My Myanmar Journey: Mingalabar, Mandalay
Means Hello, Mandalay.
The official language of Myanmar is Burmese. I didn't even know how to say the simple words of Hello and Thank You then, or how the language sounded until when i was in the country. Written, it looks circular and curvy.
The bus journey along the highway from Bagan was smooth. Suddenly, the bus halted by the road nearing Mandalay city, at what appeared to be a bus station. Another JJ bus was already on stand by. An attendant came onto our bus and asked for our destination. He directed us to board it. Like a feeder bus to the city, it was packed with passengers when we got up.
The attendant informed us of our stop and we got down. Instantly, we felt transported back to city life with plenty of vehicles on the road and taller concrete buildings. Mandalay city was well organized and structured in a grid with numbers as road or street names. We gingerly crossed the road and walked to our hotel.
Our stay in Mandalay was at Moon Light Hotel, a hotel sandwiched among other buildings. Opening the curtain of our room window revealed the near wall of the adjacent building. My name was clearly printed at the entrance board, welcoming our arrival with a cool drink and bellboy service. It was friendly customer service. Not all receptionist could speak good English but they were helpful to attend to our queries and needs.
The room was cozy. The bath towels were folded with roses on. The buffet breakfast at the top floor had local food options and enough to fuel-start our days. Occasionally, there were blackouts in the hotel. Power would restore in the next few minutes. We checked with the receptionist who said that it happened citywide. Recommended hotel for its helpful staff and decent location.
Dinner at Shan Ma Ma Restaurant continued to raise my food satisfaction on this journey. Moved down the street from its previous location, this eatery was akin to the Malaysian mixed rice 'chap fan'. Burmese dishes were offered and we picked three mains each. Rice was refillable.
After breakfast the next morning, we headed to Mandalay Palace. Initially, we thought we could walk from our hotel but after research, we learned that it was accessible for tourists only via the East Gate which was further. We scraped that idea and called a Grab Thone Bane instead. After purchasing the ticket (Mandalay Pass which was valid for five days and covered several other sites in the city), we had to leave an identification detail such as passport or driver license with a guard. The Grab Thone Bane was not allowed to enter the compound. We were approached by motor taxis to bring us from the East Gate to the entrance of the Palace. We politely declined and walked 15 mins along the designated avenue. The Palace was located at the centre of a land surrounded by wall and moat.
We walked to the nearby Sanda Muni Pagoda and it was another wave of mini pagodas. Changing colour from pure white to Mentos mint, those little 'caves' continued to amuse me.
We searched for Pan Tha Din along a quiet road and were the only customers during lunch. The owner was a generous man. He offered free mango cuts for dessert and told us that his mangoes were exported to Singapore and sold at high price. He even showed me a picture of the price tag at a supermarket as evidence.
We returned to our hotel and called it a day for day activities. For dinner, we went to Mingalabar Restaurant and it was the fanciest restaurant of this journey. Service was commendable from the moment we arrived at the restaurant. The ambiance emanated a high end vibe in a relaxing manner. Rated Number 1 on TripAdvisor for restaurants in Mandalay, i couldn't agree more. Put this on your list whenever in the city. It was not as expensive as i'd expected- but still higher compared to other restaurants around.
After breakfast the next morning, we left to the Mandalay Jetty for boat transfer to Mingun. There were several ways to Mingun from Mandalay. Grab was excluded as it may be out of range there. Taxi would cost more and may take up to one and a half hour one way. So we were advised to use the boat. The boat left at 9am and it took an hour across the Irrawaddy River.
When we neared Mingun, there was no proper jetty and it was another collection of planks to the ground. Locals, mostly kids, were already on stand by for visitors as they offer private tour and photography assistance. I have to admit, they were experienced in capturing the right angles, probably through practice, as i saw some taken along the way. We declined and continued to purchase the Mingun Pass, separate from the Mandalay Pass. As we had only two hours in Mingun before the return trip to Mandalay, we headed directly for Hsinbyume Pagoda, built in 1816.
We checked out Mingun Pahtodawgyi on our way back to the makeshift jetty. It was intentionally left incomplete as a massive brick collection. This was due to a prophecy 'as soon as the building of the pagoda was over, the country (or the king) would also be gone'. Therefore, the construction was slowed down to avoid its realization and completely stopped when the king passed.
Hungry, we went for lunch at Pan Cherry Noodle House and Cafe- famed for its noodle with its history written on a board at the shop.
The official language of Myanmar is Burmese. I didn't even know how to say the simple words of Hello and Thank You then, or how the language sounded until when i was in the country. Written, it looks circular and curvy.
Bluish white or whitish blue? In a sea of mini pagodas. I liked Mandalay most.
The bus journey along the highway from Bagan was smooth. Suddenly, the bus halted by the road nearing Mandalay city, at what appeared to be a bus station. Another JJ bus was already on stand by. An attendant came onto our bus and asked for our destination. He directed us to board it. Like a feeder bus to the city, it was packed with passengers when we got up.
The attendant informed us of our stop and we got down. Instantly, we felt transported back to city life with plenty of vehicles on the road and taller concrete buildings. Mandalay city was well organized and structured in a grid with numbers as road or street names. We gingerly crossed the road and walked to our hotel.
Our stay in Mandalay was at Moon Light Hotel, a hotel sandwiched among other buildings. Opening the curtain of our room window revealed the near wall of the adjacent building. My name was clearly printed at the entrance board, welcoming our arrival with a cool drink and bellboy service. It was friendly customer service. Not all receptionist could speak good English but they were helpful to attend to our queries and needs.
The room was cozy. The bath towels were folded with roses on. The buffet breakfast at the top floor had local food options and enough to fuel-start our days. Occasionally, there were blackouts in the hotel. Power would restore in the next few minutes. We checked with the receptionist who said that it happened citywide. Recommended hotel for its helpful staff and decent location.
Fun fact: It is not uncommon to see locals- men, women and children, with beige paste on their cheeks. This facial paste known as thanaka is a natural product said to be good for the skin and protect from or alleviate sunburns. I regretted not trying it when i had the chance.
Dinner at Shan Ma Ma Restaurant continued to raise my food satisfaction on this journey. Moved down the street from its previous location, this eatery was akin to the Malaysian mixed rice 'chap fan'. Burmese dishes were offered and we picked three mains each. Rice was refillable.
Stood, contemplating my options. We had to ask what some were.
After breakfast the next morning, we headed to Mandalay Palace. Initially, we thought we could walk from our hotel but after research, we learned that it was accessible for tourists only via the East Gate which was further. We scraped that idea and called a Grab Thone Bane instead. After purchasing the ticket (Mandalay Pass which was valid for five days and covered several other sites in the city), we had to leave an identification detail such as passport or driver license with a guard. The Grab Thone Bane was not allowed to enter the compound. We were approached by motor taxis to bring us from the East Gate to the entrance of the Palace. We politely declined and walked 15 mins along the designated avenue. The Palace was located at the centre of a land surrounded by wall and moat.
Climbed up a tower for an aerial panoramic shot. This Palace reminded us of the Forbidden City in China, albeit much smaller in scale and grandeur. I counted the seven-tier pagoda on the right.
With one of the prettier corners of the Palace. There were eight thrones at the Myanmar Royal Regalia: Lion, Hamsa, Conch, Bee, Elephant, Peacock, Deer and Lily. The Game of Thrones, anyone?
Other than the structural frames, the content of this Palace was rather little with few informative boards available.
Back at the East Gate of the Palace, we called another Grab Thone Bane. This became our preferred mode to commute around the city. I told the driver that i wanted to take a photograph of his vehicle- green like the app's logo. He popped his head to the side and smiled for the camera too.
Upon entering Kuthodaw Pagoda, i was astounded. The glass tiles adorned the walkway and on our sides, there were little white 'caves' with golden tops. I read that this Pagoda, built by King Mindon in 1859, is where the world's biggest book located so i was eager to discover just how big is the book. Whether it is secured in some vault or a guarded hall. To my surprise, my interpretation of it was mistaken and i was glad to be corrected.
The walkway.
Those little white 'caves' actually housed the 'pages' inside, inscribed on marble slabs. The 729 'pages' around the Pagoda made up the giant 'book' Buddhist canon Tripitaka Texts. Exciting discovery, yes?
Go read, go travel.
The golden Pagoda sat at the centre of the 'book'. Like a centre for knowledge.
The Toy Traveler attempted to read a page.
We walked to the nearby Sanda Muni Pagoda and it was another wave of mini pagodas. Changing colour from pure white to Mentos mint, those little 'caves' continued to amuse me.
Narrower distance between them.
We headed to the Shwenandaw Monastery by foot. Also known as the Golden Palace Monastery since the building was heavily gilded, this was the only palace building to remain from the World War 2 destruction where the Royal Palace was burnt down in 1945.
Steps before the Monastery. As usual, we had to remove our footwear and it was sensationally hot when climbing these steps. We quickly, almost running, got up and entered the Monastery, or down to put on our shoes. It wasn't just us. I noticed other visitors also encountered the same.
Its deep dark colours.
Exquisite wood carvings observed on its doors and walls. I had never seen some of its artwork. Pretty interesting.
We searched for Pan Tha Din along a quiet road and were the only customers during lunch. The owner was a generous man. He offered free mango cuts for dessert and told us that his mangoes were exported to Singapore and sold at high price. He even showed me a picture of the price tag at a supermarket as evidence.
Had my second round of Mont Di. The overcoat was less thick but still a tasty lunch meal.
We returned to our hotel and called it a day for day activities. For dinner, we went to Mingalabar Restaurant and it was the fanciest restaurant of this journey. Service was commendable from the moment we arrived at the restaurant. The ambiance emanated a high end vibe in a relaxing manner. Rated Number 1 on TripAdvisor for restaurants in Mandalay, i couldn't agree more. Put this on your list whenever in the city. It was not as expensive as i'd expected- but still higher compared to other restaurants around.
My Mutton Chickpea Curry camouflaged with the many sides that came together with the meal. It was delectable and appetizing with the rice. The mutton was tender. I also enjoyed the Potato Curry (potatoes in curry tend to be hard but this was soft and not mushy) and Egg with Vegetable (i took so fast my friend didn't have much to take, so we called for a free refill of it). Most eateries offered free hot tea. The hot tea in this restaurant was fragrant and delicious to drink too.
Across from the restaurant was Yangoods. It was a small boutique place with locally designed products such as bags, coasters and board games. For night activity here, we went for the Myanmar Marionette. It doubled as a place for locals to learn and practice their English in addition to preserving the traditional puppetry art. The students would ask where the audience was from and sit to chitchat before the show. We were also asked if we were interested to teach English in exchange for a free show but we couldn't due to time constraint.
There were a few air-conditioners but it was still hot due to the weather. We were given fans to use. There were ten of us in the seats. The show started at 8.30pm and lasted an hour. It included local singing and dancing, with puppet storytelling as its core. Although i didn't grasp its full story, some acts were comical and entertaining. At times they raised the curtains to reveal the skillful puppeteers. Some parts were monotonous and repetitive.
After breakfast the next morning, we left to the Mandalay Jetty for boat transfer to Mingun. There were several ways to Mingun from Mandalay. Grab was excluded as it may be out of range there. Taxi would cost more and may take up to one and a half hour one way. So we were advised to use the boat. The boat left at 9am and it took an hour across the Irrawaddy River.
The ticket booth and waiting area inside.
Using planks to board the boat with a raised bamboo as handrail. Local kids may ask for donation after an assist.
The Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) River is a vital source of life for this country. As the country's largest river, it veins through the nation. I wanted to see the river since Rudyard Kipling's poem 'The Road to Mandalay' (the road interpreted as this river) and instead, got to ride on it. This boat ride also meant that we used all main transports for this journey.
On the boat with rattan chairs, enjoying the breeze.
When we neared Mingun, there was no proper jetty and it was another collection of planks to the ground. Locals, mostly kids, were already on stand by for visitors as they offer private tour and photography assistance. I have to admit, they were experienced in capturing the right angles, probably through practice, as i saw some taken along the way. We declined and continued to purchase the Mingun Pass, separate from the Mandalay Pass. As we had only two hours in Mingun before the return trip to Mandalay, we headed directly for Hsinbyume Pagoda, built in 1816.
From afar, i was in awe of its imposing white structure. It was painted in white and modeled after the Buddhist sacred mountain, Mount Meru, with seven concentric terraces representing the seven mountain ranges.
Simply astonishing.
We had a halo moment during our visit.
We checked out Mingun Pahtodawgyi on our way back to the makeshift jetty. It was intentionally left incomplete as a massive brick collection. This was due to a prophecy 'as soon as the building of the pagoda was over, the country (or the king) would also be gone'. Therefore, the construction was slowed down to avoid its realization and completely stopped when the king passed.
Cracked facade but nonetheless incredible.
Other quick sites in Mingun included the Mingun Bell (the second largest bell in the world) and Stone Lion. The two hours allocated for us were more than sufficient to explore the main sites.
Local kids frolicking under the clear sky. The ride back to Mandalay was a little more than thirty minutes. It was a good half day out of Mandalay.
Hungry, we went for lunch at Pan Cherry Noodle House and Cafe- famed for its noodle with its history written on a board at the shop.
Pan Cherry Noodle and Orange Juice. The orange juice tasted like mandarin oranges.
Temple fatigue already? Fret not, we took a taxi from our hotel to U Bein Bridge at 4pm. It took about thirty minutes from the hotel. As we planned for sunset, we were rather early. It was jam-packed with tourists and locals as this was a functioning bridge over the Taungthaman Lake. We chilled in one of the shops by the lake and ordered fresh, sweet Pineapple Juice. There were many souvenir shops along the road so it was good for last minute souvenir shopping.
Under the oldest (completed in 1851) teakwood bridge in the world.
While on the 1.2 km Bridge, witnessing its surrounding scenery. This sampan in calm water caught my attention.
Reflection.
This photo was a matter of perspective, one that i envisioned to take. I found a puddle of water to create this lovely shot of horse cart, monks, people and bridge.
Sunset from the Bridge.
The taxi dropped us off at Super 81 Restaurant. The eatery felt very Asian (if you know what i mean). Most tables had beer glasses and it appeared to be a popular drinking place after work. Waiter was friendly.
A BBQ place too- we had grilled pork. Portion was huge and we struggled to finish the sweet and sour soft shell crabs and ginger duck.
I was looking forward to watch the Moustache Brothers performance. We arrived at the home stage and learned that we were the only two audience of the day. When three other guests who made a prior appointment failed to turn up, the show was cancelled and we were given full refund.
On pink low plastic chairs. While waiting for the show to supposedly start at 8.30pm, we chatted with one of the main cast and his daughter.
We returned to our hotel and on this very last night in the country, we opened a can of Myanmar beer. Cheers!
After breakfast the next morning, we packed our belongings, checked out from the hotel, went to a currency exchange shop to convert our excess local cash to USD (Kyat was of no value outside the country so remember to change back any excess prior to leaving the country), and headed to Mandalay International Airport. It was a small international airport and queue at the airline counter was short. Soon, we were in the departure gate and ready to go home.
Mandalay was my favourite place in this country. Despite its unbearable heat and skin-kissing rays, the well planned city carried a lively character. Rich in cultural history, beautiful in white temples. One week in Myanmar was a good pace and Mandalay was its fitting conclusion. Budget-wise, all-in excluding personal expenses, was shy of RM 2,000.
Like visiting Laos, my intention was to experience Myanmar first-hand, politics aside, and this journey had been liberating. Often overshadowed by its neighbouring countries, i was pleasantly surprised to learn about the country as the journey progressed. It is not a place for all- i'll say this straight. And probably a one-time thing for me. I believe this appeals to the adventurous and curious souls, capable of withstanding temple hopping. I know some of my family and friends will not put Myanmar on their holiday map. So i hope that with this recollection, i've brought you through the country with a takeaway or two. If you're visiting the country (someday), may this journal be helpful for you while you craft your own journey there.
Whitish blue or blueish white? This travel was also to commemorate the 10 years of knowing this guy and to store the first decade of this friendship in our own books. He has a blog too and you can read this journey from his point of view here.
Chay-tzoo-beh. Means thanks.
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