We land at Mandalay airport where a driver is waiting for us to take us to our hotel, Golden City Lights. The airport is 21km from the city and its a bizarre place as the airport is huge and I think they were expecting a huge amount of flights coming in but it's like a ghost town with a deserted road system. Lining these huge roads lots of people have set up their homes with shelters built from what ever they have available or can find. It's quite a nice hotel but I do think we are the only westerners here and although we are in the centre of the city we may struggle to find something to eat. Once we have settled in we go for a walk in this very dirty, dusty and crowded city, we find a supermarket where we buy some drinks but end up eating some chicken in a local place, hopefully in the daylight things might seem a bit better. We have already noticed how many street dogs that are around, I mean they are everywhere and so many bitches who have had pups recently but we never see any puppies or young dogs around.
Our room had no hot water, this seem to be a thing we encounter quite a lot but the hotel soon sort it for us. They also advertise huge TVs in the rooms but the programmes are never in English so a bit of a waste of time really.
So map in hand we head for the Grand Royal Palace which is called the old city which has the Royal Palace encased within huge city walls. As tourist we are only allowed into the palace as the grounds are all military zones and a no no for us. The Palace is a beautiful building with lots of little buildings all around, all the structures are wooden and in different stages of repair. From the Palace you get a great view of Mandalay Hill where all the big stupas and the monastery is.
Before we entered the Palace we were asked if we wanted a taxi to the hill, so we negotiated a price and he waited for us outside the Palace. We spent a couple of hours walking around the Palace and again we only saw 2 other westerners, I know it's off season at the moment but I feel that Myanmar is still not on many travellers hit list. On leaving the Palace we found our taxi driver and he took us to the top of Mandalay Hill where he waited for us while we wandered around. From the top you get amazing views of the city below, so up the top is a large monastery and lots of Buddhas off course. From there we went to the Shwenandaw Monastery which is my favourite so far, it's completely made from wood with lots of cravings around, it's just beautiful. Next to this was a more modern monastery called Atumashi Kyaungdawgyi but this wasn't as nice. Next on the tour was Kuthodaw Paya which is the worlds largest upright book with 1460 pages set on huge pieces of stone all homed in their own little temples.
Mandalay isn't ready for tourism as there is very little accommodation around and nothing for the budget traveller. Food and transport is slightly higher than the rest of South East Asia and it seems that as a foreigner you can't hire any scooters or cars. You also have to buy a bulk entry ticket which gets you into all the major sights. So after a long day out and about we headed back to the hotel and something to eat, we ate at a local place where I had chicken and rice washed down with a beer off course.
The next morning it was raining and it just never stopped all day, we ventured out for a walk and it did eventually stop. That afternoon we got a taxi to take us to the U-Beim bridge for the sunset, this bridge is completely wooded and spans the Taungthaman Lake. It was a lovely bridge to walk over and watch the fisherman and general life on the lake. We sat with a beer and watched the sun set and again we felt like we had six heads and the locals had never seen a white person.
We ate again in the same place as the night before as it was nice there and we keep the locals entertained by wanting to eat with them. So after a couple of days here we decide it's time to leave and head for Bagan on the bus as that seems the only way for tourist to get around.
The bus took 5 hours which normally would be ok but it was only a small bus and our bags were under the seats and all around us and then to top it they kept stopping to pick more people up. We were dropped off in a even more dirty and dusty town where we then had to get a taxi to our hotel. We were slightly out of town in a really nice hotel with a pool. The hotel offer you free bikes or you can hire E-Bikes from them for a couple of pounds a day. We needed to find a ATM as we had to buy our Bagan zone ticket, so we got some bikes and cycled into town. Once we had sorted stuff out we found a little cafe for a coffee and the most bizarre thing happened, an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude. With the staff and other people in the cafe we hid under the tables and waited, I was in shock I think as couldn't get my head around being in an earthquake. We left after and cycled back in the rain to the hotel, once back we then realised how bad the quake had been in Bagan. A lot of the temples had collapsed and the army were at a lot of them to stop people from entering or climbing up them. We ate in the hotel that night as it never stopped raining and the food was awful but I must say that the next morning our breakfast was really nice.
E-bikes all ready to go and we're off, these bikes are great and they go around 40kmph and no helmets, it's great whizzing around on them and it's the only way to travel in Bagan and around the temples. We are seeing so much damage and it's a real shame that we can't enter a lot of the temples and no seeing a sunset from them either. We went to loads of the temples, too many to name and it's such a hot day we head back to the hotel for a swim and chill. Later that afternoon we got our bikes again and headed out for the sunset, it was quite cloudy so wasn't as good as it could of been. We found a great place to eat and had a lovely meal until the Germans arrived. The ride back was interesting as I forgot my glasses and it was pitch black but we made it back in one piece. The next day we went again out on the bikes and explored some more of the temples, there is just so many of them. After a nice swim back at the hotel we headed out again to a different place for hopefully a better sunset but once again no such luck.
We have booked a tour to Mount Popa which is a couple of hours outside Bagan, it's a huge monastery on top of a hill that has 777 steps to the top. The town and hill has hundreds of monkeys that are just after food but the locals are quite cruel to them and it's horrible to witness. From the top there are amazing views all around the area and down into the small town. We only had 2 hours before having to get back on the bus so after a cold drink and watching the monkeys steal some fruit we headed back to Bagan. We arrived back at the hotel just as the heavens opened and it didn't stop so reluctantly we had to eat in the hotel. The next day the sun was out again and we jumped on our bikes for another day of temple hunting and we found one that you could still climb and the views were amazing. So that night we went back there for the sunset, it was great but the camera doesn't do it justice. It was nice to finish our stay in Bagan on a high as tomorrow we are on a 7hr bus trip to Inle Lake.
This was a trip in a mini bus and our bags went on the roof this time but once again the driver stops and picks up more passengers, two guys even had to ride on the roof as no room inside.
The bus drops us at our guesthouse which was handy but we were in the heart of town with lots around us. There was plenty of western style places to sit and eat or drink, also loads of travel huts for booking trips and buses. We arranged for a boat trip on the lake for the next day, you pay for the boat for the day and they can take a maximum of 4 people. While walking to the boat a young Japanese girl asked if she could join us and off course we said yes as that lowered the cost for us.
While on the lake we got to see the fishermen that row with their feet, they pose for you hoping to get some money from you. We stopped at the pagoda and the local market, the lake is a very busy place with most of the people in some kind of cottage industry. Weaving, cigar making, silversmiths, boat making and floating gardens, we were taken to them all. The Jamping Cat Monastery is out on the lake and has a story board on the life of the Lord Buddha, interesting story.
The famous long necked woman is a must as a photo opportunity and a chat with her about her history and why they do what they do to their bodies.
We read about the Pindaya Cave which houses over 8000 Buddhas and although it was an 1 1/2hrs out of town we thought it was worth the trip. So we arranged for a private taxi to take us there and yes it was worth it, the cave was massive and yes full of Buddha statues. The driver took us to an umbrella making shop which was interesting but the lunch stop was better as we were hungry.
Our last day we hired some push bikes and cycled out to the Red Mountain Winery, on route we came across a puppy who was very playful and lucky for her we had some chicken which we fed her, much to the amazement to some locals. Sally did the wine tasting of 4 different wines while I just had a soft drink and admired the view over the lake.
So today we have a 12hr bus ride to our final destination Yangon, we were on a proper big coach with comfy seats so the journey wasn't so bad. The bus drops you just out of the city so we got a taxi to our hotel but my God the traffic was horrendous, so many taxis. We finally got to the hotel about 10.30pm and was pretty tired by now and just wanted a drink and my bed.
The hotel was nice but our room smelt of cigarette smoke and they offered us an air freshener also the shower was in the bath which is my pet hate. Once again in this city tourist cannot hire any sort of vehicle so you have to rely on taxis or the train. Our first day we walked to the Sule Pagoda which is in the centre of town and we soon realised that we were about 3km to any of the sites so easy to walk and taxi for the return. As Burma was part of the British Empire there are lots of buildings still in Yangon that represents the colonial era but unfortunately they have not been looked after. Only the Strand hotel is being renovated and due to open this October.
Yangon has two great parks, People's Square and Park and Kan Daw Gyi Park. Kan Daw Gyi Park isn't really a park but the huge lake that you walk around. On the lake is a huge dragon boat that is a restaurant now, there is also the Kandawgyi Palace and a few cafes that seemed to be filled with westerns. Next to the lake is the city zoo but the reviews were not that good and I dislike zoos at the best of times so we didn't go. Peoples Square Park you pay pennies to get in and it's nice to walk around but so many dogs and we came across a mum and her 6 pups who we took some food back for the mum on another day. In the park is a funfair, lots of cafes and a boating lake.
Across the street from this park is the Shwedagon Pagoda, a huge complex that was really busy with worshippers and just a handful of tourist. Everyday we have been here around lunchtime the heavens open so we try and do most things in the morning, so today we walked to the Yangon War Cemetery which is in the centre of town. Unreal place as all around the cemetery is mayhem and this little square is perfectly kept and so peaceful. On the way back we got soaked but we are used to that now but a coffee and cake makes it all better. We decided we needed to change our flights to Phuket and online was a nightmare so we found an AirAsia flight centre in town so we headed there and got them changed, cost a lot but we are done in Myanmar now so worth it.
We wanted to go to a war cemetery that was 30km out of town so we had to arrange a taxi to take us there, it cost £18 return but so worth it. Taukkyan War Cemetery is another perfect and peaceful place where victims from all over the commonwealth are laid to rest.
On another walk we came across another boating lake called Happy World and we just had to get a swan pedalo and amuse the locals. Yangon does have a train system, well it has some trains that Japan has given them and they chuck along over grown tracks. The circular train goes all the way around Yangon and takes 3hrs and costs 12p so we had to give it ago. The carriages are all open with no doors or windows and people just hang out but I must admit it was nice to sit on the stairs and hang out. All along the tracks people have made their homes and their livelihood is jumping on the trains and selling food and water to the passengers.
We jumped on the train again for a short trip around to the Chauck Htat Gyee Pagoda which is a massive reclining Buddha and as a tourist it's the first place we haven't had to pay to get in. Back on the train into the center of town for a drink at the Sakura Tower, which on the 20th floor are the best views of the city and the Sule Pagoda.
Our last day we headed to the park and fed some more dogs before heading to the airport for our flight to Phuket.
Top tips for Myanmar:
Have lots of clean clothes as really bad laundry service
No need for dollars anymore
Barter with taxi fares
Shop around for best bus fares
