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Almost immediately after arriving in Pyin U Lin we got sick so we ended up staying six days resting. Because it was several thousand metres above the plateau where Mandalay is, it was much cooler and less dusty. The temperature was a lot more enjoyable. There are a few hidden gems in Pyin U Lin. Meaning yummy delights! We found an Indian restaurant called "Family Restaurant" which served really good vegetarian platters with chipati and also a bakery recommended by the lonely planet called the "Golden Triangle" with really good cheese croissants and coffee. The night market has a lot of deep fried bread and stir-fry but we found a really good clay pot spicy noodles. We bought mangos every night which made a really nice treat at the end of the day from a lady beside the hotel. During our stay we mostly relaxed, watched movies, kept up with the world news through CNN, tried out different restaurants and recovered from our cold. When we felt better, to relieve our boredom, we went to the National Kandawgyi Gardens, the Peik Chin Myaung caves and a nearby waterfall or just explored around town.
The fresh market had interesting and colourful
people selling all kinds of locally grown fruit and veg. Also, we watched people load trucks to the brim with produce to take down to Mandalay and beyond.
At the Gardens, as you can tell in the pictures we saw some deer up close, we figured the deers were part of the park after realizing they were not very shy. The park had a really nice orchid garden which we took advantage of playing around with the camera; however, we did find time to enjoy the orchids and different insects. Just as we were leaving we walked by a small but wild bird sanctuary. The sanctuary felt a little crowded when 3 massive Hormbills flew over our heads fighting. The garden was really nicely groomed and was a nice place to go for a stroll after recovering from a cold.
The day after the garden we felt like we got our energy back so we decided to go for something more adventurous. We hired a motorbike and driver to the cave. The three of us on one motorbike is something I don't want to experience again. Our driver was really good, he guided us through the cave which
wasn't all that exciting except that it went for several hundred metres into the hillside. The Buddha images and displays were modern so more or less uninteresting. After, he took us on a short walk to a hidden waterfall nearby. He even took us to get a better vantage which required us to cross extremely slippery, submerged and invisible stones so we could get a better view. After a few days of not doing much we were keen for adventure but admittedly walking across the rapid river was a little intense. 😊 Especially after a tense ride to the cave because it was pouring rain, three on a motorbike with no helmets, yeah; it was not our safest decision - definitely won't be doing that again parents!
Every night at our hotel and at nearby shops a group of actors and singers were filming music videos and movies. At our hotel there were three groups of producers/actors/singers staying and filming outside our door. It was quite interesting to be so close to the filming action. However, I thought the romantic love scenes were pretty cheesy even for being a girl 😊
In Pyin U Lin, it was also
Pyin U Lin 002
house with Jack fruit treeinteresting to see some really big houses which could be homes for wealthier Mandalayans. We met one man from Yangon who had a second home there. It seems to be a popular place for people to escape the heat, if they can afford it.
On our way back to Mandalay we boarded a truck carrying about 18,000 eggs. Needless to say it was a slow and tedious journey.
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