were buried during the Second World War having built the well-known Death Railway, which went from Thailand to Myanmar over the mountains.

At 13.00 we reached the impressive temple area of Kyaikkami, where a Bodhi Tree “Ficus religiosa” marks the entrance to a long-stretched staircase leading to the sea, where the Yele Phaya Buddha image is venerated. Far out in the sea was a small temple for Upagupta, the magical monk to bring the annual rain. Also, a strange boat-shaped temple reminds that Buddhism has arrived from India across the ocean. Restoration work is going on at the three golden pagodas to be seen high on the land terraces overlooking the holy pilgrimage site.

One hour later, I already took the same bus back to Mawlamyain. On the right side appeared a new road built to reach the famous Setse Beach a little bit further south, but which was warned to be too rough to risk a swim. On the way towards Mawlamyain, there were some preparations going on to celebrate the 66th Mon Union Day. Actually, the town of Mawlamyain is the capital of Mon State, which has over 2.7 million inhabitants. The Mon seem to be the original ethnic group, who settled in Lower Myanmar, called Suvarnabhumi, in the time of the Buddha more than 2,600 years ago. Linguistically the Mon are closely related to the Khmer people of Cambodia. At 17.00, I was back in town.

For the next day, I had arranged at the travel counter of the Sandal Wood Hotel to be taken by boat on the Thanlwin River to Hpa-an, the capital of Kayin State, which is located further into the mountainous hinterland towards the Thai border. At 7.30 in the morning, I was taken by motorcycle to the nearby Hpa-an Ferry and waited for some other passengers in order to start the boat trip at 8.00. In full sight of the gigantic railway bridge between Mawlamyain and Mottama, we left towards the north passing some fishermen and small villages. Limestone hills abound and there was a view, where the scenery resembled the Marble Mountains in the central part of Viet Nam. At 10.00 we approached the Thanlwin Bridge, where is a small port before reaching the town of Hpa-an a little bit further upriver.

At the pier of Hpa-an, which is situated at the eastern side of the river, I left the boat paying 6,000 Kyat to the boatman. A motor riksha driver waited to take me to the nearby Golden Sky Guesthouse, where the most beautiful room with a view into the countryside was available for 35US$. Just opposite the Kayin-run guesthouse there were some local restaurants offering rice and curry from morning to evening. Also, cool Myanmar Beer was everywhere available.

I took an early afternoon stroll through the main street towards the clock tower, realizing that Hpa-an offers Buddhist temples, mosques and churches and seeing the people are living in harmony. Right near the clock tower is an Internet Café and a small shop, where the bus ticket back to Yangon can be booked for 5,000 Kyat a person.

A motorcycle driver took me to the Kayin Cultural Museum, where I studied the costumes of the twelve sub-tribes of the Kayin (Karen). The Kayin are a Tibeto-Burman tribe and settle on both sides of the international border with Thailand. Also, there were shown the traditional musical instruments – most of all the kettledrums made of five metals such as gold, silver, copper, zinc and lead.

Also, there was a special literature room exhibiting old books and paintings. On the second floor of the museum there was valuable Buddhist art to be seen. I needed nearly two hours in the museum to discover all the intriguing objects and even found a rare bronze opium weight in elephant shape. Later in the evening, I enjoyed a beautiful sunset from the terrace of the dominant and golden Shweyinhmyaw Pagoda right at the scenic riverside.

February 25 was a Full Moon Day and many Kayin people, young and old, visited the colorful and bustling morning market in Hpa-an. As I joined them I could buy a ripe durian fruit for 4,000 Kyat. Later that day, many young people moved into the pagoda compounds. I decided to take a short riverboat trip for 500 Kyat a person to the other side of the mighty Thanlwin River to explore the holy Hpa-pu Mountain with a winding way to a cave near a hermitage of Buddhist monks. Back to the Shweyinhmyaw Pagode for another spectacular sunset, I spent the last night in Hpa-an drinking some cold Avocado shakes.

At 10.00 o’clock the following day, the express bus to Yangon left from the central clock tower and crossed the Thanlwin Bridge later on towards Thaton in Mon State. Right at the border between Kayin State with its over 1.4 million inhabitants and Mon State, there is an official check-point, where to show a copy of your passport.

After a Myanmar lunch in a roadside restaurant near Kyaikhto, from where a pilgrimage footpath leads up to the 1.100 meters high located Golden Rock at Kyaikhtiyo, the bus driver finally arrived at the bus station in Yangon at 16.30 in the afternoon. For another 7,000 Kyat a taxi brings you downtown to end a very tiring, but exciting journey.

Needless to say that some days for sightseeing and networking in Yangon were in order, before leaving with a night bus on March 2 to Chaung Tha at the Bay of Bengal to take a rest at a beach bungalow until March 19. After the return bus ride (25,000 Kyat with the Asia Dragon Travel Company) I flew back from Yangon to Chiang Mai on March 20 to end my travels of exactly four weeks (or 28 days) in Lower Myanmar.

Rumor has it that the Friendship Bridge between Mae Sot in Thailand and Myawady in Myanmar will open for international tourists in April 2013 so that it will be easy to travel overland to Hpa-an again.