My personal Lana whingeing and planning thread

[Takahiwai]

So, in about four weeks, I'm supposed to be starting this route. My plans have been somewhat upended by being summoned from my home town to the commercial capital of Burma, Yangon/Rangoon, in order to cover for another teacher. Yangon is a horrid place to try to do practice walking sessions, because it's very polluted, and pedestrian-unfriendly. On the bright side, I'm staying in the flat of the teacher I'm covering - he lives on the 7th floor. Plenty of climbing and descending practice for me! Under the current regime, power cuts are widespread. Here, we have power for only 8 hours a day - four hours of which are given overnight. Need a warm shower -get up at 4 a.m. to make sure you get one.

After 10 days in the capital, I feel exhausted, physically and mentally, and I'm thinking that I might go back to NPT for a few days before I try to join the Lana. Just thinking it right now - might not do it. Maybe I'll adjust to the timetable and end up feeling much more energetic.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

Maybe take a few days in Spain before you start walking.

 

[jungleboy]

It seems like this is more of a Burma whingeing thread than a Lana whingeing thread

 

[VNwalking]

Yangon is a horrid place to try to do practice walking sessions,

I do feel for you, because that air and lack of walking space is definitely no fun. A bit of reassurance: I was astonished how fit I was able to stay by walking back and forth in my corridor in Mingaladon, and that was flat, without stairs.

After 10 days in the capital, I feel exhausted, physically and mentally, and I'm thinking that I might go back to NPT for a few days before I try to join the Lana. Just thinking it right now - might not do it. Maybe I'll adjust to the timetable and end up feeling much more energetic.

Ooof. A long way to go. But once you get to Spain this will all be like a dream.

 

[dick bird]

I spent 18 months working in Yangon. I learnt to walk in a totally different way, sort of gliding along the street in such a way as to minimise any actual physical activity. Don´t do what I did, fall into a drainage ditch on the way home from 19th Street, and if you do, follow the advice of an emergency nurse who happened to be with us, douse yourself liberally in Betadine ASAP. But I have very fond memories of Yangon in spite of everything. The Lana is a solitary walk, but unexpectedly beautiful and absolutely wonderful people live along it. There are some very useful threads on the forum about the Lana, and some good Wikiloc tracks, which you will need as the waymarking is sporadic. Feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions, we did it in 2023. Buen Camino