Dalama Adventures Tale of two corporate types ditching their jobs and traveling the world for 14 months... check out all photos, blogs & interesting tid bits at http://www.dalama.net

As if we hadn't had enough of the bus, we took another to Bagan from Mandalay.  We had wanted to take the full day boat, but it didn't leave for a few days because it's low tourist season now.  Our bus this time was truly a local experience.  We thought the express bus was challenging, this ride takes the cake.  It was a non-A/C bus, seating capacity for about 25 inside.  The seats were surprisingly high, especially for a population of smaller/shorter people.  We wedged ourselves into seats #5 and 6, my feet barely touching the floor, and seat slanted downward so it was difficult to actually stay on the seat.  Our boarding began 30 minutes prior to departure.  We looked around, just women and children on the inside, aside from Darrin, a guy in front of us, and our belgian buddy Ben who was so tall they gave him the shotgun seat.  They started to pile in plastic stools into the aisle and in between seats, to squeeze in other passengers.  Before long, the inside volume was at about 45 people, sitting, standing, squatting and some on top of others.  The men were all on the top of the bus with cargo and luggage - there were probably an additional 20 guys and boys on the roof, with feet dangling down to our windows, spitting their betel-nut paan occasionally dripping in red streaks down the window.  It was hot, humid and smelled of petrol, dirt blowing in through the windows.  Ten minutes into the ride we were dripping with sweat and coated with a nice layer of grime.  A young boy across the way near the door hangs his head out the window, between rungs on the metal ladder attached to the side of the bus, and vomits... Yep, truly a local ride.  The bus purser (who stands on the steps hanging out the doors letting passengers on and off for the entire 9 hours) escorts the poor sick child to the roof.  It was unbelievable how many people they packed on at each stop- they never turned anyone away, despite having no space for additional passengers.  I wonder if it was all about making the extra kyats, or about not wanting to turn anyone down- always helping each other out?  The most amazing thing, despite all the stops (even a stop for a passenger to buy a bamboo lounge chair for sales alongside the road) we made it to Bagan on time.  We were even dropped off in front of the guest house we had selected from our backpacker referral network.  Luckily they had rooms available, and we were literally "dumped" off the bus; they chucked our big packs down from the roof for us to catch.