Way more backwards than the previous cities we've visited: when we landed, it was just barren land throughout, into the city and not much high rises. What makes it really "undeveloped" is that we only saw two traffic lights throughout our first day here! Imagine the chaos. It's no wonder our hotel reception had such a huge reaction when we ask if we can rent a car to drive on our own. I'm even wondering if the cycling tour suggested by lonely planet is a suicide mission. Road junctions are battle royales of who has the bigger car and stronger bumper, and who inched forward more; at night, it's worse without the street lamp, but the high beam from practically every car makes even us the passengers giddy, how in the world to drive in such condition?!! But fate has it that Brandon will fall sick and we'll be much less adventurous; hiring a driver with his car was pretty reasonable considering our situation and so that's what we did. And freaking lucky we got it as well: the climb up to Mandalay hill looks tough, plus the heat, torturous I would imagine. But that's not it, we were denied entry at the top of the hill when they say our berms are too short! Imagine if we had climbed up all the way to be rejected at the doorstep up the pagoda to see the peak's view, I would have burst into flame...
So we headed to our next location: Royal Palace
And the previous photo was taken on top of this: the Watch Tower! Haha our watch has began...
Honestly, I forgot the name of this temple but the facade that you're seeing: pure wood. The design on the outside: hand carved.
Close up on the art work. This is the work of a few hundred years ago, mind you!
Also, found this handmade portrait of Mandalay at the outside and immediately bought a piece for US$1, used it as a postcard, and it's one of the best I've ever had!
Next was another temple that I've once again forgotten the name but we swapped the charred outlook for this bleached white one. Cemetery? Looks like, but it's actually...
"The World's Biggest Book"
This is one "page", there over a thousand of such "pages" around. To boast as the world's biggest book wasn't an exaggeration, really
After the black and the white, it's time for the gold! One of the most frequented temple by the locals (once again, name is but a social construct)
Evidence of its popularity
Explored a few famous pagoda/monestry before and after the hill before we finally reached Amarapura for the U-Bein bridge.
But first, this dubious looking corn tempura, along with another equally dubious looking coconut was our company before the sun set...
Sun set was blocked by a cluster of clouds but effect at the end of the day was pretty amazing still. 五步一照 was the situation on the bridge.
Just one of the many awesome shots from this place...
Dinner at some Chinese restaurant and then it's back to hotel for the night.
Breakfast next day was forgettable, then we headed out with the same driver to see gold leave making, marble statue carving, delicate sarong making, and wood carving; before we went back to Amarapura to watch rows of monks queue up to get their alms and proceed for lunch.
Pounding them gold to make them into leaf form
Marble carving (was kinda boring actually if not for these unfinished work of hilarity
Rushed down to see these monks queueing up for lunch. Was still wondering what "watching monks eat lunch" was about on the brochure. Look at that young monk's face of impatience
and one last (not-so-nice) view of Mandalay before we head for lunch
We then went on to a few other pagoda before we had our own lunch. Lunch was awesome with local style food that was a little too oily and salty but overalls delicious.
Really surprised when this whole set came cos I've only ordered a "pork curry with rice" they didn't even mention anything about it having a whole set of side dishes. Apparently, this is traditional Burmese food served to guest. Not sure about the "set meal" thingy but the individual dishes really do bring back memories of times in Kaung's house during our younger days, where his mum will whip out these delicacies!
Pung had the Myanmar beer while I tried this cos I thought we'll have more chance at the Myanmar one but not this after we leave the city... But... It's not even worth a try; I regretted after my first sip. Haha
We then took a boat to an ancient city, before boarding a horse cart which will bring is around the small city under the hot sun.
"Ha!" That's the command our horseman gave to direct the horse forward. And that also became our little inside joke to go-ahead with plans or directions. Ha!
Old temples really have their own charm but the heat was really too much to bear both on our body and our feet (have to walk bare foot for the temples).
Many are destroyed, some are restored, some are not
Some really nice ones though
Oh and did I mention this was once a defense point so it was walled up all around!
And this huge one was the last one before it got one too many for us
So time to bid out loyal servant goodbye! Because of him (or her) we were spared the agony of walking under the excruciating heat and on the baked ground. And it's also time now to... Ha!
Settled for some sugar cane and coconut before we ended the trip and headed back on the boat an hour early. We all knocked out on the car until we reach the foot of Mandalay Hill, visited another temple and then up we go to the hill on our second attempt.
View from the hill. Much nicer than the previous one. Actually, from my memories, it was very underwhelming. But wow, two months on, I'm madly missing it man. It's not like I don't know why, but wow. It's starting to make the additional 1000 Kyat (above the K10000 collected at the start of the day for all the archeological sites) worth it (Phua was so angry at this additional US$1 though haha). But at that point in time with the unbearable heat, the icon of Mandalay turned out to be the "one too many"...
We were two hours too early and the sky looks way too cloudy for sunset, plus our bodies are really pretty exhausted by the heat so we called it a day rather early. Returned back to the hotel to chill before we headed out for dinner at the nearby Chinese market, where we found nice dark sauce noodles.
Awesome parting gift. Even got to practice our Chinese after a long while cos, well, everyone's pretty much Chinese here!
Set off for our overnight bus and it was a pleasant surprise: swapped the sleeping bed for business class chairs plus in-bus entertainment! Watched a movie halfway and knocked out pretty soon after...
And lastly, here's our business class seat!
