Goodbye Myanmar

Amy and I decided to skip the free hotel breakfast. We were going to a tea house, Lucky 7 for breakfast. It was busy but we found a seat and ordered food. It was all delicious and she loved it as much as I did. We ate too much food were regretting it as we left for our cooking class. 

We were taking a cooking class at Monsoon Restaurant.  The manager met us and told us to go upstairs. We walked to the second level and were greeted by a head chef and two sous chefs. We figured it was going to be a large class and found out it was just the two of us! The menu consisted of tea leaf salad, Ragine Spicy Curry Sea Bass, Shan Chicken Curry with Potatoes, Coconut Rice and lentil soup.

The chef had the sous chef do all the chopping ahead of time. Darn, that means we will eat sooner. The head chef demonstrated the dish, we tasted it and then made our dishes. 

Oops! I forgot to cover the pestle while pounding and the chef caught me! She was concerned I would get spices in my eyes.  

The aromas were heavenly. After all of the cooking they arranged the meal for us. Mmmmm mmmmm! We savored our food. It was more than we could eat. But so delicious. After we finished our meal we ordered Vietnamese coffee and relaxed. It was still early and Amy asked what my plan for my last afternoon was. I told her there were 2 things on my list. A fortune telling at Sule Pagoda and the evening at Shwedagon Pagoda. She was intrigued with the fortune telling. We had both read/heard that the Yangon people visited the Sule Pagoda to have fortunes told when important events happened in their lives. We decided to have our fortunes told. Amy had to catch the evening bus so she went first. When she was done we said our goodbyes and I sat down to have my reading. The woman asked me my birth date, time of birth and country. I told her and she started writing down information on a sheet of paper. Then she read my palms. It was an interesting reading and some of the information from my past were spot on (especially about my last job). I took notes on my future and time will tell if any of it was true. I don't live my life by these things but it was a fun and interesting reading.
I walked back to the hotel and cleaned up before getting a taxi to the Shwedagon Pagoda. It was a nice night out. No rain in sight. I went to Shwedagon and started my walk around the pagoda. I heard a woman chanting and went to the temple and sat and listened to her. As I left a young monk walked up and asked "where is your home country?" I told him USA and he wanted to take a picture. He spoke little English and I spoke little Burmese. He told me to follow him and he took me around to see parts of the pagoda which were special to him. He motion for me to bow three times and what to do next. As we walked he showed me pictures of people he met. He introduced me to his 2 monk friends. They tried to teach me to meditate....a lasted 2 minutes and thought about how uncomfortable I was for 10 minutes. Scenes from the movie Eat, Pray Love kept passing through my mind. I felt like Julia Roberts in India with time standing still. The monks laughed at me and said I needed to practice
more often. As we parted, he gave me his Buddha prayer beads. I thanked him and said my goodbyes.

My trip to Myanmar was amazing! The people were kind and welcoming. They not only opened their country to me but, also their homes and hearts. I feel a special bond with the beautiful people of Myanmar. I hope and pray that the country finds peace and good fortune in the future. They are so hopeful after many years of repression under the military regime.  I love Myanmar. It is an amazing country that I would like to visit again after the government opens up more areas for tourists. A trip like this opens up your mind and appreciation for your own country. No country is perfect or right 100% of the time. But it is pure luck that some of us have been born in countries where we have freedoms versus countries that do not. I am thankful for my opportunities every day. I don't think people understand this until  you have visited foreign countries and witnessed it first hand. Explore the areas you visit and search out the local people. I promise your travels will be amazing. You will be enriched from interacting with the people and understanding their culture and daily life.

Back to Yangon, Myanmar

I arrived back at the Yangon bus station. It was crowded in the early morning and I was thankful that taxis were waiting to take me to the city.  I had planned to go on to the Mon State in southeastern Myanmar but I was tired form being sick. My body decided it needed to rest and recuperate. So, I was staying in Yangon until my flight back to Bangkok. 

I had a few things on my list I still wanted to see in Yangon.

1. A day trip to Dala Island
2. Evening at Shwedagon Pagoda
3. Kandawgyi Park
4. Fortune telling at Sule Pagoda

After checking in to the hotel, I was going for a good meal. I was excited to have food that I knew would be safe. I had been sick too many days in Myanmar. It was not a surprise, I was expecting it. Everyone seemed to have a few incidents with food poisoning.  After a delicious and quick lunch, I headed towards Dala Island when a monsoon rain started. I turned around and decided to go to the National Museum for a break from the rain. The only thing I wanted to see was the Golden Lion throne. It was magnificent. It was one of nine thrones and the only one to survive the WWII bombings. Unfortunately, the museum confiscates all of your belongings at the entry so no pictures (if you are interested http://www.myanmar-image.com/enchantingmyanmar/enchantingmyanmar2-2/thrones.htm ). The throne was enormous and opulent compared to the thrones of the European kings. I would describe it as a staircase and doorway rather than a throne. It is easy to see how intimidated people were when they visited the king. The museum has an interesting selection of musical instruments, sculptures and clothing from the royalty. I also liked the royal slippers encrusted with diamonds and jewels.  I suspect  Aladdin would have been envious of them too!  After I had toured most of the museum, I came back down to take another look and I met an archaeologist that was working at the museum. He took me in and pointed out some things I did not notice and he answered my questions. As we talked, he asked where I was going next. I asked if he had any suggestions. He suggested General Aung San's museum. He wrote down the name in Burmese and found me a taxi.

 The General Aung San Museum is located in his previous residence. The museum was not very good. It is basically a tour of the home where he lived with his family. I was told the building in Yangon where he was assassinated will be made into a museum in his honor also. I hope that it tells more about his life and explain to tourists why the Burmese consider him the father of Burma. This museum gave very little information. General Aung San is responsible for bringing Burma's independence from Britain but he was assassinated 6 months before independence. During my travels I saw his picture hanging in the homes and businesses throughout the country. His daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi has followed in her father's footsteps in Burmese politics in the National League for Democracy (NLD). She was placed under house arrest for 12 years between 1989 until November 2010. The Burmese people are hopeful she will be the next president of Myanmar but it is dependent on the current government. The constitution of Myanmar was actually written to prevent her from becoming president with a clause which prevents anyone with a foreign born spouse or children from becoming president. The world will be watching to see what happens in 2015.

Beautiful park

The rain had topped so I decided to go to Kandawgyi park for a late afternoon walk.  The taxi driver let me off on the east side of the park and I started walking. The park sits below the Shwedagon Pagoda. The view of the pagoda above the lake is beautiful. It started to rain and I grabbed my umbrella and enjoyed the peacefulness of the park in the rain. It was me and the die hard joggers in the park. I had planned to go to Shwedagon Pagoda but not in the rain. I was ready for a hot shower and a good nights sleep.

The Royal boat is now a restaurant.

Shwedagon pagoda at sunset.

The next morning was sunny so, I was headed to Dala Island. I met a woman from New Zealand that wanted to tag along. She had to be back by 4:00 PM for a bus to Bagan. We walked over to the ferry and bought our tickets and hired two young guys to give us a rickshaw ride around the island.

In 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit Dala Island  and killed 138,000 people (government stopped counting at this figure) and left many orphans. The island is a short 10 minute ferry ride from Yangon but seems like a different world.  Men were yelling out locations where the buses were going and women were selling foods. This was the center of activity as people passed between Dala and Yangon. Carla and I followed the young boys to the rickshaws and crawled in. We were off to see the island. The poverty in the community is evident on arrival. They have limited electricity and water sources.

  

The Burmese people are not bitter in this poverty. They are just looking for a way to support their families. The young men we met were happy to show us their community and teach us about their lives.  Our first stop was an old temple. First we stopped at the bell to hit it three times. Once for health, family and the world. Dong! Dong! Dong!

The boys were excited to show us a monk who died 150 years ago. His body had not decayed. I wasn't sure if it was because people had covered him in gold leaf or there was another reason. The boys told us ten (10) years ago he opened one of his eyes to warn about a coming cyclone. The photographic evidence of this is displayed beside the golden corpse. I really could not tell.

As they cycled us around the island, my rickshaw driver sang Burmese songs. He showed me where they get their water. It was a large lake in the center of town with a short dock. He told me the people use the water for bathing and cooking.  

The water is then stored in these large ceramic pots outside each families home. It is moments like this that I realize I was lucky we are in the USA.  We have poverty, but not to this extent. I never worried about my water sources. I had a roof over my head. I did not have rising water under a bamboo bungalow that was infested with mosquitos. Yet, these boys were happy and had a positive outlook for their future. They hoped tourism would continue and someday they would have $1000 USD to buy their own rickshaw. We stopped for tea and one of the rickshaw drivers wanted to buy me betel nut. My driver told me he was flirting with me and thought I was beautiful. I thanked him for the compliment but said no to the betel nut. I like my teeth and want to keep them. He laughed and shook my hand. We said our goodbyes and paid them for our tour of their island.

We returned to the ferry at the right time. It started to rain....and then the monsoon rain started. As we exited the ferry on the other side, Carla asked if I wanted to go for Indian food. Sure. Why not. We found a taxi that took us to Little India. As we exited the taxi, we were knee deep in water. Yikes! I giggled as I waded through the water. Carla and I both knew that the sidewalks were not in good shape. We shuffled along the sidewalks hoping we did not fall into a hole or twist an ankle. The rain was not letting up and we were trying to walk in knee deep water to find a restaurant someone had recommended. After a half hour, we gave up. We decided to try one with many locals. The food was good and by the time we finished eating, the rain had stopped. We waded back to our hotel in the knee deep water. I took a shower and washed the dirt out of my clothes. Ahhhh! Another night early to bed. I was tired. Then I heard a knock on my door. I opened it and there was Amy, an American girl I had met at breakfast. We had talked about doing a cooking class and she had some information. We decided to walk over to Monsoon for dinner and to sign-up for their cooking class in the morning.
Dinner with Amy was fun. She has traveled and lived in China and Azerbaijan. She had some great suggestions for travel. I shared my experiences in Myanmar and she shared hers in other countries. We signed-up for a 10 am cooking class at Monsoon after enjoying our dinner. We planned to go to Shwedagon Pagoda after dinner but we got so busy talking we lost track of time and missed it. It was 10:30 PM and we were tired. We would meet up for breakfast in the morning before class.

Hsipaw, Myanmar

The next morning I was taking the train to Hsipaw. Mr Guy picked me up and took me to the train station. He even made sure I had my ticket before he said goodbye. I was impressed that he made certain I got a good seat with a view of the Gotiek Viaduct. As I waited at the train station, a woman came up and sat down next to me. She asked where I was from and where I was going. I answered her questions and asked her the same questions.  She was going to the market but when she saw me sitting alone, she wanted to know more about me and my travels. As we talked, I showed her pictures of places I had visited. She was amazed I was travelling alone for a year. She said I was her hero and wished me well. She told me she was born in Myanmar and lived her whole life in Pyin Oo Lwin. Her husband had left the country for work in the USA 30 years ago but never had enough money to get her and their children out of the country. She had found out last year that he had died 5 years earlier while living in Washington DC. She was confident life was going to get better for her and her family. I wished her well and many years of happiness. 

This was one of the few times I was willing to support the government and take a train. I had been very conscious on my travels to make certain that I limited the amount of money to the Myanmar government. The Lonely Planet guidebook explained the locations and the amount of money that goes to the government. I stayed away from the government run hotels and only took the train twice, Circle train ($1) and the train from Pyin Oo Lwin to Hspiaw ($13). I had paid the fees at  historical sights ($10 at each of the cities Bagan, Inle Lake, and Mandalay). And the flight to Mandalay was a government sponsored airline. Otherwise, I had stayed away as much as I could. I was also conscious about spreading my money around the towns instead of only buying things at one restaurant or hotel. I wanted the people to get the money and not the government. I want to be conscious of how I spend my money here.

The train and tracks were very old. As the engine chugged along, the cars rocked from side to side. It felt more like a boat on the ocean as it rocked along the tracks. I sat in my seat looking out the window. We were passing farms where the people were hard at work plowing the fields. We stopped twice to leave supplies at small villages.

Then stopped at train stations to pick up a few more people. The train stations were filled with women selling food. I was not feeling well....again. The food in Myanmar was causing havoc on my digestive track. Ugh! From a distance I could see the bridge. The Goteik Viaduct was built in  constructed in 1899 and completed in 1900 by Pennsylvania Steel Company. When it was completed, it was the highest bridge in Myanmar. We slowed as we approached the bridge.

All of the seats had good views of the bridge. We stopped before crossing the bridge. The conductor saw I had my camera ready and he grabbed my arm. He motioned me to follow him. We exited the train and walked down the tracks to get some photos. He held up 5 fingers and pointed to his watch. Who needs English sign language works fine? I understood I had 5 minutes to take photos before the train left. I turned and saw my Taiwanese and Chinese friends from the train watching me. I waved to them to come take photos. The laughed that I was the only person taken to the spot to get photos while they all sat in the train. It pays to be a woman and smile at the conductor!

The rest of the train ride was a little hard for me. I felt awful. The rocking of the train was not sitting well with my nauseous stomach. I really hate train bathrooms...they are not clean and are awful when you are sick. I took a sea sickness tablet because I knew it would allow me to sleep and ease my stomach. When we arrived in Hsipaw I was happy to see Mr. Charles Guesthouse waiting to take me to my room. I was sweating and running a fever. I told the man that I had a reservation and he took my bag. He asked me several times if I was ok. When we arrived at the guesthouse he took me straight to a room and brought me tea and water. He took my passport and filled in the paperwork. I appreciated it as I was sick. Whatever I had eaten the day before was at war with me. I have never had such bad food poisoning. The staff was good at checking on me. I went down for some hot tea the next morning and the girls told me to get back to my room because I was green. I asked about trekking and she told me "none for you today." She was nice and brought me ginger and lemongrass tea to settle my stomach. I went back to my room and spent the next 24 hours wishing I felt better. I was sad because I had planned on doing an overnight trek into the villages. I just had no energy and was wiped out. As I lay in my room wishing I was feeling better, I decided no more meat. It was going vegetarian until I got back to Thailand. I think the food cleanliness with the meat was the problem. I had to decide what to do next. Stay here a few more days or give up on the trekking and go to the Mon State in southern Myanmar. I spent a second day trying to get well. The next morning, I went down at breakfast to talk to the trekking guides. I wanted to see if anyone was going or if I would have to pay the single fee. As I talked to a guide, he told me that nobody was doing a village hike. I would be the only person and I would have to pay the full cost myself. That was too much money and one of the downfalls of off season travel. I told him how I had been sick for 2 days and he suggested a day exploration I could do on my own. I decided to rent a bike and go see the Shan area that he suggested.

I noticed the map had the Shan Palace labeled in the area  he had suggested I explore. I had read the book Twilight Over Burma: My Life as a Shan Princess by Inge Sargent. I also had read in the guidebook not to bother the residents of the home. So, my plan was to bike out and see the palace through the gate and continue on my path.

Gate of Shan Palace

As I stood looking in the gates and taking a few photos, a woman walked up and asked if I wanted to visit. I asked if it was allowed. She said of course I could visit. Historically, the government had cracked down on visitors over the years and Mr Donald, the nephew of the last Shan Prince, had been imprisoned for talking with tourists. As I went down the driveway, I could see the palace which was in need of repair.

Shan Palace

Ms. Fern, came out and welcomed me to her home. She told me I could go out and see the private prayer room. As I wandered out there I saw beautiful butterflies and the spirit houses. The prayer house was falling down and was in need of repairs like the rest of the property. As I walked back to the home, Ms. Fern invited me into her home.

Ms. Fern with photographs of the Shan Princes

She shared pictures of the Shan princes in the room where ceremonies took place. She talked to  me about what had happened to the Hsipaw Shan Prince and to her husband, Mr. Donald. Mr. Donald had been arrested by the government for talking to tourists in 2005. The government charged him with sharing state secrets because they had found a book that tourists had written in when they visited the palace. Mr. Donald was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He was eventually released after four years and placed under house arrest. He was ordered not to talk to tourists. Ms. Fern explained that the government allowed her to visit her husband in prison once every 2 weeks for 15 minutes. She would pack up food that would stay edible for 2 weeks at a time. I was shocked as she told me about their life. I asked again if she should be talking with me. She assured me that it was ok now and that I could write about our visit without any harm to her or her family. She told me the head of Myanmar tourism had visited her and Mr. Donald last fall and said there were no problems with them talking to foreigners. She wanted to share their stories and about life in Hsipaw and the difficulties of the Shan people. It was a part of their history. I noticed she had a large library of books. She explained that she loves to read true life stories about people and showed me the books. I asked her how she got all the books and she told me tourists had left with her. One of my favorite stories she shared was about the tractor out in front of the house. I knew from reading Twilight Over Burma: My Life as a Shan Princess,  the last Shan prince had bought tractors to try to help the his people become more productive with agriculture. He bought tractors and allowed his people to use them to help farm their lands. I was inquisitive and noticed that there was a tractor under a tarp outside and asked if it was one of the tractors originally bought by the Prince. Fern told me how the military government had taken it and returned it wrecked. She told me it had sat for 30 years before Mr. Donald got it running again. It took 4 months of work and the help of friends and tourists but it is now used to mow the lawn.

I enjoyed my time with Ms Fern at the Shan Palace. It was an interesting insight into Burmese life and struggles under the military dictatorship. She and her family went through very hard times. Friends turned their backs on them for fear of being persecuted. Their only source of income had been the donations given by tourists. When Mr. Donald was arrested and ordered to not talk to tourists, times got very difficult. I was impressed with their perseverance and admired them for believing in future. Ms. Fern is hopeful that Myanmar's future will be brighter. As most Burmese, she is waiting to see what happens in the 2015 elections. As I said my goodbyes, I thanked her for the time and history she shared with me. I was happy as I left the palace. I had been given a personal account of the history of the Shan people.

I was back on my bike and headed towards little Bagan. As I cycled down the small dirt path with bamboo fences on each side, I saw a sign for Mrs. Popcorn's Organic restaurant. Why not try it? Mrs. Popcorn was the sweetest lady. She greeted me and took me to a spot under a large tree. As I looked at the menu, she brought out a plate of fresh pineapple. Mmm! I ordered a tea leaf salad with a fruit plate and a mint iced tea.

We talked and when she saw a vendor going by she said she had a special treat for me. She came back with a small bowl of rice and chicory root topped with coconut. I tried it and it was good but very sweet. I could only eat a small amount. After relaxing in the garden, I was cooled off and I headed for little Bagan. It was an area with small pagodas similar to Bagan. My favorite was the one with a tree growing out of it!

I came across a monastery and stopped. Two young novices were playing marbles in the front. I stopped when they greeted me. I watched them play marbles and soon I was invited to play along.
I giggled as they were better than me. If I said anything in English they repeated it and giggled. We all know I have a soft spot for novice monks. So of course, this was a fun hour just playing marbles.
I had spent most of my day chatting with people and had lost track of the time. It was 4 PM and I noticed the sky was getting dark. Rain was coming and I wanted to get back to Mr. Charles Guesthouse before I got soaked. I was a few blocks from the guesthouse when the rain started. Whew! I was ready for a shower and a hot dinner.

I woke up early (5:00 AM) the next morning and decided to walk down to the morning market. I had been told it is a good market. I have visited a lot of markets in SE Asia but this was a first. Everyone was selling their fruits, vegetables and meats by candlelight. It was a beautiful sight.

Candlelight market in Hsipaw

Woman loading her purchases onto her motorbike

I am not sure how the people see what they are getting. I suspect they rely on the sense of smell to know it is fresh. I wandered back to the guesthouse a half hour later and checked the weather forecast. Rain was predicted for the next 3 days. There would be no hiking into the villages. I decided to book the overnight bus to Yangon. I was sad to leave without hiking to the villages but I had great experiences the day before that made the trip to Hsipaw worthwhile.

I sat outside in the cabana as I waited for the evening bus. I had a 16 hour trip to Yangon. It was scheduled to leave at 4:30PM. I was dreading this trip. It was going to be long and painful. I just wanted to sleep through it. As the bus pulled up I was pleasantly surprised. I have been on many buses in my years of travel and this was the nicest. It had big business-sized seats that reclined with foot rests and a stewardess on board. She walked up and gave me a bag with water, snacks and candy. Then she handed me a pillow and a fuzzy soft blanket. When she came back I wondered what else she could have to offer me. This time she opened up a box and asked if I wanted aspirin, motion sickness pills or sleeping pills! Wow! I declined and decided to stick with my own medications. I curled up in my seat with my headphones, blanket and pillow and slept most of the night. They woke everyone up for a bathroom and dinner break at 10:00 PM and 1:00 AM. It was an odd time but we were all forced to sit outside for a half an hour each time. Otherwise the trip was uneventful. I arrived in Yangon and back to the hotel I had stayed on my first week in Myanmar.  

Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar

The Peacock Lodge set-up a shared taxi to Pyin Oo Lwin. I had asked about bus and was told "No bus. Only taxi or shared pickup. Pickup not good for you. You go taxi." I was a little disappointed because I thought a shared pickup with the locals would be fun. I was considering it and asked how long the trip would take. She said 3-5 hours in pick-up and only 1 hour by taxi. Hmmm....taxi won. I like the idea of a quick trip anywhere. I was told to be ready at 9:30 AM for the taxi that I would share with 3 other people. I sat and waited....and waited and waited. It was 11:00 AM and no taxi had arrived. I asked the receptionist and she said they were sometimes late. After another hour she called to check on the taxi. The said they would be arriving in 30 minutes. It is the waiting around that makes travel hard. My control of the situation is out of my hands. I am learning to be more patient.  It finally arrived at 1:00 PM. The woman had booked the front seat for me. Not a bad deal for $2 more.  I looked for my seatbelt. It had been removed. I can not get use to no seatbelts on any mode of transportation. I have relaxed a little with the Asian driving. It is scary if you pay attention but I have gotten to the point where I just watch the scenery. I don't freak out as often. That solid line down the middle of the line is just a suggestion to not pass in Asia. Most of the drivers do not follow it. I realized this was not a trip I wanted to be in the front seat. My  driver thought he was in the Indy 500 and we raced up and around curves and around pickups on mountain curves. I knew we were going over the side of the hill if another car was coming down. I just shut my eyes and put on some relaxing music. I kept telling myself I had to let go of control and trust we would arrive safely.  We made several stops to deliver what I suspected were movies or video games to stores along the way. Then we pulled into a college campus to pick up a girl. After some searching they find her and she walks out with 4 gigantic suitcases! The taxi driver had a long discussion with her and she finally left one of the bags and then tried to cram everything into the back of our car. I was happy I had paid extra for the front seat. The people in the back seat had to hold her luggage.
After a 2 hour trip,  I was happy as I opened the door and felt the cool breeze. It was 42C when I left Mandalay and 30C in Pyin Oo Lwin. This felt refreshing after weeks being hot and sweaty!
Pyin Oo Lwin is a scenic hill town. The British came here to spend their summers and vacations away from the heat. I spent the first afternoon wandering the streets and markets.  That evening at dinner, a man walked in and asked if I would like to do a motorbike tour of the area. I talked to him and looked at his book of pictures. I told him I was planning to rent a bicycle but if I changed my mind I would look for him in the morning. He told me where he has tea and to come there if I was interested in seeing the area. I woke up the next morning and was feeling lazy. I decided to go find Mr. Guy with the motorbike.

We started off the morning with a visit to the Kandwagyi National Botanical Gardens. They were planted during the British rule and his grandfather was one of the gardens. He joined me on my walk through the garden. It was had beautiful flower gardens, rolling lawns and lakes.  I needed this after the sweltering heat of Mandalay. We wandered through the beautiful paths and enjoyed the serene surrounding.

We saw the flowers and fish ponds and then he wanted to show me the swimming pool. It was just a pool but I was happy we had walked over. On our way back, I heard a loud howling. I asked if it was a monkey and he told me there are no monkeys in the park. Then we met a friend of his that works in the park. He laughed as he told him that I thought it was a monkey howling. His friend said the joke was on him. It was a monkey! He pulled me to the side and pointed high in the trees. I could see a black monkey. Then, we heard a howl behind us. I turned and a monkey was walking from the lake back to the trees. It was waist high. I was shocked! They both told me I was very lucky because this rarely happens. 

The park is 177 hectacres with numerous areas of paths, lakes and animals. We walked on and fed the fish and geese in the park. Then through the orchid and butterfly house before arriving at the watch tower.

The elevator was broken so Mr. Guy said I could walk the 10 flights of stairs on my own. It was an easy climb and the breeze was wonderful. I walked around and around. At the 7th level I found 2 young adults having a romantic interlude. And then 2 more at the top. The poor young girl was so embarrassed to be caught making out with her boyfriend. She apologized to me for not acting appropriate in public. I smiled and told her I was not offended and she told me how her parents do not like her boyfriend because he is too poor and will not give her enough wealth. I listened as they told me how much the love one another. Then she asked me if my parents get a choice in who I marry. Ha, ha, ha! Never!! (Sorry, mom and dad!)  I smiled and answered their questions about American life. They let me take a photo of them by the wall with love messages (where they were kissing).

As I talked with Mr. Guy, he explained that many of the old British homes are now government controlled hotels. He was friends with a few of the proprietors and offered to take me to see two. We drove towards Circular Road and stopped at  Craxton first and then on to my favorite hotel, Candacraig Hotel.

This hotels need some tender loving care and will probably be updated as tourism increases. I asked the cost of these hotels and was shocked the government run hotels were very expensive.
We continued on past the Chinese temple. Over lunch, I continued to ask Mr. Guy abut life in Myanmar and the changes he has observed over the years. As we talked, I was amazed at how the people openly shared their thoughts and feelings about the government and their hopes about the election in 2015. The overwhelming sense is that the Burmese people hope Aung San Suu Kyi becomes the next president of Myanmar, but they are hesitant if the government will allow her to be president. Only time will tell.

After lunch, Mr. Guy asked if I would like to see his home. I thought we were just driving by to see where he lived. Instead, he pulled up to a cinderblock wall and we got off the motorbike and entered the gate. It was a small courtyard where his wife greeted us. She invited me in to her home. It was small. Just a living room, bedroom and an outdoor kitchen and bathroom. He and his wife and daughter lived here. The whole area was probably 500 sq ft. His wife offered me tea and cake as she motioned for me to sit in the living room. She asked me about life in America and turned on the tv- because Americans love tv! I spent 2 hours at their home answering her questions about life in America. As we left to continue our journey she wanted to send the rest of the cake with me. I thanked her but said I could not eat that much sweets. It was a nice experience and once again a stranger opened their home and life to me. These are the experiences that I would never have if I did not trust these people or open myself up to the opportunities. I know as I leave Asia, I am going to have to be more careful and less trusting.

Our journey ended with a trip to the waterfalls and a tour through a village. It was the end of the day and the sun was setting. Families were headed to the river to bathe and water buffalo were relaxing in the fields. Mr Guy took me up to one of the oldest railway stops in the area. He told me this was like the old Pony Express in the USA. I smiled and thanked him for a wonderful day.

Ancient Cities of Mandalay

I was on my way to Mandalay. After an hour taxi ride, I arrived at the airport in Heho to catch a 45 minute flight. I checked in and was handed a sticker for my shirt and told to wait for my plane. I asked the woman at the counter for my seat and gate information and was told to go to gate 2 and I could just pick a seat when I boarded the plane. Wow! That is simple. Now I knew why I was suppose to wear a sticker, they could pick out who should be on the flight very easily. Why waist time and trees with a paper ticket? As I sat waiting at the gate, a woman approached me and informed me that the flight would be arriving an hour late which would delay my flight. She asked if I had any concerns with the change in flight time. What could I do? I was fine and grabbed my computer out of my bag to get caught up on my blog. I got everything out and was working on my blog when the gentleman that checked my bag comes over to me and tells me it is time to go. My plan had arrived. What?!?! I grabbed my belongings and followed him. There was my plane! I boarded and took a seat. The safety announcement was made and the woman ended it with "I hope we arrive safely." I giggled and the Burmese men next to me looked at me and said "Not funny. Plane crashes. Boom!" Yikes! WTH! He bowed his head and was praying.  I questioned if this was a smart choice. The plane started to taxi down the runway and I looked at my watch. It was leaving 10 minutes ahead of the departure time! I had noticed in Myanmar everything was on schedule or ahead of schedule. I had been impressed. Now I just had to pray I would land safely in Mandalay!

It was a quick flight and the view of the mountains was beautiful from the plane. Everything was green and lush with clouds nestled in the valleys. We landed in safely in Mandalay. Whew!  I waited for my bag in the hot, humid airport. Mandalay was significantly warmer than Inle Lake. I was dripping sweat when my bag finally arrived. I wanted to get to a hotel and take a shower.  The hotel, Peacock Lodge, had arranged a car to pick me up. I found my name on a sign and was headed into Mandalay. My first impression was a big dirty city that I just wanted to get in and out as quickly as possible. When I arrived at the hotel, I asked about a taxi to the three ancient cities. She offered to arrange a car. As we talked, I told her I would like to see U Bein Bridge at sunrise. I was already tired of the sales tactics at the tourist sites. I hear it was really bad at sunset but nobody at sunrise.  Since I was going to be up at 4:00 am, she suggested I take in a local tradition. The girl tells me that Buddha's face and teeth are washed and few tourists attend the ceremony. This is what drew me in. I like the local traditions and especially if there are not many tourists. Sign me up!

So, I was up a 3:30 AM and ready for the taxi ride to Mahamuni Pagoda. It is dark as the taxi pulls up to the pagoda. He tells me to leave my shoes in the backseat and meet him in an hour after the service. I walk to the entrance and stand with 3 Burmese people. Soon I see a procession of monks headed to the pagoda with offerings of flowers and fruits. They stand and wait with us. A man asks where I am from and translates to the others. They stand smiling at me as we wait. When the doors are opened the man grabs my arm and tells me to follow him. He is going to get me a good seat. I was confused because there were only a few of us. I think we will all have good seats.

The Buddha at the Mahamuni Pagoda has become famous for becoming fat. Over the last 100 years, men have been allowed to purchase gold leaf and enter the pagoda and add it to his body. Woman are not allowed to go into the inner sanctuary. There is a corded off area for woman to sit outside the main area and watch the ceremonies on a tv. I was in the front and had a good view of the ritual. I heard a beating of a drum followed by a bell. A head monk entered and was followed by layman  dressed in white. They entered and placed an orange robe over Buddha's shoulders and then arranged towels and offerings in the front.  The other monks that arrived outside the gates entered with their offerings of flowers and fruits. These were placed on the alter as offerings and then the monks were given them back and exited to the left hand side. The head monk used a cloth and a gold spray bottle. He would spray the water onto Buddha's face or teeth and then wipe it off. That was followed by waving of a gold fan.

  

My body was falling asleep as I sat on the floor. It was extremely hot and I was dripping sweat. I thought the ceremony had to be almost over. I looked at my watch and realized only 20 minutes had passed!! I was going to faint if I sat here any longer. I got up and moved outside to the courtyard. The fresh air felt good and I had a chance to cool off a little bit. My stomach started to cramp. No! Not again! I was having a hard time kicking this bug and the heat did not help the matter. I sat and sipped my water for 15 minutes and then decided it was time to go back to the taxi. As I exited the pagoda, a group of young monks surrounded me and asked for money. I said no and continued to walk. One boy actually kicked me. I was taken back and not expecting it. I looked at a woman that was watching. She said "you are a foreigner with much money, give each of them $5 USD. It will not hurt you. You have so much." I was shocked and appalled by this comment. I realize that I have more money but for a Novice monk to act that way and the woman to comment was rude. I know this is another tactic used to get the western tourists and they do it because it has worked in the past. But, I stuck to my guns and continued walking. I will not play that game.

My next stop was U Bein Bridge, easily one of Myanmar's most photographed sites. I was joining all the travelers that have tried to get the beauty of the bridge captured to remember their travels.

Their were few tourists waiting for sunrise. I walked out to the west side of the bridge. Dogs followed me as I looked for a good spot to take photos. I was watching the sky and snapping a few shots. A large black dog walked up to me and started to jump on me. I was protected by a frisky little brown and white dog. Before I knew what was going on, the 2 dogs were in a fight and I was in the middle! Crap! I can't get bit. I chose to skip the rabies shots that the CDC recommended. I got out of the middle of the dogs and they followed. I am not a mean person but I did not want to get bit and have to get a rabies shot. I kicked sand at the aggressive black dog and yelled at him. They moved away but I felt bad for kicking sand at them. Not the way I wanted my morning to start off but I was safe and keeping my eye on those troublemakers.

U Bein Bridge is the longest teak wood bridge in the world. Built in the mid 1800's, the 1.2 km long bridge spans over Taungtaman Lake. In the early morning, the Burmese were making their way across the bridge for exercise or on their way to work or school. I started my walk across the bridge. I was fine for the first section. But as I continued, the bridge wobbled and I was freaked out! The wood planks creaked with each step. They were uneven and I found myself watching to make certain I did not trip and fall off the side. The Burmese would laugh as they saw my hesitation. I made it a third of the way and realized I had to repeat this walk back to the taxi. At that point I had experienced the bridge and the view and decided to turn back.


The taxi took me to a few other sights in Amarapura that I did not want to visit. I told him I was ready to move on and then he started to take me to his friends shops (marionette salesmen, wood shop and bronze factory). He would sit trying to talk me into buying things I did not need. Ahhh! I politely asked him to please only take me to the places we had discussed. We had a disagreement and he insisted it was his choice. I had no patience to sit in this heat and wait around for these men to get caught up on their daily gossip while I was hassled to buy souvenirs. I told him I was ready to go back to my hotel. He was not  happy but I wasn't either. It was best for both of us to call it a day. I will find another taxi to take me where I wanted to go. And it was fairly easy. I gave the new taxi driver a list of the sights I wanted to see and he asked me to tell him if I would like him to pull over at any times. This was service!

Sagaing was the first stop with my new taxi driver. As we followed the river the view was beautiful. Pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous hills along the ridge running parallel to the Irrawady river.

The city was the royal capital briefly in the mid 1700's. I asked the driver to take me to a few pagodas with views of the area. Some of the pagodas were under repair. I watched as workers balanced on the bamboo scaffolding and waved hello to me.

Others were not only used as a religious and tourist site but the center of daily life. As I pulled up in the taxi, I see a shop keeper giving his son a bath in a bucket. Each time his father poured water over his head, he giggled happily. Until he saw me. He was not sure what to think of me. He just stared at me and looked at his father. I thought he was adorable.

My final stop was a visit to Innwa,  an ancient imperial capital of successive Burmese kingdoms from the 14th to 19th centuries. Throughout history, it was rebuilt numerous times. The capital city was finally abandoned after it was completely destroyed by a series of major earthquakes. Today, only a few traces of its former grandeur remain. The taxi dropped me off at a jetty to take a boat across to Innwa. As I arrived on the other side of the river, I felt like I had taken a step back in time. Horse carts were waiting to take me on my journey around the island.

Our first stop was the Bagaya Monastery which was built with 267 teak wood posts. The largest post is 60 feet high and 9 ft in circumference. It was impressive, nothing I had seen before. The monastery was also famous for educating the royals. I saw young monks studying in a corner. There were maps a globes where they could locate a tourists home.

I crawled back into the horse cart. We passed other carts and the ancient wall of the city. Other pagodas looked similar to the pagodas of Bagan.  

The driver stopped to let me explore the ruins of pagodas ruined in an earthquake. Storm clouds were looming and I knew I would not have much time before the rain arrived.

I made it back to the horse cart just as the heavy rain started. We circled the remains of the old city and passed farmers on their way home from the fields. I am still amazed that they use ox and a cart in 2013.

I returned to the boat ferry and made my way through the mud and back to the taxi. I was ready to leave Mandalay and the heat and move northeast to the hill country.