Showing posts with label FE6. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FE6. Show all posts

Friday, 22 March 2013

Back to Yangon

Events of Friday, 22nd February 2013

The Aureum Palace Hotel provided a good cooked breakfast so, by the time my guide and driver arrived, I was checked out and ready to leave.

The Lobby of the Aureum Palace Hotel, with Reception on the left.

We returned to the Mandalay-Yangon Highway by backtracking along the route we'd travelled on our arrival the day before. I'm not a very good car passenger, so I found the long journey south rather tiring. I anxiously counted down the distance markers (provided every 100 metres, I think). Once again, there was very little traffic.

The Highway south.

There was a Rest Stop about halfway to the end of the Highway, where I expected us to stop but, after some hesitation by the driver, we kept going. I think he missed the turn. Shortly after, we did turn off to reach a modern petrol station I'd spotted a few hundred yards from the highway.

The petrol filling station, just off the Highway. Ours was the only vehicle on the forecourt.

As we approached distance marker '0', I sadly realised that it merely denoted the end of the Highway. We were still a good way from our destination and, although we were still travelling on a dual carriageway, because of all the local traffic, our speed had reduced. I thought that we were near Bago and, after a few minutes, I had confirmation. The nearer we got to Yangon, the worse the traffic became. Our driver attempted some diversions but it seemed that these alternative routes were known to all the other drivers.

I'd agreed with the guide that, on the way to the Park Royal Hotel where I was to spend the night, we'd stop at the Taw Win Centre on Pyay Road. This would allow me to return to the Tab Book Centre where, on my previous visit, I'd purchased some interesting books written in English on Burmese History. That earlier visit is described here. Eventually, we reached the Taw Win Centre and, once we'd located the bookshop, I spent a hectic time going through the bookshelves and selecting a number of books for purchase. We then made somewhat better time on the last part of the journey to the Park Royal Hotel. I released my guide and driver for the day, arranging the final transfer from the hotel to the airport on the following morning.

I'd intended to just relax in the hotel but, after a shower and a change of clothes, I thought it a pity not to find out a little more about the railway - Yangon Central Station was only ten minutes walk away and I had a tantalising view of the station buildings from my room.


The view of the gilded towers of Yangon Central Station from the
Park Royal Hotel.


So I walked to the station, took some more pictures around the station to pore over on my return and decided to walk east a little way on the road parallel to the railway on the north side. The road quickly deteriorated into a track between a number of fairly humble wooden buildings. I was definitely "on the wrong side of the tracks". Most of the buildings had rusting, corrugated galvanised iron roofs, but at least one (in need of repair) was tiled.

Roof tiles on a dwelling near Yangon Central station.

I was intrigued, because the design was very similar to tiles I'd seen in Myanma Railway Museum the day before.

Tiles exhibited in Myanma Railway Museum.

The track continued, weaving between wooden homes before coming to an abrupt stop at a brick wall dividing the houses from the railway. A home-made bamboo ladder was leaned against the wall indicating that it was no 'dead-end' to the locals.

View of the railway from the 'dead-end'.

There was no ladder on the railway side of the wall so, although I could see the footpath worn in the grass by passing feet, I decided it might be unwise to risk injury on the evening before I flew home. I back-tracked and continued east on a more major road, before turning right to take pictures from the bridge where the road crossed over the railway.

Then I continued east on the south side of the railway along the main road to Pazundaung, with multi-storey buildings on both sides of the road providing commercial premises on the ground floor and apartments above. It took me a few moments to realise the function of the many thin ropes which dangled from the upper stories, necessitating frequent avoiding action on my part. Each rope was weighted with a bulldog clip or, in one case, a small moulded plastic basket. Of course! They were "letter boxes" allowing residents to collect mail or other small deliveries without the tiresome necessity of descending perhaps seven floors and then climbing up again.


Ingenious letter boxes.

Along this road, part of the width of the pavement had been built-up a foot or more above the road, forming a causeway. Here, the intention was clear - the road was clearly subject to periodic flooding and the causeway gave some protection to ground floor premises.

Turning left off the road, I came to the footbridge crossing the railway at Pazundaung. The station buildings are actially located on the footbridge. The bridge provided a good vantage point for a few more photographs. By this time, I didn't relish the walk back to my hotel, so I decided to purchase a ticket and return by train (giving more photographic opportunities). The booking clerk called for the stationmaster who had quite good English. Of course, I had to pay one U.S. Dollar for a 'Foreigner Ticket' to travel just one stop - the same fare would have taken me all round the Circle Line!

I was soon back at Yangon Central Station where I'd just enough energy to take a few more pictures. The signalmen at the Power Box were clearly intrigued by a European woman taking photographs and they all posed on the balcony.

Yangon Central Power Signal Box. All the signalmen came onto the balcony to have their picture taken.

And so the holiday was almost over. The following morning, I was to fly by Thai to Bangkok, change, and make the long flight back to London. Perhaps not a trip to everybody's taste but, for me, another wonderful set of experiences.

My Pictures

Aureum Palace Hotel, Naypyitaw.
Myanmar's Highway.
Park Royal Hotel, Yangon.
Yangon (2013).
Yangon Central Station.
Pazundaung Station.
By train: Pazundaung - Yangon.

Thursday, 21 March 2013

An Evening in Napyidaw

Events of Thursday Evening 21st February 2013

We'd driven down from Mandalay that morning and spent the afternoon looking for, and finally looking at, the railway museum, as described here. By the time we arrived at the hotel, I was shattered and envisaged a quiet evening.

Entrance to the Lobby at the Aureum Palace Hotel, Napyitaw.

But my guide asked if I wanted to visit the Uppatasanti Pagoda that evening. This was the huge Golden Pagoda I'd seen from a distance as we'd driven around Napyidaw earlier. I try to work on the basis of "I may not pass this way again" and so I agreed to be picked up in a couple of hours, after I'd had a shower and changed and, hopefully, revived a little. The evening trip was a great success.

Napyidaw probably qualifies as the oddest city I've visited. Construction didn't start until 2002 and will probably continue for some time. Four years ago, the population was said to be 900,000 but, from my experiences driving around the deserted roads in the afternoon, it is a very carefully-hidden 900,000.

It was already dark when we left my hotel by car to drive to the Uppatasanti Pagoda. A number of the traffic roundabouts we traversed had strings of coloured fairylights and the artistic features on the central islands were floodlit. It was all a bit reminiscent of Blackpool and I found it rather attractive. Soon, I spotted the Pagoda, massive and floodlit. As we got nearer, we actually started picking up traffic - not enough to slow us down but much heavier than anything I'd seen during the day. We parked near the Pagoda and joined the pedestrians, mainly young people, moving to and from the Pagoda. Hundreds upon hundreds of people were happily milling around in the warm evening and the atmosphere was very inviting. The air was filled with the voice of a monk, intoning from the Buddhist scriptures using a public address system, adding to the sense of occasion.

Construction of the Pagoda was started in 2006 and completed in 2009. I expected to be appalled by this 'modern upstart' of a Pagoda but ended up being charmed. The Uppatasanti Pagoda is built on a large, square plinth and is approached by broad steps or, on one side, a lift. It would be impressive at any time but, floodlit at night, the effect is stunning. The size and shape of the Pagoda is based on the revered Shwedagon in Yangon but at least this young Pagoda has the good grace to be a few inches shorter.

The approach to the Pagoda from the lift tower.

Pagodas of this design are normally solid but the Uppatasanti Pagoda has four entrances leading to a huge, bell-shaped cathedral-like space. The walls are decorated with deep-relief marble carvings illustrating events from the Buddhist scriptures. Four elaborately-decorated shrines surround a central, square core and the soaring ceiling is a riot of complicated patterns and Buddhist writings in gold on a green background.

Four shrines surround a central, square core inside the Uppatasanti Pagoda.

The guide and I walked around the terrace outside the Pagoda, where there are separate shrines for each of the astrological birth-signs, before descending to ground level using one of the broad stairways.

Here, we struck the only off-note of the evening. Near the Pagoda, there's a large open-sided building where they keep the White Elephants. White (or, more accurately, albino) elephants exist but are rare. In Burma, historically they are "regarded as a sign that the monarch reigned with justice and power, and that the kingdom was blessed with peace and prosperity" (Wikipedia article). Napyidaw has its own white elephants (you'd say 'pink' rather than 'white', looking at them) being stared at all day by visitors to the Pagoda.

One of the Napyidaw white elephants.

The elephants were on a hard floor sparsely covered with straw, tethered and at least one was engaging in repetitive displacement activity which is usually a sign of stress, so I didn't approve. Elephants are magnificent beasts and I believe a partnership with man is possible. In Burma, I've twice seen demonstrations by logging elephants where I was sure the elephants were willing participants (Burma 2010 and Burma 2012). In Thailand, I spent a day with an elephant without having reservations (Thailand 2008). Then, on safari in 2012, I saw elephants in the wild (Botswana 2012) so I'm afraid the elephants of Napyidaw worried me.

After an interesting evening, I was returned to my hotel. I had a simple meal in the splendid restaurant before getting to bed. The next day, I had to be up fairly early for our road trip back to Yangon.

The restaurant at the Aureum Palace Hotel.

References

Naypyidaw (Wikipedia).
Uppatasanti Pagoda (Wikipedia).

Related Posts in this Blog

Napyidaw.

My Pictures

Aureum Palace Hotel, Naypyitaw.
Uppatasanti Pagoda, Napyidaw

Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Lunar New Year Preparations at Than's Home in Vietnam

The Lunar New Year (often called the 'Chinese New Year') is a very important festival in Vietnam. My visit to Vietnam in 2013 coincided with preparations for that festival which seemed to become increasingly frantic as the date approached. Than had been my informative guide for the segment of my trip from Hoi An to Hue. The whole trip (including visits to Western Australia and Burma) is described in a series of posts here.

On 3rd February, 2013, at the end of the Hue segment, the driver was to transfer me to Hue Airport for the evening flight to Hanoi . However, before leaving for the airport, Than had invited me to his home, where (like all Vietnamese) they were getting ready to celebrate the approaching New Year with a special meal. I met Than's wife, their young son Robbie, Than's Mother and Father and other members of the family.

Robbie with his Mother and Grandmother.

Everybody was engaged in preparations for a special meal that evening, to be attended by family and friends. The celebratory feast was first set up on two tables in the front yard but after a while it started to rain, so everything had to be hurriedly brought back into the house.


The celebratory feast was first set up in the front yard, before rain forced a hurried removal back into the house.

I was made very welcome and, although I could not stay for the meal itself, they insisted that I took a bowl of the delicious soup before leaving for my flight.

My Pictures

Than's Home in Hue.

Friday, 22 February 2013

Napyidaw

Events of Thursday 21st February 2013

At 8.0 a.m. I was collected by a charming young lady guide from Yangon called Miss Khin Khin Chaw with a driver and Toyota 'Hiace'. They'd driven from Yangon to Mandalay the previous day to meet me. That journey takes over 8 hours. On the Thursday, we were only going as far as Napyidaw (about 5 hours driving) and we would overnight there. The highway from Yangon to Mandalay has only been open a few years. It's dual carriageway with at least two lanes each way and broad verges (except where the highway passes over bridges). The road's most impressive feature is how little traffic there is.

The uncrowded highway from Mandalay to Napyidaw.

I'd planned to visit Paleik station on the double-track main line from Mandalay to Yangon and so we turned off the highway and were immediately on country roads where the tarmac strip is only wide enough for one vehicle so that passing vehicles each have to drive with one wheel on the verge. We passed through a village with simple bamboo houses very similar to the one I visited in Nga-Minn-May a few days earlier.

Rural life on the way to Paleik.

Leaving the village, we were plunged back into open country. Just as I was starting to despair, we came to a small town and found the station. I gathered what information I could and we waited while a mixed train from Mandalay passed without stopping.

A southbound train passes through Paleik.

Our driver retraced our route to get back to the highway and we continued south. We carried on to the 'Rest Stop' about halfway to Napyidaw. This had a large cafe area and I realised it was designed to handle the sudden influx of people when a number of long-distance buses stopped.

The Rest Stop en route to Napyidaw.

We carried on to the junction for Napyidaw and joined a short length of highway which passed a Toll Station and then led us through a residential zone of Napyidaw. The main roads were all dual carriageway, with at least four lanes in each direction but traffic was very sparse. Electric lighting was provided and all the verges were planted with trees and shrubs and well-tended.

Napyidaw: Four lanes each way, but little traffic.

New building was going on around us, particularly as we passed through the Hotel Zone (Napyidaw is a 'planned' new city built on a 'greenfield' location). My guide asked if I'd like to check into my hotel but I was anxious that we located the Railway Museum. Although my guide and driver seemed convinced there was such a museum, they didn't know where it was (it was my guide's first visit to the capital). I suggested enquiring at the main railway station, but they preferred to ask the groups of people relaxing on the verge near each road junction. This was not productive.

By then, we were driving through the government office area - the road we were on merely carried signs to the various ministries and landscaped side roads led to the actual buildings. There was a certain irony that the Ministry of Information had no idea about a railway museum but a second attempt at the Ministry of Rail Transportation apparently obtained some guidance. I was quite taken by a rather odd 3-aspect upper quadrant semaphore signal at the road junction and even more taken with the plinthed locomotive (a class 'ST' 2-6-4T) near the offices.

Class 'ST' 2-6-4T displayed at the Ministry of Rail Transportation.

The locomotive appeared to be festooned in chains of 'fairy lights' outlining the shape so I probably wouldn't have been quite so impressed if I'd seen it at night. The actual ministry building was a modest, modern office block - I'd expected something more flamboyant.

Leaving the Ministry, I knew our route was now taking us towards the railway line, so I was a little more hopeful. Once the double-track line was in sight, I spotted a semaphore distant signal which enabled me to confirm the direction to the nearest station. Unfortunately, my guide and driver were convinced that our route lay in the opposite direction. It was only after a mile or so of increasingly rural travel that they could be persuaded to turn around and retrace our steps. I was much happier as we approached a station but couldn't help pointing out that it seemed a very small, very rural station to host a museum. However, I was always happy to do a quick survey of another station so we crossed the tracks to the station buildings at Twa Daw, where my guide was assured by the stationmaster that the museum was located at the next station along - the main railway station for Napyidaw.

After another drive along the wide, virtually deserted roads we came to the huge, modern station of Napyidaw. The station and its ten platforms were certainly impressive but it was odd that there were no other buildings nearby, no sign of the city it served. It reminded me a little of all the 'Parkway' stations we now have in England, where the name is a warning that the place served is some distance away. It was also odd that, in the whole time we spent in the vicinity of the station, not a single wheel turned on the railway. There were coaches, diesel locomotives and railcars but all with an abandoned air, in stark contrast to the permanent bustle around Yangon Central station.

Napyidaw Station.

The guide enquired as to the exact location of the museum - it was another modern building about 100 yards from the station. Yes! It was clearly marked 'Myanma Railway Museum' and 'Inaugurated 4th January 2012'. It was also clearly closed.


Thwarted by a decorative security gate and padlock.

It was here that my guide showed her true colours. Bidding me wait, she and the driver disappeared towards the station. I reviewed what was outside. A wooden shelter housed a short length of track mounting a wagon wheelset and a coupled wheelset. Nearby there were three wheelsets with a ''cowcatcher' and chopper coupling mounted on an curious undulating length of 'track'. I could only assume this was 'Art' because, even in my rather jaundiced state of mind, I had to admit that this 'track' was worse than any of the permanent way I'd seen in Burma (and I'd seen some very poor track).

Burmese Art (?) with the rather grand museum building in the background.

A little way off, there was an example of topiary in the general shape of a locomotive. I decided it was a bit too hot to look at this just then. Further off, there was a plinthed locomotive which definitely deserved inspection, but I decided to keep this as my 'consolation prize' for failing to visit the museum. At that moment, my guide and driver returned with three people in tow. One was apparently the curator, and one had a key for the padlock. Success! There was quite a reasonable display of models and fairly small artefacts. Most had simple descriptions in English I spent around 40 minutes furiously trying to capture as much as possible for further study.

Then it was check on the topiary, record the rather handsome plinthed 'Pacific (not sure about the chimney extension, though) and I rejoined the car, totally exhausted, with a view to finding the hotel.

The plinthed, oil-burning 'Pacific' outside Napyidaw station.

Before we drove off, my guide innocently enquired "Don't you want to look at that?". I'd completely missed what's supposed to be the first steam locomotive in Burma - a 'Dubs' 2-4-0 tank with an odd smokebox extension displayed inside the main station building.

Locomotive A.01 - a 2-4-0T built by Dubs & Co. in Glasgow, put into service 1-May-1877. Weight: 17.65 tons. Tractive Effort: 3857 lbs.

Finally, having snatched a few pictures of the Dubs, we set off to find my hotel - the Aureum Palace Hotel. Having booked in at Reception, I was taken in an electric golf cart about 200 yards to a very decent semi-detached 'villa' overlooking an artificial, but attractive small lake. The lake had a fair population of geese.

My semidetached 'villa' at the Aureum Palace Hotel.

I wasn't quite finished for the day, because my guide had offered to return and take me to see the modern golden pagoda in Napyidaw and I'd agreed to be ready to go out again in a couple of hours.

My Pictures

Road from Mandalay to Napyidaw.
Paleik Station.
Around Napyidaw.
Twa Daw Station.
Napyidaw Station.
Myanma Railway Museum.
Aureum Palace Hotel, Naypyitaw.

[Revised 8th March 2013, 17-Mar-2013, 19-Mar-2013, 20-Mar-2013]

Wednesday, 20 February 2013

More Mandalay

Events of Wednesday 20th February, 2013

I'd arranged with my guide that we'd make one more excursion, travelling to the ever-beautiful Sagaing Hills. It's a trip I'd made before but I never tire of the area. However, we made a slight detour on the way, to look again at Ywa Taung station.

I'd first visited Ywa Taung in 2012 with Doctor Hla Tun as we returned from making a stationery donation at Taung Be Lar School. That earlier visit is described here. On my second visit to the station on 20th February 2013 I took additional photographs to clarify arrangements. My second visit coincided with seeing two trains! On our arrival, a local train to Mandalay was waiting in the platform loop. Most of the lines are single and the local was stopped for the Mandalay to Myitkyina express to pass. This important train included a restaurant coach. Once the express had passed, I could see the pointsman changing the points so that the stopping train could continue on to Mandalay.

The Mandalay - Myitkyina express passes Ywa Taung.

Then we took the winding road to the summit at Sagaing and the temple housing the most famous Buddha image. We spent some time on the promenade surrounding the temple which commands marvellous views in all directions. It was a little hazy, limiting how far we could see, but we could study the amazing number of pagodas, monasteries and other religious buildings and watch all the river activity in the Shwe Kyet Yet area.

Numerous pagodas dot the wooded hills of Sagaing.

Driving back to Mandalay City across the new road bridge, it was clear just how low the water was. The broad river had two small navigable channels, one adjacent to either river bank, and the rest was sandbanks.

We returned to the Sedona Hotel passing a very elaborate Noviciation Procession which included an elephant. It's quite expensive to arrange for an elephant, I was told, so this was a rich family. The actual Noviciation Ceremony would probably be held on the following day.

Just part of the extensive procession.

Safely back at the Sedona Hotel, it was time to say "goodbye" to my guide and driver. On the following day I was to meet a different guide and driver for the journey south.

Wednesday was the day that a new group of guests arrived for the 'Road to Mandalay'. They would have flown into Mandalay International Airport. In the past, I have poked fun of the fact that Mandalay International Airport had no scheduled International Flights (just the occasional charter flight). Perhaps it's an indication of the changes taking place in Burma that the budget airline AirAsia now has regular flights to Bangkok for 50 dollars. I'm told AirAsia will also introduce a direct service to Singapore shortly. At the airport 'Road to Mandalay' guests would have met their guides for the trip, boarded the waiting coaches and spent the morning touring Mandalay. The guests were to meet at the Sedona Hotel for a buffet lunch before joining their coaches once again for the drive by road to Myin Mu where their ship was waiting.

Doctor Hla Tun had told me that he was usually at the hotel for the buffet lunch, in case any of the guests required medical help. I waited outside as the various buses arrived and, of course, I knew many of the staff and guides looking after the newly-arrived guests.

'RTM' Guests arrive at the Sedona Hotel for a Buffet Lunch.

Doctor Hla Tun arrived a little later: he had been to purchase medicines for use on the ship. The Doctor and I talked for a while in the hotel lobby and then (having left word where he'd be, if required) we walked around the corner to the Shwe Pyi Moe Cafe where the Doctor ordered a simple Burmese meal, whilst I had a Coca-Cola.

The Shwe Pyi Moe Cafe.

When we arrived back at the hotel the last 'RTM' coach was just leaving. The Doctor quickly collected his medicines, said goodbye and joined the bus. Amongst the new Guests, there were two 'stragglers' who had somehow missed the coaches. They were eventually located by the member of 'RTM' staff who had remained behind with a car so disaster was averted.

The following day, I was to leave Mandalay and head south by car.

My Pictures

Ywa Taung Station.
Sagaing (2013).
Noviciation Procession in Mandalay.
'RTM' at the Sedona.

[Revised 8th March 2013]

Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Maymyo

Events of Tuesday 19th February, 2013

The tour company had proposed a full-day trip to Maymyo. That was agreed, with one change. I wanted to travel from Mandalay to Maymyo by train, returning by car. One problem was that the train was scheduled to leave at 4.00 a.m. Adding the 30 minutes 'reporting time', transfer by taxi to the station and getting ready, I set my alarm for 2.40 a.m. I was on the platform at Mandalay Central, under the bleak fluorescent lighting, about 3.20 a.m. There was plenty of freight piled on the platform, together with a number of porters who tried to sleep whilst waiting. There were about a dozen Europeans waiting and a number of Burmese. There was even a locomotive, sitting at the south end of the platform. All that was missing was coaches to form the train. It was about 6.00 a.m. when the station 'pilot' passed through the station heading north on another line hauling some coaches, returning a few minutes later propelling the coaches into our platform and onto the waiting locomotive. By the time the porters had dragged the freight into the two boxcars at the rear it was 6.17 a.m. when we departed.

There was plenty of freight piled on the platform to be loaded on the train.

The particular reason I had for wanting to make this journey is that the line beyond Sedaw uses a zig-zag arrangement where the train shuffles backwards and forwards between four 'Reversing Stations' in order to gain height before completing its journey to Maymyo.


The Zig-Zag railway in the line to Maymyo.

I arrived at Maymyo station tired but happy and over two hours late. Unfortunately, my guide and driver had also had a long wait before my train appeared.

Our train on arrival at Maymyo, now called Pyin Oo Lwin.

I had decided to visit the two nuns who run the Shwe Sin Minn girls' orphanage. I'd first visited the orphanage in November 2011 and that visit is described here. Largely because of the continuing unrest in Kachin State, the number of orphans they look after had increased from 300 to 500. More building work was in progress to accommodate the extra girls. The nuns made me welcome and said I should return each year. I took a few pictures during the visit and I've added them to the original collection here.


The two nuns who founded and run the girls' orphanage.

After visiting the girls'orphanage, we drove to Pwe Kauk Waterfalls, about 5 miles northest of the town, off the road to Hsipaw. The falls aren't that spectacular but, by the addition of paths and bridges, the wooded location has been turned into water gardens to appeal to the Burmese and I found it rather charming. There was a long row of stalls selling food and souvenirs but it was all so laid-back I wasn't offended at all. My driver and guide had lunch at one of the tea shops and I joined them for a Coca-Cola 'lookalike'. To my surprise, it tasted very good.

Pwe Kauk Waterfalls.

Close by, we went to the Aung Htu Kan Tha shrine. Although modern, it has an interesting story. In April 1997, a truck was carrying a consignment of large Buddhas to China. One of the Buddhas fell off the truck nearby and attempts to re-load it on the vehicle failed. The truck driver then recalled a dream from the previous night concerning a Buddha image which did not want to leave Myanmar! So the Buddha remained and a temple was erected to house it. The design of the building is reputedly based on that of the revered Ananda Temple in Bagan. At the time of my visit, the outside of the temple was being re-gilded, involving elaborate bamboo scaffolding and woven mats covering most of the exterior.


The Buddha which did not want to leave Myanmar at Aung Htu Kan Tha.

Returning to the town, my guide showed me Maymyo's Christian Cemetery, which looked rather neglected, I'm afraid. There was once a large English population in Maymyo since its elevation kept temperatures more comfortable for Europeans in Summer.

The entrance to Maymyo's neglected Christian Cemetery.

It took around two hours to return by car to my hotel in Mandalay, twice as fast as the train was supposed to be and three times as fast as the train that morning but I was still pleased that I'd made the uphill journey by train.

My pictures

By Train to Maymyo.
Shwe Sin Minn Girl's Orphanage, Maymyo.
Pwe Kauk Waterfalls.
Aung Htu Kan Tha Shrine.
Maymyo Christian Cemetery.

Myin Mu and Mon Ywa

Events of Monday 18th February, 2013

With a car, driver and guide at my disposal, I'd decided to try to meet up with the 'Road to Mandalay' ship at its temporary upstream limit of Myin Mu. The plan was then to go on from Myin Mu to the fairly large town of Mon Ywa before returning to my hotel in Mandalay.

Myin Mu is a fairly typical small town where a flattish stretch of riverbank behind a group of houses is used as a 'dock' where passengers can board the various river services and massive amounts of freight are interchanged between river craft and large lorries drawn up on the shore. We'd arrived before the 'Road to Mandalay' but the logistics manager, Mr. Soe Soe, and his team of ground staff were already hard at work making the site ready for the landing of the Guests. Because of the low water level, the 'Road to Mandalay' would moor mid-stream and a couple of ferry boats were on hand to bring people ashore to join the six or seven buses already lined-up which would be used for the Guests' activities that day.

Mr. Soe Soe invited me to join him for a drink in a typical tea shop, just across the road from the dock.

The Tea Shop in Myin Mu used by Mr. Soe Soe.

Whilst we were sitting and chatting, I was amazed when the Head Monk from the Bagan Monastery came in. Apparently, he had business to conduct in one of the Monasteries in Mandalay but it was a very unexpected reunion.

Soon, the 'Road to Mandalay' ship was sighted and she anchored midstream. The first of the two ferry boats moved out to pick up Guests and, in a short while, all the guests for the road trip had come ashore and been seated in the appropriate coach.

The first ferry boat transfers Guests from 'Road to Mandalay' to the shore at Myin Mu.

I was able to greet a number of old friends from the ship's hotel staff and the team of guides. Doctor Hla Tun came ashore for a while and we went to (another) tea shop for a drink and a chat.

Another Tea Shop in Myin Mu. The Tea Shop is a vital part of Burmese life.

However, there were guests still on the ship whom the Doctor needed to look after, so the Doctor and I said "goodbye". He returned to the ship using one of the ferry boats and I continued on to Mon Ywa with my driver and guide.

In the Po Khaung Hills, east of Mon Ywa, is the sprawling site of Bodhi Tataung, home to around 10,000 Buddha images. I wandered amongst the statues whilst my driver and guide took lunch.

Just a few of the Buddha images of Bodhi Tataung.

Then, we drove the short distance to the 90 metre reclining Buddha and 167 metre standing Buddha. You can climb up inside the standing Buddha - each floor forms an elaborately-decorated temple. I was a little disappointed that we could only get to the 10th floor as the higher floors had been temporarily closed for some reason.


The reclining and standing Buddhas.

If 10,000 Buddha images of Bodhi Tataung seems a lot, try half a million. We drove to the Thanboddhay Temple which was started in 1939 by a monk called Mo Hnyin Sayadaw. There are now well over 500,000 Buddhas decorating the building - mostly small, unpainted clay figures. My guide said that the Monk's aim was to allow even poor people to be able to donate a Buddha image to the temple.


Every surface within the temple is crammed with small Buddha images.

We then moved onto the town of Mon Ywa which my 'Lonely Planet' guide characterises as "a scrappy trade town of some 300,000 people". I didn't see anything to warrant disputing that opinion. Whilst photographing a lattice post semaphore signal on the railway, I saw a passenger train heading for Mandalay, having passed another passenger train heading in the opposite direction at the nearby station.

DD.957 hustles an ordinary train out of Mon Ywa, heading for Mandalay.

In the town centre, there's a suitably triumphant statue of General Aung San on horseback. He is considered the 'Father of Modern Burma' (see Wikipedia article). With nothing further to detain us, we started back towards Mandalay ourselves. We stopped for a few minutes at one village where I took some pictures and, by arrangement, paused at Myin Mu where I briefly saw Doctor Hla Tun. Then it was on to Mandalay, pausing only at the road toll stations. I needed to get to bed early as I had an early start the following day in order to catch the train to Maymyo.

My Pictures

Myin Mu, Burma.
Mon Ywa Buddhas.
Thanboddhay Paya, Mon Ywa.
Mon Ywa Station, Burma.
By road from Mon Ywa to Mandalay.

Mandalay

Events of Sunday 17th February, 2013

My guide and driver took me to Nyaung Oo airport for the short flight to Mandalay International Airport.

The modest check-in arrangements at Nyaung Oo Airport.

My guide checked in for me and said I should go through security to the Departure Hall. We said goodbye and, by that time, the door he'd indicated had been closed. Further down the building I found a similar door clearly marked 'Departures', so I went through into a crowded waiting area. It slowly dawned on me that the people around me were arriving and not departing. The lack of movement was because their bags had not been made available. Eventually, I made it to the aircraft and flew to Mandalay Airport safely.

Disembarking from the Embraer 190 at Mandalay International Airport.

I was met by a new guide, Ko Aung Khaing (the 'Ko' is an honorific) and a new driver. We drove to the city which sprawls in the unattractive way of most large cities. The population is thought to be around 1.2 million. Mandalay is redeemed by also having some fine historical sites, such as the moated Royal Palace.

I checked into the Sedona Hotel, where I'd stayed before as described here. This earlier visit was part of a Far East trip with posts given the label 'FE2'. As on my previous visit, the accommodation was spacious, the service excellent. Just as well, as I was booked in for four days, allowing some scope for various trips around the area.

My accommodation at the Sedona Hotel.

More later ...

My pictures

Nyaung Oo Airport.
Mandalay International Airport.
Sedona Hotel, Mandalay.


[Revised 6-Mar-2013]