Face to face with Anyar

It's unthinkable at first for me when preparing the journey to a traditional Myanmar village in Uplands--widely known as Anyar--that our old chap Ko Phyo a Yangonite would drive the motorcycle like a local and speak with somewhat Anyar accent. Face to face with Zagyan, which is the native village of the Myanmar best-known poet Sayar Tin Moe and a birthplace of the classical singer songwriter Kamye Ko Aye Kyaw, at one late evening in December embraced by chills and dusty plains was a new exciting experience, indeed. 
He's been there as an SMO for three years since leaving a large hospital in 2009 and doing very well widely accepted by many surrounding villages. "An HA and an LHV left Zagyan after I arrived, saying their income was gradually reduced," he said, after coming back from a 2-hour OPD schedule, which is twice a day. A good medical care by a good doctor, I reckon accordingly. About 7 in-patiens were occupying the separate male and female wards, all staying like a family. It's learned from Ko Phyo that there's only few clans in Zagyan as all are related in some ways or another, though it might exaggerate the actual condition. Villagers, including the headman who treated us tea and samosa at the morning after my arrival, are unexceptionally generous, helpful and good-natured as compared to citydwellers. He had to pay K. 30000 for a month for having meals every day, a price reasonable in areas like these. Dinner was served the same preparation as the restaurant owner, with several bowls of curries and fresh bowls peanuts.
The price for dinner in Myingyan the nearest city was also relatively cheap. Myingyan was my first stop after 8 hours of hi-way drive from Yangon. Sein Gabar express bus arrived timely at 5 pm, and it's a good thing to be able to contact with Ko Phyo via mobile phone throughout the trip. Gladly seeing him at the bus terminal I foresaw some few days of taking a backseat in his motorcycle, that was said to have been bought as soon as he's in Myingyan.
Anyway, his driving skill was impressive, and I can't help naming him the champion of dirt roads. As the area was mostly underdeveloped, transport roads were still under construction. Those linking village to village were completely sandy and as to their explanation these are sandy creeks during a short period of monsoon. One couldn't drive in such deep dirt roads, about 50 cm among some jungles, in normal speed without prior experience--some breakdowns and falls would be unavoidable. With his bike, we had travelled Bagan-Nyaung U and Myingyan-Popa hi-ways, which are two-way lanes, in better condition than villages' bumpy and dusty roads. A day in Popa, another day in Bagan and Nyaung U, the most famous places around his village. 
Bagan was seen hardly changed since my first visit 12 years back, so also was Popa. One remarkable thing was more foreign visitors and quality restaurants at cheaper price--just K. 2500 each for buffet lunch at Shwe Myanmar Restaurant near Thatbyinnyu Pagoda.

I stayed at his second home for nearly a week and come back after visiting nearby town called Pakokku, across the Ayeyarwaddy River. Many visits in a short period really.