A very early start (breakfast at 5am) to catch the boat to Bagan. We passed Sagain and went under the bridge we drove over and then under the previous bridge (road and rail) which was rebuilt after the war, having been destroyed by the retreating British. This great river meanders through a very flat river plane and is very busy with river traffic:ferries,oil barges,coal and general cargo. It is not very deep and the boats have to swerve past the ever changing sandbanks and a fellow is often to be seen at the front checking the depth with a marked pole. During our entire 8 hour journey we passed only one sizeable town but plenty of squatters who have to move during the rainy season when the river is full. All along the embankments one can see rather rustic irrigation pumping systems as this is very fertile land for tropical agriculture but not suitable for rice as it is too sandy. Eventually we arrived in Bagan our destination for the next three nights. After a dip in the pool,happy hour and the most reliable internet so far we headed off in the back of a lorry for dinner and evening of local dancing and puppetry.