The bike trip from the hotel at Inle Lake to Mandalay was 300k, though it was quickly reduced to 280k because I joined my mother and Lazhara on their boat trip in to Nyuangshwe – no reason to backtrack on the boring, bumpy stretch from the hotel to town. The timing was perfect, as they had arranged pick-up at 6.30 – just after sunrise but still time to have breakfast. My first leg to Pindaya was therefore reduced from 90k to 70k, which was fine as I knew there would be a good climb.