| 16 December 2005 Just before sunrise, four of my brothers and sisters-in-law and I had been leaving in our pick-up for the degree confluence north of Meiktila. Normally the distance from the little village Myothit (New Bagan) should be travelled in approximately four hours. But because they had filled the car with petrol mixed with water, the engine stopped every ten minutes and we had to clean the fuel filter every time before we reached a car repair place along the road in Meiktila. Cleaning the fuel tank and the carburettor added an extra hour to the already lost time. After two o'clock in the afternoon we turned right on the tarmac highway between Meiktila and Wundwin to a sandy road, driving to the east towards the degree confluence. We left my brother-in-law Ko Kyaw Zwa Moe with the parked car along the road, while the rest of us headed to the degree confluence by foot, following narrow paths and cart trails as much as possible. Although it was in the middle of the dry season, some parts of the arable land were very wet and muddy, so we had to take a detour many times. We also had to jump a small stream which was blocking our way. After an hour of zigzag walking along some fields with corn, we arrived at the degree confluence. When I had performed my confluence dance to determine the exact spot (much to the amusement of my assistants), I took the necessary photos. Actually, there was nothing more to see than a wide, flat plain covered with mostly weeds, shrubs and some lone cactuses. The photos taken to the south and west were not easy to take because they were shot against the strong sunlight. In the far distance, east of the degree confluence, you could see mountains which mark the edge of the Shan Plateau. Because of the delay in the morning due to the bad petrol, it was long after sunset before we returned at home after a long and tiresome day. But I was satisfied that I had successfully visited another degree confluence in Myanmar. |