Mandalay (Where the flyin’-fishes play)

The road to Mandalay involves a delayed flight due to fog but we finally make it which is more than Rudyard Kipling ever did.

Air Yangon taxi at Bagan

 The city is based on a grid system so we haven’t had too much difficulty getting around.  However, there is a habit of closing roads for resurfacing and putting in new drainage which makes for interesting detours through little side-roads as you walk around. Even the electrics get sorted by a man on a ladder, a bit of rope and a lot of crossed fingers.  I doubt the power was off!

Brilliant pension scheme - few survive to claim

Road ahead closed 

We spent the first day getting our bearings and checking out the local sites. The Palace is set in a square right in the middle of the city and is protected by a wide moat.  Each side is a mile long.

Moat around the Royal Palace

We’ve hired a driver to take us to Pyin Oo Lwin for the day.  It’s a two hour drive involving another early morning start.  The road is being rebuilt and the local quarries are working overtime to cope with the demand for hardcore.  The journey into the mountains is not picturesque and we spend much of our trip in clouds of dust.  We drive through dusty towns (where the washing hangs out to dry) and pass trees that are white with dust.  The road is narrow, especially as we climb higher and the hairpins are made more fearsome as we overtake big lorries on the bends.

The waterfall is down at the bottom of this valley - and we are walking

Our first stop is to go to the waterfall at Aniskan. The Lonely Planet guide describes this as well worth the walk.  The ‘walk’ involves a very steep descent down a winding path of more than a mile.  It is so steep we require sticks to help balance and all the way down we are thinking about the walk back up.

You have no idea how steep this path is

Running downhill - bound to end in tears

We acquired 4 girls as guides (not girl guides).  They look about 12 but we later find out that three of them are in their twenties, whilst the other is a 34 mother of two.  They scamper nimbly down in flip-flops carrying packs laden with cold drinks.

John with the ladies who helpfully will push him uphill

Lucy and the 'Pushers'

The waterfall is truly spectacular it is possible to pray in the temple and have a beer. It is comparatively quiet with few tourists – we’re the oldest who have braved it down.  There are some locals here including a young family who appear to be encouraging their baby to walk using a cigar as an enticement.

Why not use a cigar to encourage your child to walk?

The walk up is a killer.  It is so steep the girls are physically pushing us up the hill and fanning us with their conical hats.  At one point we’re joined by a stretcher party who will carry us should we not be able to make it and motorbikes often stop and offer themselves as taxis.  We decline all the assistance except the pushing and after an hour of hard slogging we make it to the top.

We have frequent stops - the ladies use their hats to fan me with cool air

Stretcher bearer at the ready - John's self respect couldn't allow these ladies to carry him home

We are shattered and head to a restaurant for a cool drink and a bite to eat in the Feel restaurant.  I think we’ll be feeling the walk for some time.

Our next stop is the National Kandawgi Gardens.  We struggle to get to the entrance because we are faced by a sea of scooters, people and food stalls. We are in the middle of the flower festival and the gardens are a mass of colour and heaving with families enjoying picnics on the lawn.  There are some bizarre exhibits include a giant snow man and a princess made from flowers.

Sinister snowman lurks amongst the crowd

The flower show draws the crowds

Hmmm

Where are we?

We walk around the lake and spot black swans.  The young novice monks are everywhere and we watch some feeding the giant catfish with bread although popcorn seems to be an acceptable substitute. This place is absolutely buzzing with loud live music playing and schoolkids approaching us to practice their English.

A black swan

Novice monks watching the catfish

School kids enjoy a day out

John tries out a grassy knoll

At the exit you can pick up anything you can think of on a stick or buy homemade wine or jam.

Local wines and jam

Anything on a stick! Chickens feet anyone

The Chinese Temple sits on top of a hill.  It’s a working temple and the smell of flowers when you enter is lovely. Obviously John makes a bee line for the bells which have a fantastic resonating sound.

Chinese Temple, Pyin Oo Lwin

Selfie at the Chinese Temple

The temple catches the sun's rays

Ginky’s is a lovely restaurant which serves all sorts of cuisine – it makes the most amazing tandoori chicken so dinner is sorted.

We spend Christmas Eve exploring which involves a trip to the Mandalay train station.  We have a look at a train in the station.  We’ve no idea where it is going and everyone is getting on with their packed lunches – most train journeys are slow and uncomfortable – especially in the Ordinary Class carriages.  The cargo van takes so much stuff all loaded expertly by porters.  I am amazed the train ever moved but this might explain why it takes so long to get anywhere.

Obviously!

Modern, Chinese built diesel locomotive

Loading at Mandalay Station

We make our way through the Saturday shoppers to get to the gold pounders. Young men spend all day hammering to make gold leaf which pilgrims buy and apply to the Buddhas.  It takes hours of hammering to get the gold so thin and the noise is at times deafening as six or seven beaters work in unison.

Christmas shopping means that scooters are everywhere

Look at the size of those dorians

The gold pounders are hard at it

Mandalay has many different areas of industry and we found ourselves in the furniture makers’ street. Most of the furniture is made from hard wood and all aspects of the craft take place at the side of the road from cutting, sanding and assembling to varnishing the finished articles. 

The delivery boys look to be redundant

As its Christmas Eve, our hotel has laid on a Christmas carol concert together with a puppet show and dinner. The staff have been practicing for months and perform songs enthusiastically in English, Spanish, Hawaiian and Burmese - some words are not pronounced properly but this just added to the charm.

The staff had obviously put in a lot of effort and sang with gusto

The food was excellent and every effort is made to ensure residents are made to feel welcome.

Just time to say Happy Christmas to everyone.  Next stop Heho.