U Bein Bridge

We are looking at the worlds longest teak bridge. ‘Built from teak wood from the old royal palace at Inwa’ Our taxi driver has taken us to see this wonder and he is giving us the info on it. ‘Long bridge over 1,200m’ he says. ‘And U Bein is oldest bridge .. built about 1850’
He is explaining U Bein Bridge is curved to withstand the lakes strong current during the rainy season. The top posts have a domed curve to stop water leaking into the teak, and the poles are sunk seven feet into the waters bedrock. It’s still used by the locals as an important walkway across the lake at Amarapura. An amazing construction to withstand such force.

Out with the Mavic Pro drone we are capturing footage of the locals walking back to their villages, with the tourists looking like a top layer on the bridge. We are watched by the taxi drivers standing on the banks soon to be covered by rainy season water. At up to 11 metres some years, the monsoon waters will flow over the bridge.

For now the ducks are scattering and small boats are rowed to and fro landing in the reeds by the bridge. Tourists are being served coffee on the local platformed cafe and we are soon collecting a group of people wanting to see what the drone footage looks like on the iPad.

Because we are here at U being Bridge just before the rainy season the lake is low, and we can see where the water level will come to when the deluge of water arrives in a few weeks. It will be different then.

Coffee and Snack Cafe

We pack up our Mavic Pro drone and head off to a small cafe just round the corner. Its serving real expresso and banana pancakes.
Next to the Shi Pin Shwe Gu Temple,and called ‘Ngwe La Yeik’ the cafe food is just great.

We met Mr Phyo when he introduced himself at the Buddha caves at Sagaing.
He invited us to visit his cafe called ‘Coffee and Snack’ ‘Ngwe La Yeik’ and so we are here. What a wonderful place, just next to a temple and serving yummies and great coffee. The banana pancakes and vanilla ice-cream just hit the spot.

---