Pagodas, rivers, lakes and wooden bridges: Tour around Mandalay

Last post: Our first day in Mandalay (SEA 34)

We had a fantastic breakfast on the roof top of our cheap and simple hotel together with Sen. Matthias met her last night in front of the hotel and she decided to make a tour around Mandalay with us. We walked out of the hotel to organize a taxi. After 10 minutes of hard negotiating we had a pickup taxi and the trip began. But after 10 minutes – we where still in the city- our driver had a flat tire and we had to change it.

The old city of Inwa (Ava)

Then we drive tot he old city Inwa (Ava). This small city was the capital of Birma for 400 years. We had to take a ferry and on both sides kids are waiting fot tourists to sell their handicraft. The city nowadays is more like a little village where the citizens try to get some money out of the upcoming tourism. They wanted us to rent a small horse rickshaw to get into the “10 km” far city. But we decided to walk and within 20 minutes we where there. When we came back we met the French guy from yesterday. Not for the last time today.

Pagodas in Sagaing

We came back to our taxi and drove to Sagaing where you can visit many pagodas. When you cross the bridge before you enter the city you can see uncountable pagodas everywhere. We visited the Kaungmudaw Pagoda. A beautiful place with a great view to the Irrawaddy river and the city of Sagang as well. And we met Barthèlèmy (the french guy) again and made an appointment for dinner in Mandalay.

The wooden bridge of Amarapura

At least we drove to Amarapura where you can see of the most famous picture themes of Myanmar. The 1,2 km long wooden bridge where it is crowded for sunset and also for sunrise. Back in time you could see the monks crossing the bridge but today there are hundreds of tourists where you have to search for the monks in between. A tour guide waiting next to our taxi told me that it is like this since one year (This trip was in 2013). Tourism is good and evil in one thing. It brings the money but it destroys the history and tradition.

On the evening when we came back to Mandalay we met Barthèlèmy and had a super delicious meal at one of the Indian street food stalls. A perfect end of a perfect day.

Next post: From Mandalay to Thazi (SEA 36)