The city I didn't want to vis
It's always best not to have any expectations. Still that would inhuman.
I pictured a mini version of the Titanic. Gently cruising over a river. Green banks. Tiny villages giving to peek into daily life. Local vendors selling beverages and souvenirs. But it was not like that at all! Boarding was at 5.30. A narrow path formed by sandbags lying in the water and than a wobbly wooden board just wide enough for 1 of my hiking boots at a time. The indoor area smelled a bit mouldy and looked like a plane from the 60s (even though I've never actually seen a plane from the 60s this is how I picture it). On the upper outdoor deck it was still chilly. I gathered a couple of chairs to make myself comfortable and almost fell asleep instantly. But then the engine was ignited. I had hopes that the overwhelming noise would only be for the take-off, but those hopes evaporated quickly.
First stop. Mandalay Hill. Climbing 240m of steps (there's an elevator too but I believe that's for sissies). Climbing the stairs takes me along a girl knitting next to a monk playing on his smartphone. Colourful, creative, not beautiful, tiny gardens to take pictures with your loved one, that is now inhabited by a large cat community. Girls gossiping (not that I get a word of what they say, but I think women know this intuitively) while preparing food for passengers. Closer to the top the number of vendors per square meter increases. At the top it's pretty busy, the road to your destination is always the real journey. So I wander around a bit and head for attraction number two.
I see the things everyone sees when visiting Mandalay; the teakwood palace, the largest book in the world, temples... The best stop is the place I picked for lunch. Hidden in a small alley I sit down at the first floor and have great Indian food (so good that I order a second dish as a take-away). At street level daily life continues and I spy shamelessly as no one notices me. A girl takes her old mother, who wears pyjama trousers with Hello Kitty, to the doctor, puts her down on the bench outsides and probably tells her to stay put. As soon as the girl is out of sight, the old lady gets up, seems to move more easily walks around a bit and stands in the shadow. When the girl returns she tells her mother of for having moved. A couple of nuns, wearing the soft pink robes, wander by two by two all carrying one umbrella per couple to protect themselves against the sun. I can't really figure out what they're doing. I can only guess. They pass by houses to get food and they might be returning the food containers and have a chat with the ones who provided the food.
After my very late lunch it's about time to head for Ubein Bridge. It's the longest (> 1km) teakwood bridge in the world. Just don't think you can quietly enjoy the setting and it's surroundings; this place was the most crowded I've visited today. When I've found my way through the crowds to the other side of the bridge, found a place in the shadow where I can sip from a fresh coconut viewing the sunset the crowds seems to have disappeared. I shoot the most spectacular shot of my holidays.
I pictured a mini version of the Titanic. Gently cruising over a river. Green banks. Tiny villages giving to peek into daily life. Local vendors selling beverages and souvenirs. But it was not like that at all! Boarding was at 5.30. A narrow path formed by sandbags lying in the water and than a wobbly wooden board just wide enough for 1 of my hiking boots at a time. The indoor area smelled a bit mouldy and looked like a plane from the 60s (even though I've never actually seen a plane from the 60s this is how I picture it). On the upper outdoor deck it was still chilly. I gathered a couple of chairs to make myself comfortable and almost fell asleep instantly. But then the engine was ignited. I had hopes that the overwhelming noise would only be for the take-off, but those hopes evaporated quickly.
Sun rise was stunningly beautiful. It put the sky in flames and turned everything on earth into gold. By then I knew the boat wasn't like the Titanic, but also the trip itself wasn't anywhere close to what I expected it to be. The wide river is indeed used for fishing. Colourful boats lie on the shores that at least in the morning looked like a desert. Wide empty spaces of sand. The river is mainly used for transportation. Small boats heavily loaded with pots or huge barrels. Huge ships that we had to move aside for. The ships were preceded by small boats testing the depth of the river with bamboo sticks and leading the way for the ships.
No vendors on the boat, but the staff prepared real Burmese food for us. When it's authentic Burmese it's always tasty. Spicy. Fresh vegetables. All together presented with a smile.
As I have only 1 full day in Mandalay I take a taxi to drive me around. First we need a rather long discussion on the price. Myanmar is one of the poorest countries. Still they charge about 25 Euro for a taxi for a day! I'm afraid that at some point travellers will decide that the country is too expensive and stop going. Anyhow. I take the taxi and have my list of places I want to see; off we go.
First stop. Mandalay Hill. Climbing 240m of steps (there's an elevator too but I believe that's for sissies). Climbing the stairs takes me along a girl knitting next to a monk playing on his smartphone. Colourful, creative, not beautiful, tiny gardens to take pictures with your loved one, that is now inhabited by a large cat community. Girls gossiping (not that I get a word of what they say, but I think women know this intuitively) while preparing food for passengers. Closer to the top the number of vendors per square meter increases. At the top it's pretty busy, the road to your destination is always the real journey. So I wander around a bit and head for attraction number two.
I see the things everyone sees when visiting Mandalay; the teakwood palace, the largest book in the world, temples... The best stop is the place I picked for lunch. Hidden in a small alley I sit down at the first floor and have great Indian food (so good that I order a second dish as a take-away). At street level daily life continues and I spy shamelessly as no one notices me. A girl takes her old mother, who wears pyjama trousers with Hello Kitty, to the doctor, puts her down on the bench outsides and probably tells her to stay put. As soon as the girl is out of sight, the old lady gets up, seems to move more easily walks around a bit and stands in the shadow. When the girl returns she tells her mother of for having moved. A couple of nuns, wearing the soft pink robes, wander by two by two all carrying one umbrella per couple to protect themselves against the sun. I can't really figure out what they're doing. I can only guess. They pass by houses to get food and they might be returning the food containers and have a chat with the ones who provided the food.After my very late lunch it's about time to head for Ubein Bridge. It's the longest (> 1km) teakwood bridge in the world. Just don't think you can quietly enjoy the setting and it's surroundings; this place was the most crowded I've visited today. When I've found my way through the crowds to the other side of the bridge, found a place in the shadow where I can sip from a fresh coconut viewing the sunset the crowds seems to have disappeared. I shoot the most spectacular shot of my holidays.
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