Swan Mandalay

... bicyles, to Sagaing and Inwa with any other possible means of transportation (from pick-ups, to carts, boats and we even hitch). This makes the visist much more interesting even if we never really know where are we going or when are we getting there, we might not have visited all the temple or pagodas in the area, but it is just much more dynamic and we are able to mix with the locals and avoid the 10$ entrance fee that would have most likely end up in some military's pocket.

... that we can see anyway). The 3 bus boys and the driver changed the wheel / fixed the puncture without removing anyone or anything from the bus AND without the use of a jack (unless there was one lying handy in the local ditch). We have survived hours of bumping along the equivalent of an Irish farm lane in a tractor with no shock-absorbers and are once again, due to the open door etc., are sweaty, dusty and generally grimey. Oh, and exhausted.

When we talked with the guy at the bus station (the bus station that's outside the city is the one with bus to Mandalay), he told us that it was air conditioned, comfortable, express bus and smooth. Naturally, I didn't believe him, but just being in Myanmar there's this understanding that the conditions might not be as nice as some of the airport limos in Seoul. We arrive at the bust station around 4:45 PM and it's chaos. Everything is everywhere ...

... young man with a trishaw (a bike with 2 seats - one faces back and the other faces the same way as the biker) offered to take us to Mandalay Hill for 2000 kyat ($2 US). So, we hopped on. The poor kid! I can not believe he offered to wait and take us back. I wouldn't have! It took us 1/2 an hour in bare feed on dirty stone and ...

... hundreds of relatives who turned up (all bearing presents or cash) Then onto Saigaing Hill for a view of the hundreds of monasteries that dot the landscape and a drink. Elly headed back not feeling too well and I carried on with Tun Tun. First to the ferry to cross over to Ava, an island in the Ayeyarwaddy and the home of an ancient capital of Burma. The ferry takes 5 minutes on a lovely old open boat with a couple of ...

I got to Mandalay in the afternoon. Royal GH, which seems to be far the best, was fully booked (better to book in advance), so I stayed at nearby Nylon hotel. My first impression of the city was a bit mixed. It is bigger than I expected and not at all relaxing as some resources claim. Motorcycles and bicycles are everywhere and even crossing a road might get challenging. Another surprise came in the hotel, where I was not welcomed in as friendly ...

... He could apply our gold leaf! Here in Mandalay he had to be dressed in a longyi ( men's skirt) before he could go up to the statue.Since longyis are one size fits all, he was able to cover his ample western frame with it. It was here at Mahanumi Buddha that we first encountered the pitiful begging children. One little boy was carrying a baby that was about dead and he was asking for food. What ...

... the festival. Apparently he is a very rich gem dealer from Yangon but is also a revered Natkadaw. He could not stay long with us as he had to go to a private ceremony in the temple, which was temporarily closed to the public whilst the top Natkadaw's gave thanks to the brothers. He did have with him a devotee/boyfriend/man servant who looked after us and produced food and beer us. Considering it was a dry festival this was a welcome site as it was mid-afternoon and we were looking ...

... centuries. We reached it by a small ferry and then hired a horse cart, the only way to see the scattered sites. Time was getting tight, so we negotiated a reduced fare to skip most of the routine payas to concentrate on a 200 year old teak monastery named Bagaya Kyaung. There's a special feel to these old wooden structures, still in use, built on massive posts. During our visit we were fortunate to see how palm fronds are ...

... on Zol's face. There we are again. The roads and vehicles are so bad, covering about 300 miles took 15 odd hours. Madness. Nonetheless we had a couple of days for sunset/sunrise over Bagan. It didn't disappoint. The photos can explain. After we left we hit Koh Lanta instantly and partied hard until we left in the New Year. It was great to hook up with Ton & Nok our much-loved Thai saviours again. Until next time...