The Teak Bridge
A trip to Myanmar would not be complete without seeing its famous teak bridge.
The teak bridge has been a symbol for the country, as it is regarded to be the longest teak bridge in the world, spanning about 3 kilometers long, connecting Amarapura to its neighboring town, of which, I couldn't remember anymore.
Back in the days, it used to be a symbol of progress, as it was considered one of the main thoroughfares, transporting goods from one city to the former capital, in bikes and rickshaws.
Since it was summer, we were lucky enough to have been able to go down the river, as most of the parts were dry.
Thus, we were able to take pictures such as this.
Otherwise, we would've rented a boat, and balanced our way to get good shots of the teak bridge.
(Shot of the Irrawady river coming from the bridge)
It was amazing to see the amount of activity that was happening on the bridge all at the same time. We went during the middle of the day, and I heard it would get really busy at around 5 in the afternoon, just when people are about to get home.
While we still saw the occasional locals traveling in bikes, there was also an influx of tourists in the area. Even some of the monks here were.
We also went up and walked about 500 meters of the bridge. We didn't even dare to go walk across it, thanks to the humidity.
There were also the constant locals who would beg for money, and follow you the whole time.
Say this girl:
Who we encountered when we got up the bridge.
And never left our sight since then.
But they were already tame, considering how we saw the other tourists (mostly westerners) who were bugged by the never ending begging. We probably had the advantage of being used to seeing this on a daily basis here at home, so they never really bothered me.
Walking the bridge was a bit scary, as some of the planks were already missing, and some looked like they would snap and break any moment.
Some nails were missing, and most were rusty.
It's not the most exciting site in Myanmar, but it's worth the visit considering its historical relevance to the country, and how it symbolizes the passing of time. I think I'd still regard the bridge a national symbol of the country - what was once thriving & busy, is now old, dated, and left behind. With every rusting nail and dilapidating plank full of soul and rich history, telling the tale to the footsteps of its curious visitors.