A 5am start in order to have bags at the door by 5:30 and meet the group heading home for a 6am departure from the hotel. Mandalay airport is 50 odd kilometres out of town in the middle of nowhere - built there about 10 years ago 'catering for the future expansion of Mandalay'. We duly arrive and go through the usual airport processes before boarding our Asian Wings (!) propjet flight (via Bagan) to Yangon.
We have about 5-6 hours in Yangon before our flight to Singapore and then on to Brisbane and fortunately (and unknown to all), Cruiseco have organised 'day rooms' at a local hotel where we can have a short rest before heading in to Yangon for lunch. There is a collective moan when we hear that we have a 45 minute bus trip to lunch, but to everyone's absolute surpise and delight we end up at a restaurant called 'Le Planteur'. Subsequent research shows that this restaurant seems to be acknowledged as the best in Yangon and chef Boris Grange (trained under Paul Bocuse!) doesn't disappoint - this is without doubt the best meal of the whole trip! And it was just to fill time during transit!
Back to the airport and so begins the trudge home - Singapore (a bit of shopping during the 3 hour stopover) then home. Long crowded flights.
Customs and immigration in Brisbane trouble free, straight in to a taxi and home. Bliss!
Wednesday 29 January 2014
26/1/14 - Mandalay
Sunday January 26, 2014
Mandalay
Bronwen wakes early, Stephen tries to sleep, Rose just sleeps. eventually Steve wakes and Bronwen and Steve go for a wander around the block. As usual it is a cool morning and smoky, but it is very nice to stretch the legs and get a tuppeth of exercise. Back to the hotel and a phone call to Rose confirms she is awake so we breakfast together.
Yet another excursion to yet another 2 pagodas (U Min Thone Sae and 1 other) again with a panoramic view.
We decide we have had enough and ask the tour guide to arrange a taxi to take us back to the hotel. Basically the 'on and off buses / tourist herding' has finally got to us - we can't imagine that we are missing much by passing up the small river boat crossing to lunch followed by horse and cart ride to see yet another village and yet another monastery.
We down cameras and bags and take one last shopping trip downtown before relaxing with a beer or three by the pool. Dinner tonight is in the gardens and comes with a show - we have dinner but as soon as the show starts, we retire to the bar (Rose to bed) and have a final nightcap before the trip home tomorrow.
Mandalay
Bronwen wakes early, Stephen tries to sleep, Rose just sleeps. eventually Steve wakes and Bronwen and Steve go for a wander around the block. As usual it is a cool morning and smoky, but it is very nice to stretch the legs and get a tuppeth of exercise. Back to the hotel and a phone call to Rose confirms she is awake so we breakfast together.
Yet another excursion to yet another 2 pagodas (U Min Thone Sae and 1 other) again with a panoramic view.
We decide we have had enough and ask the tour guide to arrange a taxi to take us back to the hotel. Basically the 'on and off buses / tourist herding' has finally got to us - we can't imagine that we are missing much by passing up the small river boat crossing to lunch followed by horse and cart ride to see yet another village and yet another monastery.
We down cameras and bags and take one last shopping trip downtown before relaxing with a beer or three by the pool. Dinner tonight is in the gardens and comes with a show - we have dinner but as soon as the show starts, we retire to the bar (Rose to bed) and have a final nightcap before the trip home tomorrow.
25/1/14 - Pauk Taw Pauk Myung - Shwe Kyet Yet (Mandalay)
Saturday 25 January, 2014
Pauk Taw Pauk Myung - Shwe Kyet Yet (Mandalay)
We quietly drift in to Mandalay. This city already has a different feel to anywhere we have been - a seemingly bustling, busy port. But the order of the day is: Pack, breakfast, disembark.
We moor underneath a hill called Saigang Hill which is widely recognised as the religious centre of Myanmar. This hill is home to 600 pagodas and monasteries, 3000 monks and 100 meditation centres. We will explore the hill on foot tomorrow.
On to a coach and off we go to explore Mandalay. First impressions are of a large, bustling city - wide, almost 'boulevarde' style main streets, traffic lights(!), lots of traffic. We are not in Yandabo now Toto!
Our luggage is taken separately to the hotel and we start our first excursion in Mandalay. Our morning takes us in to Amarapura where our first stop is the Mahagandayon Buddhist monastery where we wander around and look at elements of the daily life of the monks. Then join in the rapidly gathering throng of tourists waiting to see the 1300 or so monks line up for their 10:15 second meal of the day. We feel desperately sorry for the monks as the tourists jostle to take photos of the long line, turning what is a normal daily routine for these peaceful people into a bit of a madhouse.
Next on to the U Bein Teak bridge. An interesting stop - the bridge quite opposite to what was expected, but a surprisingly rustic kind of a bridge that evoked a sense of the country. The bridge is over 200 years old, has 984 teak posts and is 1.2 kilometres long - the world's longest teak span.
Our final stop this morning (apart from lunch) is at Thein Nyo silk weaving workshop. Silk weaving is a major product of this region and the fabrics are beautiful. We escape with wallets intact from the workshop store.
Lunch, then off to the hotel to get our rooms. Bliss! A beautiful hotel with large, comfortable rooms. We rest for a hour or two then start excursion number 2 for the day.
This afternoon our first stop is the Shwe Nandaw Kyuang or Golden Palace Monastery - a teak monastery that was once covered in gold leaf (hence the 'Golden' bit).
Next on to Kuthodaw Pagoda, home to the world's largest / heaviest book in the world. The 'book' is a collection of marble slabs - each housed in it's own pagoda - and inscribed with Buddhist teachings.
Finally, in to a shuttle (and I used that term loosely and
advisedly) to the top of Mandalay Hill (and NAFP) to the Su Taung Pyai pagoda where we take in the panoramic
view across Mandalay and the Ayeyarwady River. Back to the hotel, relish a little bit of high speed WiFi before dinner
and (glorious, comfortable, king-sized) bed.
Pauk Taw Pauk Myung - Shwe Kyet Yet (Mandalay)
We quietly drift in to Mandalay. This city already has a different feel to anywhere we have been - a seemingly bustling, busy port. But the order of the day is: Pack, breakfast, disembark.
We moor underneath a hill called Saigang Hill which is widely recognised as the religious centre of Myanmar. This hill is home to 600 pagodas and monasteries, 3000 monks and 100 meditation centres. We will explore the hill on foot tomorrow.
On to a coach and off we go to explore Mandalay. First impressions are of a large, bustling city - wide, almost 'boulevarde' style main streets, traffic lights(!), lots of traffic. We are not in Yandabo now Toto!
Our luggage is taken separately to the hotel and we start our first excursion in Mandalay. Our morning takes us in to Amarapura where our first stop is the Mahagandayon Buddhist monastery where we wander around and look at elements of the daily life of the monks. Then join in the rapidly gathering throng of tourists waiting to see the 1300 or so monks line up for their 10:15 second meal of the day. We feel desperately sorry for the monks as the tourists jostle to take photos of the long line, turning what is a normal daily routine for these peaceful people into a bit of a madhouse.
 |
| The kitchen |
 |
| Upmarket accomodation for the monks |
 |
| Monks receive breakfast here |
 |
| Novices |
Next on to the U Bein Teak bridge. An interesting stop - the bridge quite opposite to what was expected, but a surprisingly rustic kind of a bridge that evoked a sense of the country. The bridge is over 200 years old, has 984 teak posts and is 1.2 kilometres long - the world's longest teak span.
Our final stop this morning (apart from lunch) is at Thein Nyo silk weaving workshop. Silk weaving is a major product of this region and the fabrics are beautiful. We escape with wallets intact from the workshop store.
Lunch, then off to the hotel to get our rooms. Bliss! A beautiful hotel with large, comfortable rooms. We rest for a hour or two then start excursion number 2 for the day.
This afternoon our first stop is the Shwe Nandaw Kyuang or Golden Palace Monastery - a teak monastery that was once covered in gold leaf (hence the 'Golden' bit).
Next on to Kuthodaw Pagoda, home to the world's largest / heaviest book in the world. The 'book' is a collection of marble slabs - each housed in it's own pagoda - and inscribed with Buddhist teachings.
 |
| A model of the complex |
24/1/14 - Aung Pun Choung - Yandabo - Pauk Taw Pauk Myung
Friday 24 January, 2014
Aung Pun Choung - Yandabo - Pauk Taw Pauk Myung
An early 6 am departure this morning. They are trying to make up some time so that they have extra time to slowly navigate some narrow passageways ahead - our boat needs 6-7 feet of clearance and this is not always easy to find. Throughout the cruise we have had the crew up front using poles to gauge the depth (depth sounders are unreliable on the silty / sandy river bed) and help get through the sandy channels. We are warned that we may have to moor a little further away from Mandalay than planned because we may not be able to get through - they even have a tug boat booked to travel with us so we can get pulled off sandbars if needed. During breakfast, the reality of the shallow river hits when we run aground and spend several minutes backing up, turning every which way to try and free the boat from the sandbar. Eventually the captain gets us going again.
We moor at Yandabo and to the road on foot to have a look around the village. The feature here is the pottery that is made - hundreds and hundreds of terracotta pots everywhere. The clay is taken straight from the river as is any sand that might be needed. We watch the pots being thrown on wheels powered by foot. Quite clever - every pot looks pretty much the same size and shape even to though they are all hand made with no mould or guides to size and shape. The pots are fired in a huge, mound shaped, above ground kiln and heated simply by burning drift wood taken from the river.
Back to the boat and a pleasant afternoon cruising to our overnight mooring. The pre-dinner briefing turns in to a concert tonight with several of the staff singing and dancing their way through a number of performances culminating in a quick turn on the dance floor for everyone (sadly) to the beats of Abba!
Everyone is a little sad about leaving the boat, but there is also a general anticipation of being back on land and in comfortable hotel accommodation with real beds!
Aung Pun Choung - Yandabo - Pauk Taw Pauk Myung
An early 6 am departure this morning. They are trying to make up some time so that they have extra time to slowly navigate some narrow passageways ahead - our boat needs 6-7 feet of clearance and this is not always easy to find. Throughout the cruise we have had the crew up front using poles to gauge the depth (depth sounders are unreliable on the silty / sandy river bed) and help get through the sandy channels. We are warned that we may have to moor a little further away from Mandalay than planned because we may not be able to get through - they even have a tug boat booked to travel with us so we can get pulled off sandbars if needed. During breakfast, the reality of the shallow river hits when we run aground and spend several minutes backing up, turning every which way to try and free the boat from the sandbar. Eventually the captain gets us going again.
We moor at Yandabo and to the road on foot to have a look around the village. The feature here is the pottery that is made - hundreds and hundreds of terracotta pots everywhere. The clay is taken straight from the river as is any sand that might be needed. We watch the pots being thrown on wheels powered by foot. Quite clever - every pot looks pretty much the same size and shape even to though they are all hand made with no mould or guides to size and shape. The pots are fired in a huge, mound shaped, above ground kiln and heated simply by burning drift wood taken from the river.
 |
| Despite graduating university, they earn more from making pots than working for the government |
 |
| A 'wealthy' home - satellite TV run from battery attached to solar panel! |
Back to the boat and a pleasant afternoon cruising to our overnight mooring. The pre-dinner briefing turns in to a concert tonight with several of the staff singing and dancing their way through a number of performances culminating in a quick turn on the dance floor for everyone (sadly) to the beats of Abba!
Everyone is a little sad about leaving the boat, but there is also a general anticipation of being back on land and in comfortable hotel accommodation with real beds!
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