Category: Mandalay

Mandalay: Eating Gold Leaf and Transit to Yangon

Post author By Ferdz
Post date May 3, 2012
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A small store at one of our bus stops to Yangon

Morning of day 10 in Myanmar finds me deliberately waking up late. I made sure I’m well rested for tonight’s bus ride to Yangon. I took the day easy enjoying the comforts of the hotel and catching up to my online world. When I checked out, I left my baggage at the reception and decided to visit one of the Gold Leaf Workshops in Mandalay. A Gold leaf sheet is an essential part of the day-to-day lives of Burmese people. It’s their main offering to Buddha where they place it on layers on their images. And some even goes to eating a leaf a day and claims to give them good health.

Tags Burma, Bus, People, Souvenirs, Transit

Amarapura Amarapura Mandalay Myanmar Myanmar Travel

Amarapura: Sundown at U Bein’s Bridge

Post author By Ferdz
Post date April 23, 2012
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The travel time from Mahamuni Paya to U Bein’s Bridge in Amarapura took about 45 minutes or so. And within those minutes I saw how crazy the traffic is or the lack of it. “Anyone can just drive motorbikes here, even young ones” says Olsen, my motorbike driver. No wonder, nobody is really teaching people how to drive here. And as farther we leave the city, the road also seemed to be a blur. Sometimes we would just turn and find a road I wasn’t even sure it was. “How about license?” I asked. Most people don’t have it since its very hard to get and expensive. If people get into trouble they just pay a fee. Despite the chaotic road traffic, I’m somewhat comfortable with his driving skills since he assured me he doesn’t “Drink and Drive”

Tags Bridges, Burma

Mandalay Mandalay Myanmar Myanmar Travel

Mandalay: Quiet Beauty of Shwe In Bin Kyaung and the Famous Mahamuni Paya

Post author By Ferdz
Post date April 20, 2012
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From Mandalay Hill, we continued on our “US$10 Combo Ticket Free” route in Mandalay. The US$10 Combo Ticket is a government fee that can give access to several tourist sites in Mandalay. I wasn’t keen on spending on it as I’ll use it to pay for my driver instead. There are alternative sites in Mandalay that are equally good but doesn’t need that combo ticket. Like the Sandamuni Paya which is an alternative to the nearby Kuthodaw Paya. Mandalay Hill sometimes has ticket inspectors but an alternative hill is Yankin Paya. Now we’re off to two more impressive sites – a beautiful ‘teak monastery’ and the most important religious site in Mandalay.

Tags Buddhism, Burma, Monastery, Paya, Temples

Mandalay Mandalay Myanmar Myanmar Travel

Mandalay: A Barefoot Climb on a Crowded Mandalay Hill

Post author By Ferdz
Post date April 16, 2012
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The Gigantic Bobokyi Nat guardians at the foot of Mandalay Hill

The soles of my feet already felt very thick it would probably take a few foot scrub sessions to take out the dead skin and callouses from too much walking. By this time, after entering many temples and sacred grounds for almost a week, I’m already used to removing my footwear before entering temples. For Mandalay Hill, my next place to visit, I had to remove my slippers before climbing the 760-feet high hill. I really don’t mind the climb since after the two gigantic Bobyoki Nat guardian statues is a shaded stair pathway leading to the summit. What amused me was the footwear storage at the foot of the hill with a sign “Footwear not Allowed. Don’t carry shoes” clearly directed at foreigners where they’ll have to pay to store them. I saw a lot of locals carrying their shoes inside plastics so I just decided to clip my slippers to my bag and started the climb.

Tags Buddhism, Burma, Climbs, Hikes, Hills, Temples

Mandalay Mandalay Myanmar Myanmar Travel

Mandalay: Sandamuni and Kyauktawgyi Paya

Post author By Ferdz
Post date April 12, 2012
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I arrived at the familiarly busy, Highway Bus Station in Mandalay by 6am. I was wide awake, having been able to sleep during the bus ride due to exhaustion. I waded through the crowd of touts by the bus entrance and immediately tried to look for motorbike ride to town. A guy with cleanly pressed white long-sleeved shirt wearing a red longyi hailed if I needed a ride. He seemed decent enough and his English quite good so I hired him to take me to downtown. I’m glad I’m back in Mandalay.

Tags Buddhism, Burma, Pagodas, Paya

Inle Lake Mandalay Mandalay Myanmar Myanmar Travel

In Transit: An Arduous Journey and a Kind Soul at Inle Lake

Post author By Ferdz
Post date March 27, 2012
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The Ticket counters and bus companies at Mandalay Highway Bus Station

If only I could say “stop!” while our mini-bus rode through the rolling terrain of Kalaw State at the break of dawn. I wanted to halt the mini-bus not because my legs and feet remained immobile for hours. My legs were cramped in a corner, just behind the front seats of a full, air-cooled mini-bus headed to Inle Lake, but the scenery at Kalaw state and the rest of the Shan hills vast expanse were draped in a mysterious mist billowing overland. The morning sun cast beams of light in the mist resulting to a dramatic diffusion of light and shadows over the hilly plateau. It was one of the most magnificent sights I’ve seen on the road.

Tags Burma, Bus Station, Transit, Transportation

Bagan Mandalay Mandalay Myanmar Myanmar Pyin U Lwin Travel

In Transit: Bus to Mandalay from Bagan, Train to Pyin U Lwin

Post author By Ferdz
Post date March 1, 2012
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I thought the train was finally moving after at least an hour of waiting, but it was just my consciousness, slipping and sliding in two worlds. My reality blurred from fatigue and lack of sleep as I lean on the side of an open train window in the cart, oblivious of the passing crowd and vendors at the station. I am going to Pyin U Lwin (pyuu-lin), a cool scenic hill town, east of Mandalay, straight from an almost 8 hour overnight bus journey from Bagan. But I was awake the full day before and the bus ride didn’t offer a chance to sleep. It was already 15 minutes past 6am when the train finally rolled on the tracks. That’s already 2 hours late from its original time of departure. But I was just relieved the 4-hour train journey had started.

Tags Burma, Maymyo, Pyin U Lwin, Railways, Shan Highlands, Trains, Transit