We get up early and leave in search of a tuk tuk that will take us to Shwe In Bin Kyaung Monastery and then take us to the pier, we have to arrive before nine o'clock when the boat leaves for Mingun.
The monastery is beautiful, well worth a visit, built of teak on huge stilts. The monks are in the adjacent pavilions doing their homework.
Shwe In Bin Kyaung Monastery
At a quarter to nine we arrive at the pier. While we wait we put on some sunscreen and the ticket man looks at us expectantly, he says he wears tanaka and we offer him some that is hand made. It is interesting to see the life on the banks of the Ayeyarwadi River, many fishermen's huts, boats and children fluttering about. These people have few means to live.
The boat has a deck with hammocks to enjoy the views. We are all tourists. The ride lasts one hour.
River pier Mandalay
When you arrive tuk tuk and horse-drawn carriages are waiting for you but it is not necessary to go perfectly on foot and it gives you time to return before the boat departs at 1 pm. You have to pay a fee to visit Mingun, they immediately come to us to tell us.
Next to the ticket office Pondaw Paya pretty pagoda with stairs that go down to the river.
First stop Mingun Paya, unfinished brick stupa that could have been the biggest stupa in the world.
Mingun Paya
A woman comes up to us saying she knows a shortcut to the Mingun Bell and she is right. We decide to follow her, she is very nice, she shows us the town, we pass by her house and by the school. The bell is made of bronze, enormous, there is only one bigger bell in China. It's impressive.
Then we go to Hsinbyume Paya, a beautiful whitewashed pagoda with several terraces and good views. Again we meet a Spanish couple. The ground is quite hot and we have to climb several stairs but it is worth it. Our friend knows the best places for the best pictures.
Hsinbyume Paya
Last stop Chinthe ruins, is the back of what would have been a gigantic chinthe (deity half lion half dragon), impressive. The dimensions are spectacular.
We give a tip to our friend and she accompanies us to the public baths which are quite clean. They are in the middle of several houses.
Before taking the boat we have a beer, it is so hot... we enjoy it with a view of the river.
The boat leaves on time at 1pm and in about forty minutes we are back in Mandalay. We take a tuk tuk and go to eat at Shan Ma Ma restaurant, it is a local shan food restaurant, also burmese if you prefer, spectacular any of the dishes you try and very economical.
Shan Ma Ma restaurant
Before returning to the hostel to get our backpacks, we take a tuk tuk to visit the gold diggers neighborhood. It is interesting but a little disappointing at the same time. It is a representation in which after seeing the process of manufacturing the gold sheets that Buddhists use to entertain the Buddha you have a shop selling objects made with gold. You get a tiny piece of gold in your face for free that makes you feel like you are made of gold, heh.
Gold diggers
When we arrive atthe hostel, they leave us a room to take a shower, they leave us towels too. The hospitality of these people has no limit. I hope they don't lose these wonderful customs.
We bought some bottles of water at the Shwe Mann restaurant and said goodbye to them, how nice.
At 6 pm a little truck arrives to pick us up and takes us to the bus station. The bus leaves punctually but mother of mine how this boy drives, stops to refuel and I ask him to please go more quietly, he is getting dizzy half the bus.
Five hours later and with two stops for dinner and refuelling we arrived at the Bagan bus station. It is ten kilometers from Nyaung U, so we have no choice but to take a taxi. One way fare is 6,000 MMK. We ask you to take us to our accommodation on the Sunrise. Our taxi driver who could not understand anything as he was chewing betel nut starts to say some money and as you approach the Bagan area you have to pay a tourist tax of 25.000 MMK per pax. He takes a picture of you and every time you have to take the ticket reading the QR code you can see yourself, for some things they have been modernized.
Our hostel is quite good although the cleaning of the bathroom is not very good, we tell them and they go to clean it. We are outside Nyaung U although there are restaurants and other hotels in the surroundings.
Tuk tuk to pier: 5,000 MMK.
Boat to Mingun: 5,000 MMK per pax.
Beer in Mingun, is more expensive than in other places: Myanmar beer 3.000 MMK and the Dragon beer 2.000 MMK.
Mingun rate: 3.000 MMK per pax.
Tuk tuk from the pier to Shan Ma Ma: 4.000 MMK.
Food: Shan Ma Ma restaurant 9.500 MMK 3 pax. Excellent.
Accommodation: Sunrise hostel double room with bathroom and breakfast included 34.000 MMK (22$).
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