After a good night's sleep at the Breeze Guest House, we packed our bags the next morning and left on foot in search of the bus stop from where to board a bus to Hpa'an. Expecting it to be some sort of a local landmark, we went about asking locals for directions to the bus stop, yet different people gave us conflicting instructions on how to get there - some even assuring us it wasn't within walking distance. Khan Ruey and I decided to keep our faith in the Lonely Planet guidebook and continued walking along the city streets. As we fumbled over the map trying to get our bearings right, we met a Malay-speaking Burmese man who identified himself as Ismail. After a short yet interesting chat in Malay, he left us with proper directions to the bus stop.
Not long after we noticed a bus pulling to a halt in front of a little hut. After confirming that the bus was headed to Hpa'an and purchasing our tickets for a nominal fee from the hut, we finally left Moulmein with a large group of Burmese locals headed in the same direction. I managed to catch some sleep along the ride, amidst the friendly chatter of the locals. Soon enough we were in the sleepy town of Hpa'an, stopping right in front of a restaurant with a sign that read San Ma Tau - the name rang a bell. I quickly flipped through the Lonely Planet guidebook, and realized that it was the top-recommended eatery in Hpa'an. What is more - it was lunch time! Now given that I was still suffering from the aftermath of the toddy from the previous night, I was forced to limit my food choices - a real pity given Khan Ruey's glowing testimony of the food after our meal.
From the cheap options listed on the guidebook, we decided to go with Soe Brothers Guesthouse for our accommodation in Hpa'an. After checking-in, we simply waited for nightfall, especially since my diarrhoea wasn't getting any better. Regardless, we were all set for the rendenvous with Ben and Vanessa at the clock tower later that night. Just then we heard a knock on our door. Ben and Vanessa had found us! At that point I could only wonder if Hpa'an was really that small a city, or if Khan Ruey and I were that predictable. So no dramatic rendezvous then. We were all assembled in Hpa'an as planned. Vanessa, being the designated first-aider for the trip supplied me with some loperamides to ease my bowels and some paracetamol to bring down the fever I developed over the day. For dinner, we ended up at San Ma Tau - again.
The iconic Hpa'an Clock Tower - our supposed rendezvous point in the city
In retrospect, this was perhaps the least eventful day of our trip in terms of sightseeing. Perhaps it served as an essential break for me to hasten my recovery process. That damn toddy.
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