Myanmar: Feats of Solitary Pleasure

Mandalay

Spartan and safe.  Two words that come to mind once you land on the relatively new Mandalay international airport.  The mix of tourists and locals taking and gathering their bags surrounded by the airport staff conveys a simple message “You are safe.”  The various stalls with the sign “Money Changer” can be seen as soon as you step out of the airport along with the welcoming heat as if whispering “Welcome to Mandalay”    The small pointed roof as you look back at the airport serves as a reminder that you are about to pass through Alice’s magic door.  The moment the old vans parked outside are full, the journey to wonderland begins.  Of course this happens only after you give 4,000 Kyats along with your hotel address to the driver.

Hot, dry and brown.  The month of March.  It is summer after all.  The trip starts out with nothing but scorched bushes from the heat, eventually reaching a wide cemented road.  The monotonous scene is occasionally broken by temples left and right along with signs of so-called development, cement mixers and trucks.  If lucky, you get a chance to go around the city center for free as each passenger is taken door-to-door to their temporary hideaway in Mandalay. 

Walking around Mandalay gives a glimpse of the integration of different cultures that have settled in the country through the variety of available food, from local to Chinese and Indian restaurants.  Even eating in the night market is a treat.  Myanmar people are one of the kindest and though English is only spoken by a few, they will go out of their way to explain or play charade until exhausted.  Never mind.  Explore the night market, ask or just point to the kind of (food) adventure you are up to.  They will give you more than you asked – as evidenced on the photo below. 

It calls you.  It inconspicuously appears everywhere, tempting you.  In the end, a must-try. Myanmar Beer.

Mandalay was founded in 1857 by King Mindon who ordered the construction of the new Royal Palace.  This is the last palace built by the monarchy.  Should you perchance stay around the Mandalay Palace area,  prepare to be more intimate with your most comfy shoes.  

You can walk to the Palace entrance if you are staying in an area where you can see the bridge to the entrance gate.  If you can only see the surrounding moat, then rent a bike/motorbike or hire a motorbike with a driver to take you there.  Looks are quite deceiving and that is the reason you don’t see a lot of people walking.  The whole palace complex cover around 413 hectares and selected areas are restricted.  A 60 meter wide moat surrounds the grounds with gold-tipped spires along the wall.  Once inside, rent a bicycle for 1,000 Kyats if the rush of wind is what you need and the heat gets to you. The hired motorcycle is not allowed to go inside the gates.  Loiter around and it’s impossible to miss the palace.

Stepping into the first temple is a gateway to a hidden kingdom as the cliche goes. The Mandalay Royal palace is a vast complex with a number of buildings that includes a monastery, an audience hall and the Glass palace.

The Audience Hall.  Some visitors stay inside to avoid the heat and take a short rest.

Some areas are open to visitors including the Royal Palace and public garden.  Entrance costs around 5,000 Kyats and this ticket allows you entry to other historical sites in Sagaing, Inwa and Amarapura.

The ticking of the clock will matter not as you sit in one of the temples and watch a blend of visitors pass by.

Mandalay Hill

As you walk around Mandalay, Mandalay Hill will surely be in your line of vision. It is as if the first page of a fairy tale book has materialized, with the line “Long ago, in a land far away…”,  bidding you for a visit.  Only, this far away land has temples and pagodas, and is just a few minutes away.

Settled atop a 240 meter hill, you can reach Sutaungpyei Pagoda by hiring a motorcycle (with a driver) or joining a tour agency trip.  “Everyday is a Winding Road” by Sheryl Crow aptly describes the way to the top.  It is a 20 – 30 minute ride depending if you are going uphill or downhill and of course, the welcoming rain will force you to stop in one of the temples along the way and enjoy the less visited sites, which makes the ride longer but relaxing.

Sutaungpyei Pagoda is a major pilgrimage site for local Buddhists. The wafting scent of incense mixed with the sight of visitors praying, each humbly murmuring from the heart is a sight to witness.  The tiny square mirrors cover the walls of the pagoda silently reflecting the world outside in different angles, to each his own. The four sides of the temple will continuously take your breath away as the same walls show a different sight and sense of awareness.

A sea of green with a sprinkle of golden spires can be seen from the top.  Look west and this includes a view of the Ayeyarwaddy River.  During sunset, the reflection of the sun’s rays turn a segment of the sky ochre like mixed with the blues and cotton whites.  It is a spot where one wishes for more time or perhaps a standstill, quietude suspended even for a few seconds.