Around Mandalay

Mandalay is in the heart of the old Myanmar kingdom.  The glass palace of the last king of Burrma has been rebuilt in part in the heart of Mandalay.  One monastry shows a bit what the palace must have been like.  A supersticious king moved it outside the palace walls and thus it was not bombed during the Second World War.  Across the river is Sagaing a hill covered with pagodas and many monastries and with gorgeous views of the Ayeyarwady river. Downstream a little bit is Ava, an ancient capital for most of the 14th to 19th centuries.  The city is a precious stone and handcraft centre today and has a climate cooler than Yangon's.

Young monks lining up for their last meal of the day served at their monastry at 11am.  Note the shoes on the doorstep

Inside the Shwenandaw Monastry

View from Sagaing Hill

Andy at a frog gate to Sagaing

We ran into a festival.  We never did find out what for!

Bullock carts on parade!

The elephants were leading

We travelled through Ava in this.. a bumpy ride!

The wooden monastry at Ava

Rice planters at Ava

Carving at the wooden monastry, Ava