Mandalay & Yangon, Myanmar

This is my third trip here, and Myanmar is just as exotic, different and fascinating as the first trip. It’s also damn hot and humid! We’re at the tail end of the Monsoon season and the rains have yet to let up.

I’m here in Myanmar (actually, Mandalay in the north for two weeks before returning to Yangon for a few days of meetings – formerly known as Rangoon) as a guest of the police (through UNICEF), and that brings some interesting benefits. On Sunday morning, as we were finishing breakfast, our senior partners breezed in, in civilian clothes, followed by two uniformed flunkeys, one shooting pictures. Created a bit of a buzz in the restaurant. Next morning (Monday), same thing, but this time the bosses were in uniform. Now the hotel thinks I’m a connected big shot. Two front desk staff rush out from behind the counter, fawning, to personally greet me and hand over my room key when I return to the hotel each afternoon.

On the Sunday morning our police partners, who then took us to the former English hill station of Pyin Oo Lwin (which is at the beginning of the Shan Plateau) for an Indian curry lunch, then to the botanical gardens (see pictures) outside town. The Brits started the gardens in the 1930's and used POW's during WWII to help work on it. The Japanese took over for a few years during the war, then of course the English returned. Amazing gardens. Very extensive, and a small zoo area.

Back down the mountain and off to a silk store to do some shopping. Another uniformed escort was waiting for us in the suburbs to guide us to the store, then stand guard outside. From there, off to visit one of the more famous sites on the outskirts of Mandalay – U Bein Bridge, in the original seat of the royal family. (see pictures) At 1.2 km, it’s the longest teak footbridge in the world, and spans a local lake. As it’s the rainy/monsoon season, the lake and nearby Irrawady River have flooded, so all the more need for a bridge. Built in 1849, the bridge has over 1,000 individual teak posts, and is famous with photographers taking pictures of the large numbers of monks and locals who cross it each day (pagodas and monastery’s at each end). Quite lovely. All with an entourage of uniformed police so I won’t feel lonely.

The class picture is one of two grad ceremonies I had to give a speech at. Late on a Friday, no AC, and 90% of the entire event is not in English. I also got to hand out graduation certificates.

If you go to this blog, you’ll see some great pictures of the bridge and of Mandalay, where I am now. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/Mandalay/blog-119946.html Some great, professional pictures, of Myanmar are online at http://www.terragalleria.com/asia/myanmar/myanmar.html Well worth looking at. I found the URL before I left home.