The Train Trip to Hsipaw – and Back Again

One day in Pyin Oo Lwin, Jim and I took a seven-hour round trip train ride – on purpose.  We first heard about a trip that went over a very high railroad trestle from a documentary about Myanmar.  We had to experience it for ourselves. 

Beth and Leon decided to take an alternate journey that day, going to a waterfall and exploring a cave filled with Buddhas.  Both of them said it was their favorite day in Pyin Oo Lwin.  (They’ll have to write more about what they saw in the comments section below.) 

Women wearing tameins waiting to board the train

Back to our train ride:  Jim and I arrived early at the Pyin Oo Lwin train station, where there are two windows.  One was for locals, with no one in line – the other for foreigners, with a long line.   The line inched forward very slowly.  We worried about missing the train until we heard that they’d hold the train for everyone in line.  

As we inched forward, we saw what was taking so long.  Every ticket was being written out by hand, and entries made into three other written logs including which seats were taken.  Finally, it’s our turn, but the very last “upper class” tickets (cushioned seats) had been sold to the German couple ahead of us in line.    So, we bought “ordinary class” tickets for seventy cents each.  We boarded an old train car with no glass remaining in any window, hard-backed wooden bench seats, and no shock absorbers!  But, we were very happy we ended up there.  Our car hummed!

They added an extra car for us

Before Jim and I boarded, others had gotten there – and burlap gunnysacks full of produce, such as heads of garlic, onions, greens and cabbages were stuffed under every available bench and into every available space.  Luckily, we had no baggage.

Men in longyis

A family sat in the row across from us.  Our bench seats faced each other.  The husband was dressed in a traditional male Myanmar outfit.   He was wearing a white pressed, western-style shirt, buttoned to the very top button.  This was tucked neatly into a green and magenta checked longyi.  The longyi consisted of ankle length material wrapped around his torso, and secured with an elaborate knot right below the waist in front.  His wife was dressed in a silvery top and matching tamein, which is an ankle length of material folded around her torso, doubled back and tucked in, forming its own waistband.  Their little boy of about three years was dressed in blue jeans!

They were traveling to see his father in another town, had snacks and their lunch packed along --- each of which they offered to us along the way.  We couldn’t speak a lot to each other, but we shared a lot of smiles.

In general, I loved this train trip.  For one thing, I could see the crops from my window seat --- sugar cane, vegetables, and fields of flowers.  

Planting the next crop...

For another, I made it my mission to wave to all the people along the tracks – all but three people waved back.  Often, children lined the tracks to wave and mothers lifted their infants high so they could see.

Kids waving at the train

Inside the train, there were people walking through selling all kinds of items – packets of sunflower seeds, cooked colored quail eggs, rice in banana leaves, and one young girl carried on her head a rattan tray stacked high with sliced watermelon triangles.

She has a quail egg to eat

Selling snacks on the train

                                                                           You would not want to take this trip if you have any form of motion sickness.  The train bucked over the tracks, hard on our spines.  At some points in the journey, we could literally see our wooden car rocking one way, and the next car rocking the other.  The wooden doors between our two cars would slam open, slam shut, slam open, slam shut.  I can’t really describe it.  

Jim watching for the trestle

We had heard that the passage over the bridge was scary and creaky – which of course was why we wanted to go.  But, I have to say that the trip across the Gokteik Viaduct – this famous bridge, this marvel of British ingenuity and American engineering - was a let down.  While high up over a deep ravine, that part of the trip was over quickly – with no particular shakes, rattles or rolls.  

Here it comes!

While high up, it was not particularly scary

On the other side, Jim and I jumped off the train at the next station, hurried to the station master to buy a return ticket, climbed into our same train and out the other side to get to the opposite track, and jumped on the return train just as it pulled out.  I decided we had been slightly nuts to spend a 7-hour day just to go over this viaduct.   But, as I sat in my upper class, much more boring, cushioned seat, I remembered all the other aspects of the trip and felt it was well worth it. 

And, one added bonus awaited us at the Pyin Oo Lwin train station.  A greased-pole climbing contest was going on!  The prize must have been good, because many teams of four tried.  None got to the top, but they did draw a crowd.  Quite a day.