Treasure Hotel Mandalay

... costat que tampoc ajuden a conciliar el son. Se m'ha fet molt llarg arribar fins aqui, i per primera vegada en els quatre mesos que duc de viatge se'm comenca a fer una mica pesat i farragos el passar tantes hores tancat dins d'un autocar.<br><br>Per sort, tots els nostres mals queden enrere quan coneixem en Thura, el que sera el nostre guia els propers dies. Recorrem amb ell els indrets turistics de la ciutat i dels voltants pero d'una manera diferent. A Amarapura hi anem en bici ...

... with men watching the opening ceremony of the Champions League final on what used to be called an average sized tv before flat screens were invented. Some red tobacco spitting / tea drinking gents give Agata and me their prized seats. Edgar goes in search of the 'Inda' (toilet) and we don't see him for another 15 minutes. The Bean an Ti is disappointed we don't want the beautifully (seal) packed lemon tea but eventually and begrudgingly gives us ...

China has scored a major deal, gaining access via Myanmar for fuel, shaving off thousands of kilometres, in its quest for more of the world's resources. China secures Myanmar energy route BANGALORE - China and Myanmar have signed an agreement for the construction of fuel pipelines that will transport Middle East and African crude oil from Myanmar's Arakan coast to China's southwestern Yunnan province - short-circuiting the long sea voyage past Singapore ...

... making one that has a pattern with people you need to use a hammer and a pointed awl. You hit the end of the awl with the hammer and the point makes an impression on <br>the inside of the bowl to form and image on the outside. This step needs to be repeated 3 times. <br><br>If the bowl has a floral pattern the bowl is filled with wax (or sap) from a tree and the image is created using a hammer and a small chisel. This process is repeated twice. <br><br>Then the bowl is ...

We are greeted at the bus station by a driver who will take us to the hotel we have selected. Tun Tun also joins us to try to sell us his tour services. The taxi this time is a small truck with a covered bed and wooden benches. There was just enough room for our bags, Bill, Tun Tun and I in the back. Bill liked the look of the ...

The plan was to relax a little and see a couple more things before moving on. The day started perfectly (10:30am) and a relaxing morning was had before heading out on a pick up to Amarapura, an ancient city with the worlds longest Teak bridge (1.2kms). The pick took 45mins. This involved me standing on the back and holding onto the roof. This is fine by me and a great way to see the city. I got ...

... by this. At the end of the meal, we receive a bill for 10000 Kyat, even. Yet we get 300 in change. Guilin gave them money to try and mitigate our generosity, so I didn't make a fuss about it. Still, he could have used the money. He had some sores on his arms, probably from having to sleep outside. Over the coming days, he would tell us his sad story to try to solicit our business, to little effect. By the ...

... I had been to a Nat festival during my last visit in a township outside Yangon, and although it was a small affair I had some concept of what to expect. At a Pwe a Nat is summoned by medium, or a Natkadaw. The Pwe that I saw previously was quite a boisterous affair with the Natkadaw performing lots of dances whilst worshipers bombard them with cigarettes and rum or chickens to smell! They are also sprayed a lot with scents and adorned with money pinned to their outfits. The Natkadaw's ...

... dangerous, made evening trips extra exciting. Our fourth try was also unsuccessful, but they suggested the nearby Classic Hotel likely had a room. It did, and even though our six floor climb (never an elevator) was relatively pricey, we booked it thankfully. Sleep came quickly that night. No electricity means no hot water, so showers were brief and refreshing. Breakfast was served on the roof (a bit chilly this far north) and the ...

... from the shore to the ferry, spanning perhaps fifteen feet of water. The ferry is a pleasant surprise in many ways. It is large, clean and relatively modern. The ship has several sections on two public levels. There is a small restaurant with good food, snacks and beer, and a number of lounges both inside and out. Well padded reclining seats were most welcome as we tried to make up for the early wake-up. Best of all ...