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Published: August 2nd 2013
A bumpy pony and cart ride delivered us to our small, wooden Ayeyarwady river boat for the 2-day cruise up stream to Mandalay. Hugging the banks to avoid the strong currents we passed many little villages lining the banks, waving at the friendly Burmese people as they fished, washed clothes and bathed in the vast river. A brief stop at a local village provided a break for sweet tea and an insight into rural life, with pottery-making and pigs roaming the muddy streets. That evening bedded-down under mosquito nets on deck to try and sleep in the hot, sticky night air, the ripped tarpaulin covers providing a little shelter from the pattering rain.
After docking at Mandalay explored the colourful bustling markets full of fresh fruit and spices, and ingenious recycled goods made from plastic and tyres. Later hiked barefoot up Mandalay hill to the templed summit for stunning vistas over the floodplain below (avoiding the special viewing seats put aside for a senior army general and his entourage !). Finished the day with a tasty but messy fresh crab dinner and a visit to the Mandalay Marionettes, the performers making the intricately costumed puppets twist, dance and fight with
Me on boat
Ayeyarwady rivermusic from a traditional band.
Heading south stopped for a walk along the world's longest teak bridge, passing maroon-robed monks and watching white egrets stalking the lake before continuing to the sleepy mountain village of Kalaw. Took a trek up into the hills, pausing at a local village for lunch and making faces to entertain some curious children, before circling back through bucolic countryside and along steep, muddy tracks through the forest. After the requisite post-hike ice-cream, refuelled with a curry at the excellent Everest Nepali restaurant and ended the night in the tiny Hi Bar, enjoying the lively atmosphere as the regular Burmese patrons played guitars and sung songs late into the evening.
Travelled on towards Inle Lake, the journey including a visit to Pindaya, its natural limestone caves weirdly stacked full with nearly 9000 golden Buddhas, donated by devout people from over the world. Took a speedy narrow-boat across the large lake passing leg-rowing fishermen beating the water to scare the shoals of fish into their nets, and arrived at a stilted village to observe the skilful but labour-intensive crafts of weaving, jewellery-crafting and cheroot rolling. The following day hired a bike and rattled along stony
Friendly Burmese
Ayeyarwady river mud roads to some hot springs for a very hot soak, returning for a civilised tasting at the french managed Red Mountain vineyard, enjoying the wines against a backdrop of a stunning double-rainbow. Finished off the evening by devouring the world's finest banana pancake from a street-market stall, and chatting with our tour group over Mandalay beers in a nearby bar...
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