We arrived at 4 a.m. in Mandalay. The southern bus station is about 10 kilometers from the city. We take a taxi, which is very nice and takes us to the ET Hostel, our accommodation. We get the room and sleep for a couple of hours.
We have breakfast at the hostel, for now the simplest breakfast. We rent some bikes and make a tour that marks the Lonely that takes us to the Ayeryawadi river.
We visit several Payas (Eindawya Paya), the clock tower, a bridge in the shape of a crocodile, monasteries, a teak bridge (smaller than U-bein), a Chinese temple and we end up having a beer in a bar overlooking the river.
Paya in Mandalay
The tour is interesting as you go through neighborhoods outside of tourist areas.
We return to the hostel passing by the flower market. In front of the fortress we take a tuk tuk and go to eat at the Mingalabar restaurant, the brutal tofu, we had already tried it in street stalls but this one is impressive. In general all the food, they also invite you to try typical sweets like jaggery (fruit juice and sugar).
We take a tuk tuk and go to the Royal Palace, we negotiate with him for the rest of the day.
Inside Royal Palace Mandalay
You have to pass by a sentry box where a policeman holds one of the passports and charges you for the combined ticket for several temples. Passing the arch of the wall, some women offer us a ride on a motorbike, it is so hot that we do not think about it. We enter the Palace, inside the fortified area of the city, there are many people, all Chinese tourists taking thousands of pictures. We take some pictures of some boyfriends with their typical costumes, how beautiful they are.
Bride and groom in Royal Palace
The enclosure has several wooden halls, a watchtower (from which you have views of the city) and a large drum tower. Large gardens surround it. The throne room with a very high pyramid of several levels stands out.
Mandalay Royal Palace
We go out and our tuk tuk is waiting for us, we stop at Shwenandaw Kyaung Monastery (included in the combined ticket), a beautiful building made of carved teak wood with some impressive figures of jataka (scenes of Buddha's life), a must see. Next door is the Atumashi Kyaungdawwgyi, with a large central hall with a Buddha.
Shwenandaw Kyaung Monastery
Then we visit Kyauktawgyi Paya, Kuthodaw Paya and Sandamuni Paya, the last two surrounded by what they say is the largest book in the world, composed of more than two thousand marble slabs inscribed each with its mini stupa. It is very interesting.
The largest book in the world Kuthodaw Pagoda
It gets dark and we go up to see the sunset at Mandalay Hill. It can be climbed from various points, our driver goes up the road, we see a lot of people and nuns.
Our driver pays a small toll and we reach the base of the temple. We go up in the elevator already barefoot. When we arrive, we are charged for the entrance. A temple formed by several halls with different Buddhas crowns the hill, with a 360 degree view. The views are spectacular. We meet a Spanish couple and chat for a while.
Sunset Mandalay Hill
We return with our tuk tuk to the night market. It is not what we expected, almost all clothes and shoes stands are not very interesting, there is almost no light in the whole street.
Mandalay night market
We are near the hostel and walk back, have dinner in a local restaurant where they don't speak English. It's a café called Shwe Mann and their specialty is Burmese dishes and dim sum but it's late at 8.30 and they practically don't serve dinner anymore, but in the end we understand each other and they serve us rice with delicious eggs. They are super nice and try to talk to us, we have a few laughs. We take very good memories.
Bike rental for one day: 2.000 MMK per bike.
One Myanmar beer, one Hundred and one soft drink: 4.100 MMK.
Tuk tuk: main places in Mandalay: 15.000 MMK.
Entrance to the Royal Palace: 10.000 MMK per pax (it is a combined ticket that includes several temples).
Motorbike at the Royal Palace: 1.800 MMK per pax.
Tuk tuk to Mingalabar restaurant: 4.000 MMK.
Lunch: Mingalabar restaurant 16.000 MMK 3 pax, delicious
Entrance fee to Mandalay Hill: 3,000 MMK per pax
Dinner: Shwe Mann, local restaurant: 5,100 MMK 3 pax.
Accommodation: ET Hotel 14$ double room with bathroom and breakfast included.
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