About 6am.

Myanmar is a north south sort of country.

We'll follow the valley south, then across a few ridges to travel east.

As we approached road workers and villagers there were instant smiles and lots of enthusiastic waves.

Reports from the rest of the travelers suggested the first people through took them by surprise a bit, later it was as if they were waiting for us.

These guys have stopped for a rest.

The climate, the soil, the agriculture, the methods, have all changed.

At last.

Something un-Christian.

We suspect in blocks so they can be measured (at least we saw someone with a tape).

A way of payment ...?

A sidewall. A bit peculiar as we'd spotted the split a week or more ago.

We'd barely heard a periodic "tap" with every revolution for a few days.

Today a "pop" then the "tap" became louder.

Even then when we stopped there was nothing. Until we rolled forward a quarter wheel turn .... then "hisssssssssssssss".

First vehicle full of Myanmarians (?) stopped to help - we would have struggled without them.

We do like this country.

We really don't like putting a camera in people's faces.

I think some stresses of the last few weeks must have built up a bit.

Almost brought tears to my eyes.

Its really a privilege to be here, yet we are apparently thanked.

The weight limit is typically 13 tonnes.

This logging truck had lost traction on the dusty road.

I guess its better than the mud that would have been here in the rain.

The two front wheel drive motor homes had to wait a bit so they could maintain momentum up the incline.

A grinding halt.

We've caught up with everyone else.

The road is apparently blocked by a truck.

Lost traction on its right side wheels. The left side rear was suspended over the ditch.

Our party figured it wouldn't be cleared easily so we opened up the roadworks to drive a different road.

As it turned out a digger lifted the rear onto the road about 15 minutes after we left.

Ali persuaded people to move some of the stones off the road.

eh, voila, a bit of slip but through.

Even the sunflowers closing down for the day.

We spotted a couple of our group going the other way.

After a pow-wow, and a bit of convincing as they had already had a look and not found it, they followed our limited gps to find our way to the bridge across the river.

All's well that end's well.