The Gokteik Viaduct

The owner of Mr. Kid convinced me it was a better idea to take the train out of Hsipaw instead of the bus. Sure, it's slower and more expensive but I get to cross the Gokteik Viaduct, a steel train bridge that I could see from the bus on the way here. The bridge crosses the Gokteik gorge, an obstacle to travel between Mandalay and Lashio and the way to China. The British solved this problem by going right over it. The viaduct was constructed in 1901 by the Pennsylvania Steel Company. It's 318' high and 2257' long and was the second highest train bridge when it was constructed. It's the oldest and longest railway bridge in Myanmar. Normally I'm not into trains or railway bridges but this seemed like something special and different and I wanted to cross it.
I got a ticket in upper class, the one difference between this and second class was a cushion seat. My bony ass needs cushion! The other was that they only sell tickets for the seats. On the regular class they sell space after the seats are sold so every available space is taken up. Some people stand or sleep on the floor for the entire journey. As with most things in Myanmar, the government applies a two teir pricing system. One for locals, one for foreigners. Sometimes the foreigner price is five times the local price! That was the case with the train I found out from a local. I thought Myanmar was fairly cheap on the whole even with this system in effect. It would be insanely cheap if I was able to pay local prices all the time!
The train went really slow but passed some great scenery. Before we reached the viaduct, we went through two tunnels. The train geared down to cross the bridge at a snail's pace. I was hanging out the window taking photos. Technically taking photos of the bridge is prohibited for 'security reasons' but I thought I would risk it. No one said anything. The bridge creaked a lot as we crossed it and it was a great experience. Even though the train was slower than the bus it was more comfortable. I could get up whenever I wanted and go to the bathroom anytime. I was the only white face but the locals were really friendly. All over Myanmar, the charm of the local people wins over travellers. They are really some of the most friendly and genuine people I've encountered. I arrived in Pyin U Lwin about 7 hours later. I stopped in Pyin U Lwin mainly to see its botanical garden.