"Wait just a moment"

A slow travel day, one in which barely anything happened. Instead of taking an hour car ride, we decided to take the train (~3 hours plus a taxi to Inle Lake). The train was running late so we picked up surprisingly delicious Mexican food(!) from Picasso's. Because, why not?

 Pam was happy to be on the train again.

There was at least one chicken in our car. These ladies had done some marketing in Kalaw.

Mountains of cabbages

You had to admire this woman's posture, her balance.

 Not a lot to do except stare out the open window, as the train bounces down the rails.

 But what a view it is. The train travels slowly enough that you can make eye contact with people outside.

 Villagers walk by, sometimes at faster speeds than the train.

 The foliage changed as we descended, a lot drier and somewhat warmer than Kalaw.

In places, the rich soil was bright orange.

Young children gawked and waved as the train went by.

A factory spewing pollutants was the sole eyesore. I also spotted a drone (!), illegal in Myanmar, hovering near the Bawa Than Tha Yar bridge, recording the passing train.

And at long last, a slow sunset with cocktails at the rooftop bar to mark the winter solstice, comparing notes with an inquisitive Canadian traveler. Tomorrow: the lake.