LOOKING FOR A RIDE

I had been doing some research on the outskirts of Mandalay in Myanmar, looking for a great morning bike ride. This was a long time ago, in 2001, I think, when I was researching to see if we could actually do a good biking trip around this magical country despite the economic and political embargo it was subjected. We left at sunrise from the hotel parking lot with our driver, myself and my local guide and after discussing where to go and looking at a city map, I explained what I was looking for and once again, my savior was the driver. He knew exactly what I was looking for.

Within 10 minutes of early morning traffic, driving by hundreds of locals sitting at sidewalk restaurants having breakfasts, we were in the countryside where after a few trials and errors, I spotted this narrow, paved road slicing through these rice fields. In the distance a small farming village. Flat, quiet, no traffic. Perfect.  

We stopped halfway and got out of the car to see the sunrise and that’s where I saw these women in the photo, chatting away, having a laugh, working in the rice paddy. I managed to take a few shots before they realized we were there. As I turned around, there was this young boy, in the middle of another field, looking at me, perched on a big water buffalo. Within less than a few minutes, I had captured iconic images of Asia. And we had found a bike ride!

LITTLE KNOWN FACT:

There are 134 different ethnic groups and tribes in Myanmar

BEST MONTH TO VISIT:

Between November and february

Longitude 80 offers a private Myanmar itinerary that includes biking around Mandalay, a private cruise on the Irrawaddy and/or the Chindwin rivers depending on time of year and hot air ballooning over Bagan temples.