The temple-bells they say "come you back to Mandalay!"

After a quiet Christmas we set off on Boxing day with Min Min, our driver to explore some of the areas of Mandalay that are not accessible on foot.

Funnily enough, this is our third hotel which has been handy for a hospital.  In this case there is no shortage of qualified staff if this sign is anything to go by.

All ailments catered for

We re-visit the gold pounders but don’t let on to Min Min that we’ve already visited – the pounders are fascinating to watch

Mind your toes

Transferring gold leaf - Don't anybody sneeze

At marble corner exquisite designs are carved using an assortment of Black and Decker hand tools.  The sculptures range in size and all the work takes place at the side of the road.  Fine marble dust is everywhere but the carvers still have no masks, goggles or protective clothing.  They work without 

plans and a real pride is taken to finish these icons to a high standard.

Some of the carvings are very lifelike

The workers make skilful use of Black and Decker

Our first temple of the days is the Mahamuni Paya.  Lots of people have visited to give offerings and are dressed in traditional dress to make their contribution.  This temple has a 13 ft Buddha whose face is polished at 4am every morning.  However, the rest of the Buddha is bobbly where pilgrims apply the gold leaf to the statue which in some places is now a 6” layer of pure gold.  Only men are allowed to add the gold so the women pray and watch their men folk on close circuit TV.

The menfolk add to the deepening layer of gold

Whilst the women watch from a safe distance

Myanmar has female monks who dress in pink

Pure Gold

Procession within the temple

John bashes away on another bell

Decoration above the doors is exquisite

We visit a teak monastery, Shwe in Bin Kyaung which stands on tree-trunk poles and is quiet and beautifully carved.  The brown wood of the monastery makes a pleasant change from the bright white and gold of the Payas

We visit the Green Elephant Restaurant and as we walk in one of the girls chimes a large gong three times to announce our arrival.  Subsequently, all other diners are similarly announced.  After a descent Pork and mango curry we resume our Grand Tour of Mandalay.

The Royal Palace which is contained by a wide moat and walls is a strange structure which is mostly given over to the military.  Foreigners are only allowed to take photos within the Royal Palace itself. The Palace was re-built in 1990s with more than 40 timber buildings constructed to resemble the 1850s originals. 

The Palace is very popular among holiday makers many of whom are from other areas of the Country. There are many monks visiting too.  The female monks are dressed in pink and they hover and pray but also carry bowls for collecting contributions.  They are not as approachable as their male counter-parts who ask me to pose for a photo and give me a crafty cuddle.

I become the 2016 Buddhist pinup girl

We visit Mandalay Hill where everyone goes for the views of the sunset over Mandalay. There are 1,800 steps to the top but luckily Min Min takes us most of the way up by car.  The hill is steep and if we had walked up I think we would have required oxygen.  As it is, an escalator takes us the last few hundred feet to the top.  I’m next to a lady who had never been on an escalator before and she required a fair bit of support which included clapping when we got off each level.

Two escalator phobics make it to the top

The crowds gather to bagsy the best spot for photos

There are more Westerners at the top than I have seen since we arrived in Myanmar.  The local tourists are very excited and everyone is watching the sky and guarding prime vantage spots whilst waiting for the sun to drop.  In our view, it’s not the setting for a perfect sunset and we leave early and walk down the stairs to meet our driver.  On the road back down there are lots of the pilgrims on bikes.  It’s an easy ride down but I can only imagine how long it took them to get to the top.

It’s dark when we get down and our thoughts are turning to Mandalay Beer O’clock (k2,500 for a big bottle) when our driver tells us there are more temples to visit.  The Kyauktawgi Paya is festooned in garish coloured lights of vibrant greens, reds and oranges.  It would give Blackpool illuminations a run for its money and the green psychedelic LED lighting physically hurts you eyes.

The neon lights pulsate

Is it only me that thinks the neon lights look tacky and garish?

Inside however is a stunning 26’ Buddha carved from marble and dressed in royal gold attire.  Next door, the temple has flashing red lighting and is protected by a pair of massive green ogres. (Not Shrek).

You wouldn't mess with the ogre

Visiting the temples after dark is much more evocative.  There are few visitors and even the hawkers have knocked off for the night.  Many of the closely packed stupas disappear into the gloom and it can be quite eerie.

Next morning and we’re on parade at 05:30 – it’s a short night’s sleep for John who sat up until midnight watching Everton beat Leicester 2-0.  We drive through Mandalay’s dark streets passing many monks who look to be out foraging for food from the local shops.

We are heading for the U-Bein Bridge, the world’s longest teak footbridge which gently curves 1,300 yards across shallow Taungthamen Lake – more like a large puddle at this time of year.

We are dropped of in a dark village and make our way to the bridge. As the sun comes up, we see the true beauty of this simple structure. As day light comes the surrounding countryside comes to life with oxen harnessed for ploughing, fishermen preparing their nets and the hawkers putting out their wares.

It’s a pleasant walk across the bridge in the cool morning air.  There are few tourists but the bridge is busy with monks and villagers commuting across the lake or carrying out their daily exercise routines.

We’re heading east to Inle Lake on the next leg of our trip.  We’ll blog again soon.