On Monday we flew to Mandalay, a short hop from Bagan. Security for internal flights is very thorough - your bags are checked in bulk, you are given a sticker to wear with your flight number (not sure if for us or them - as in "if found lost or wandering, return to flight 406!)) and a boarding pass with no name. No ID check. Very efficient!
When we landed we went to a monastery with 1,300 monks and novices, to donate scribblers for writing. As this was done at lunch time, we also provided some ready to eat noodles, as this offering is part of something called Soon, an offering of food and other items for monks.
We then provided the remaining scribblers to the orphanage school, to which there was much gleeful noise!
After lunch we headed off to see the the oldest and longest teakwood bridge. It is about 150 years old and 1.5 KM long. We stayed their to watch a beautiful sunset.
We then met with the senior Monk for the Mandalay area, after which we were invited to attend the Buddha face washing ceremony at 4:30 am on Tuesday morning!
After getting up at 3 am, we took the bus to the temple. The ceremony was very ornate and lasted an hour and a half hours. A travel colleague said that it was like Easter mass at the Vatican - a really good description. The difference being is that this takes place every morning!
In the evening we went to Mandalay Hill (after which the city was named) to watch another beautiful sunset.
After that we went to the only world heritage site in Myanmar that houses the world's largest book on 729 pages carved from marble that stand about 4' high, 3' wide and 6" thick. Each slab is housed in its own little building as seen below. It is quite a site to behold.
Farewell to and goodbye from Mandalay.
On to Heho!
Paul & Sonya
