The Burma Diaries - Part Two
The Irrawadddy River, Burma
The Road To Mandalay - 3/23/05
Arrived yesterday in Mandalay after 2 days in Yangon. Saw all I needed to see there. The cities of Asia just tend to be a bit too crowded and chaotic for my tastes. Mandalay was a little more of the same. Not as bad as Yangon, but I thought it would be nicer than it was. I can see how this place must have been a hundred years ago - before the internal combustion engine. Now it's just another city with too many motocycles, taxis, and pollution. It's come a long way since the days of Kipling - not all of it good.
Went to the Royal Palace which was nice, but there are too many restricted areas where foreigners aren't allowed. First you had to go through an Army checkpoint, where you had to register and sign in, then buy a ticket, and then go back and get it checked. I'm glad I was with a taxi driver who took me there - it was a bit unnerving to say the least!
Climbed the 975 steps to the top of Mandalay Hill - that was a killer! Had to take a LOT of rest breaks on the way up but it was worth it. From the top you can see the whole city and all the way out across the plains. You can see quite far from there. Nice view.........
This morning I got up at 4 AM to catch the slow boat down the Irrawaddy River (also known as the Road To Mandalay) to Bagan which is where I am right now. What a change of pace from the cities. Quite relaxing.... This is a pretty large ferry - there are only about 30 people onboard, but there is room for about another 30, which makes it a quite pleasant ride. I've met some people from Holland, Germany and France - everyone is very nice and easy to talk to. The ride is supposed to take about 12 hours. The food on the boat is excellent and very cheap. Had some coffee and cake for breakfast. For lunch I had some hot and sour chicken with rice and soup which was absolutely delicious! Again, as on all my trips though Asia, I like to stick to the local cuisine which is very good. You can find Western food here but they never get it quite right - although it's pretty hard to screw up a burger and fries. Just don't order a steak......
This morning when we started out it was pretty cool - almost cool enough for a long-sleeved shirt. What a difference from the cities where it is always roasting! Now it's starting to get hot but not nearly as hot as it was in Mandalay yesterday. There is a nice breeze blowing on the river keeping things nice and comfortable.
It is now about 1 PM - we've been travelling for about 7 hours now. It doesn't seem like it at all.
The sun rises over the Irrawadddy River.
Temples dot the hillsides as we pull out of Mandalay
Local Women wade out into the water to sell their goods as we pull ashore.
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