The alarm woke me at 5.30 a.m. to give me time for a shower and getting dressed before breakfast was delivered to my room at the Strand Hotel just after six o'clock. I was ready to leave by 6.30 a.m. and Min and the driver were waiting for me in reception. At that time of the morning, there were no traffic problems on the way. We reached Mingaladon Airport around ten to seven and I said 'goodbye' to Min and the driver.
All the formalities at the Domestic Terminal for our Air Bagan flight were, as usual, carried out efficiently by 'Road to Mandalay' personnel so in a few minutes I was in the Departure Hall, delayed only by brief conversations with 'Road to Mandalay' staff I'd met on previous trips. I've never had to wait such a short time because in moments we were moving out to the Transfer Bus. Yangon has a rather superannuated set of transfer buses but we boarded a modern bus in Air Bagan colours to join the Fokker 200 twin-jet which was to take us to Mandalay.
I was seated with Linda and Ruth, two friends I'd travelled with before, on the 2010 trip, which was pleasant. The smiling Air Bagan staff were kept busy throughout the flight serving a snack meal and clearing it away because the jet is only allowed one hour for the journey to Mandalay. A couple of rather more rickety transfer buses were on duty at Mandalay but they successfully completed the short journey across the tarmac. Because we were on an internal flight, the Immigration desks were unattended. We were also able to ignore the baggage carousel - 'Road to Mandalay' Logistics Staff dealt with checked baggage which was magically waiting in our cabins when we arrived at the ship. I met more 'Road to Mandalay' staff I'd previously sailed with, plus Margot and Audrey, two more American ladies I'd met on an earlier trip. Once we'd worked out which group we'd been allocated to, we joined our lady guide Nang (whom I'd not met before) and boarded one of the six waiting buses.
Our bus drove to Shwe Kyet Yet, on the Ayeyarwaddy but, instead of turning to the River Station where our ship waited, we drove over the new road bridge to the west bank of the river and climbed the tortuous road through the Sagaing Hills to the famous pagoda at the summit. It was a hot, sunny day with a clear sky and we had good views of sprawling Mandalay City a few miles away on the opposite bank. More importantly, directly opposite us we could see the imposing white hull of our soon-to-be home, the 'Road to Mandalay' ship, dwarfing the many teak-carrying barges moored in the vicinity.
The Sagaing Hills, with its many temples, pagodas, monasteries, nunneries and study centres, is a Sacred Place of great significance to all Buddhists and, as always, there were numerous pilgrims but tourists taking photographs are not resented and the whole area had a peaceful, friendly atmosphere.
We returned to the bus which gingerly descended by a different, twisting road (a one-way system is in use) to an area in the lower reaches of the Sagaing Hills where there are a number of nunneries. Our bus parked and a short walk took us to Zeyar Theingi Nunnery which I'd visited before. We were allowed to wander between the buildings and see a little of the life of nuns. It was a friendly, welcoming place and the permanently-smiling head nun accompanied us, answering questions which our guide translated.
Some of the nuns were bathing in the communal open-air pool, separated by a wall. A simple sign in English 'No photos please' was regarded as sufficient to maintain the nuns' privacy.
Whereas the local population make daily offerings of cooked food for monks, nuns accept offerings of uncooked food. This is stored in various wooden cupboards in a communal kitchen provided with a number of simple cooking stoves. Typically, two nuns share one stove and each cooks on alternate days. We saw a number of nuns eating lunch seated on tiny stools next to low, round tables. As for monks, lunch is also the last meal of the day for nuns.
Sagaing is famous for silverware and we next went to a silversmiths' workshop with a large showroom attached. The delicacy and beauty of the finished product contrasts with the primitive workshop equipment used to produce it.
On leaving the silversmiths, we retraced our route back over the new road bridge and into Shwe Kyet Yet and the 'Road to Mandalay' River Station. Once again, it was a time of happy reunions for me, before being lead to my cabin. As soon as all the passengers were aboard, Captain Myo Lwin cast off and headed upstream whilst a buffet lunch was offered to the 65 passengers in both the restaurant on the main deck and alfresco on the Top Deck. On my way to lunch, I met Dr. Hla Tun, who had somehow missed finding me when I came aboard. I also detoured to the bridge where the Captain greeted me warmly. He, too, had intended to see me on my arrival but had also missed me.
By the time I'd finished lunch, we were approaching Mingun, where the massive bulk of the Unfinished Pagoda dominated the west bank. The ship anchored mid-channel, facing upstream and two 'Fast Boats' approached she ship and, one after the other, ferried us ashore for a walking tour of Mingun. First, we viewed the Unfinished Pagoda from ground level.
Then, we examined 'The World's Largest Uncracked Bell'. There were opportunities to sound the bell by striking the rim with a hefty piece of wood and for standing underneath the bell whilst it was sounded from outside. I did both. We then went on to the Shinbyume Pagoda, often called the 'Wedding Cake Pagoda' because of its tiered construction and whitewashed stucco finish. As on previous visits, I climbed the steps to the top of this pagoda but I seemed to need more frequent 'breathers' this time than I recall.
We walked back through the village to the landing place where our two 'Fast Boats' waited to transfer us back to the ship, still at anchor mid-channel. At 7.00 p.m. Sammy, the hotel manager, introduced the officers, heads of department and guides to the passengers on the Top Deck. Then Mr. Win, the guide, introduced a short performance of traditional Burmese dances. This was followed by the Welcome Dinner in the restaurant, held in two sittings at 7.30 and 8.30 p.m. I was on the second sitting and the food was superb. It had been an enjoyable but tiring day.
Photographs:
Sagaing Temples (including pictures from 2011).
Zeyar Theingi Nunnery (including pictures from 2008).
Silversmiths in Sagaing (including pictures from 2008).
Mingun Revisited.
[Revised 6-Oct-2012]
