Thurs 16 Nov: WE DID IT!

Today was our final morning in the saddle. To celebrate we were allowed an extra 30mins in bed before up at 6.30 for a 7am start. I was still feeling really weak (and 'unpredictable') after the illness of the last couple of days but I thought I would get back on and see how things went.  We took a route out of Nyaung Shwe and across paddy fields where traditional bamboo and modern buildings coexist. After taking final chance to explore a rural market we continued up tree-lined roads and past small villages into the mountain foothills to explore our final pagoda at Shwe Inn Thein Paya - a sublime remote spot with over 1,000 stupas in varying states of splendour and decay. This marked a fitting end to our bike journey together and where congratulations were shared by all and a few presents for our Burmese helpers and our guide San Wu.

This evening we are making our transfer back to Yangon for some final important jobs and then beginning our journeys home.