Nov 1, 2006 - Mandalay, Myanmar

Oh my Myanmar, how materialisticly poor you are, but how cultrally rich and friendly. Mandalay We flew from Dali on " Lucky Air Airlines", (praying all the way for good luck), switched to China Air in Kunming (breathed a sigh of relief) and on to Mandalay International(?) Airstrip. It was such a busy airport we were the only plane in sight! They brought the luggage to the terminal, unloaded it from the carts by hand, and threw it through the door for passengers to pick up. I must say I didn't mind. It was an eye opener, but quite peaceful...

Oct 28, 2006 - Mandalay

We spend the entire day walking the streets of Mandalay. It was hot, sunny, dusty and teeming with life at every corner. We visited many tea shops, which give one a great vantage point for observing what goes on, without being observed. After sitting in one spot for a while, people stop noticing your presence, and you become a fixture. There are many little alleys connecting major streets, where people live in very close proximity to each other. There is an undeniable sense of community as you pass through them. Most people seem rather...

Oct 27, 2006 - Kyaukse to Mandalay

We got up at 6am and packed up our stuff in a hurry - both eager to get going. We were out the door with bikes loaded in no time flat. The owner was waiting for us outside, smiling. He was probably glad to see us go. I can't say I blame him, for all the hassle he put himself and us through. We both shook his hand, and rode off. We were hoping to get breakfast in a different part of town, on our way out. We found just the place. After some Shan noodles we were all fueled up for the ride. The traffic was really heavy on the road out of...

Oct 26, 2006 - Ywa Ngan to Kyaukse

We woke up at 6am, and quickly packed our things to leave. It was light out, and many people were making noise outside. I washed my face, and brushed my teeth, and put on some stinky clothes - least favourite part about cycling. We headed to the restaurant part of the 'guesthouse' to retrieve our passports, which they held hostage for the night even though we already paid for our stay. They claimed it was to keep them safe, but in actual fact they probably spent half the night copying out our information onto a million different forms. The...

Oct 12, 2006 - Mandalay

Our bus ride from Inle was terrible. The 3 of us managed to get the back bench of the bus. I thought I got lucky with the window seat but my hopes were shattered as a nice piece of plastic stuck into my side and shoulder making it impossible to rest my head against the window. What we thought would be an easy 12 hour overnight ride ended up being one of the roughest rides I had had traveling. We all managed a few minutes of shuteye. I didn't know what to expect going to Mandalay. I knew the military government regulated things a bit more...

Sep 10, 2006 - Mandalay & Ancient Cities, Myanmar

It was just as well we had eaten so well at the 4 Sisters Guest House, as otherwise we couldn't have stomached the bus journey to Mandalay! It was ONLY 10 hours, but felt more like 100! Once again, the bus was crammed full, but this time there was no air con. With all the windows wide open, we breathed dust and mosquitoes coming in from the dirt track roads as we meandered through the Shan Hills. In the moonlight, the bus ploughed its way through potholes and over bumps and stones. At every hairpin bend, the bus would come to such a crawl...

May 27, 2006 - Mandalay

THe city of Mandalay didn't have too much to offer within it's borders, but the few things it does have are worth mentioning. The first is the comedy show put on by the moustache borhters. Two brothers and there family who have been making people laugh for generations. They have at times fallen into hot water with their poltically charged laughs, nothing obseen but to leaders with huge egos and too much power they didn't see it as funny. Par Par Lay was once sentenced to 7 years hard labour for calling the current government "different...

Apr 19, 2006 - Mandalay, Myanmar

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2006. MANDALAY, MYANMAR. I've arrived in Mandalay. Contrary to what Las Vegas would have you believe, there is no "Mandalay Bay". It's extremely hot and dusty here. Mandalay is situated on a flat plain with Mandalay Hill overlooking the city and the Ayeyarwady River flowing on the west side. I plan to spend a few days exploring the sights and then catch a boat down the Ayeyarwady River to the city of a thousand temples, Bagan. Travelling in Myanmar has been a breeze, particularly if you're flying. Most people speak more...

Jan 17, 2006 - Mandalay (13-15/12/05)

Mandalay, ancienne ville royale, apparaît comme une ville commercialement active, avec ses nombreux marchés, en particulier dans les échanges avec la Chine dont proviennent la plupart des produits manufacturés. La ville est dominée par la colline de Mandalay, de laquelle on a une superbe vue d'ensemble sur la ville. Plus de 60% des moines du Myanmar résident dans la région de Mandalay (d'après le Lonely Planet), ce qui explique la multitude de pagodes, de monastères et de Bouddhas, dont celui de la Pagode Mahamuni, qu'Olivier a alourdi...

Jan 5, 2006 - Mandalay

Van Yangoon naar Mandalay. Heerlijk weer 15 uur in de bus. En gelukkig hadden wij de mazzel dat het er 16 werden... We gaan met de taxi naar het busstation. Een stoffige vlakte met ronkende bussen. Overal stalletjes waar alles wordt verkocht. Het is even zoeken naar onze bus. Het schrift hier is,net als in China, niet te lezen voor ons. Maar we komen er weer uit. na enige vertraging, vertrekt de bus. We zitten krap maar gelukkig is de bus niet overbeladen. We moeten het dus wel vol kunnen houden. Al snel wordt het donker dus naar buiten...

Dec 18, 2005 - Mandalay

Vi ankom til Mandalay kl. 05.30 efter en bustur, som ikke videre kan beskrives som vidunderlig. Bussen i sig selv var der ikke noget i vejen med, men vejen var umaadelig daarlig og af en hovedvej i landet at vaere, var den smallere end vejen mellem Fr-havn og Skagen. Militaer moedte vi til gengaeld masser af og skulle da ogsaa ud og vise pas 2 gange paa den 700 km. straekning. Paa 3 dage i Mandalay kan man stort set naa at se alt hvad der er af turistattraktioner, men hertil kommer alle de spaendende uventede oplevelser, som Mandalay bugner...

Dec 8, 2005 - Mandalay and Hsipaw

I took the plane to Mandalay and met up with the Greek girl. We biked around and visited many monasteries, the (former) palace and the sunset at Mandalay hill. See the pictures.... On Dec. 5 I took the train to Hsipaw. A small village North East of Mandalay. The train left at 4:45 am in the morning and arrived in Hsipaw around 4 pm. I was in first class, and see on the pictures how it looks. By the way no windows! The seat is so hard, more or less you sit on the wood. The people eat and eat.... But they all offer you food, smile and want...