Photo review of our journey through Myanmar (Burma)

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Cruise Day 11. Tuesday 8th November 2016

Yandabo

A.M. Overcast and hot with sunny intervals.

P.M. Overcast and hot with sunny intervals and very heavy showers.

 

We spent the morning sailing to the next stop.

There was a lecture at 10.00 about the history of Burma and then I did some reading and chatting before we moored at the village of Yandabo at 14.00.

 

The river has been very wide for most of the day so we haven't really seen much of the local people along the riverbank.

 

The people of this village, Yandabo, produce terracotta pots of various sizes using the clay from the riverbank.

 

We were warned that the dirt roadways would be very muddy before we set off so we were prepared but I found walking particularly difficult after we had another very heavy downfall while we were at the school so I came straight back to the ship without going into the village.

IMG_5076 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

It was only a short walk to the school and we passed a field where there were pigs and horses.

All the children at the school were lined up to greet us and they demonstrated their English counting skills and performed a song for us before we handed out our gifts. I gave the teachers all our extra pens, pencils and paper. I think, next time, I would make up several small bags with a few different items in each one.

IMG_5041 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

I thought it was a shame that Terry didn't feel that items given to the teachers were passed on to be used by the children.

 

Most of the passengers braved the muddy path and followed Terry to the pottery works on the riverbank where they met the 85year old owner and saw the pots being thrown on the potter's wheel. They were shown the kiln which is made from wood and straw so it has to be rebuilt after each batch of pots is fired.

IMG_5067 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5054 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5048 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

Everyone was back on board by 14.30 and we spent some time on the sun deck watching the sunset before getting ready for the evening.

IMG_5977 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

After another pleasant dinner, we went into the lounge to watch the documentary called 'Irrawaddy' which showed many of the places that we have already visited.

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Cruise Day 12. Wednesday 9th November 2016

Inwa.

A.M. Overcast and hot with sunny intervals and very heavy showers

P.M. Overcast and hot with sunny intervals and very heavy showers.

 

We were up at our normal time as we missed sailing past the pagodas in Bagan yesterday so we didn't want to miss anything today. DH saw quite a variety of birds while we were still moored on the riverbank.

We were sailing for the whole morning so there was a lecture about the Burmese education system at 10.00.

 

The afternoon visit in Inwa is done by pony and trap. Last night Terry told us that there were 2 options:

1. The short ride - a 15-minute drive to the wooden monastery and 15 minutes back to the ship

2. The long ride - a 15-minute drive to the wooden monastery plus a 30 minute ride to the 'leaning tower of Inwa' before the long drive back to the ship.

I have opted for the short ride but we all have the option to change our minds after having done the first part.

 

We moored just before 14.00 and disembarked at 14.15. It was a short, but muddy, walk to the road through the village where the pony carts were waiting.

Each cart took 2 passengers and there was proper seating this time even though it was narrow and cramped inside. I think I would have found it very painful to have sat in the cart for much longer as it jarred my knee so I'm glad I came back after the first temple.

IMG_5118 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

We were now getting used to the rather charming but persistent souvenir sellers who often followed the group for long distances with the cry "maybe later...."

IMG_5994 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

The journey to the temple was scenic with the rice paddies, water vegetable fields (looked a bit like water lilies) and golden stupas.

IMG_5155 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5164 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5187 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

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The BAGAYA WOODEN MONASTERY was delightful. It was built out of teakwood and was very atmospheric.

IMG_6001 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5175 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5177 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6018 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6013 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

We had 20 minutes there before I took the pony cart back to the ship.

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The rest of our group went on to the MENUE BRICK MONASTERY

IMG_5128 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5131 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5138 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

and THE INWA 'LEANING TOWER'.

IMG_5146 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

 

On the way back we could see the school children playing a football match against pupils from another school. I’m so glad that I didn’t have to was the strips after the game!!

IMG_5195 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

The evening entertainment was a show of tradition dancing performed by members of the Mandalay School of Fine Arts. It was nice to be able to sit outside as there were very few bugs and the performance was excellent.

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Cruise Day 13. Thursday 10th November 2016

SAGAING and MINGUN

A.M. Thunder during the night. Overcast and hot with heavy showers

P.M. Overcast and hot with sunny intervals with showers.

IMG_6046 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

As we were walking to our coach at 09.00 for another round of pagodas and temples we were delighted to see a bride and groom preparing for their marriage. They happily posed for us.....

IMG_5215 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

Sagaing is a big town so we were in our bus groups all morning. It was interesting driving through the suburbs and seeing slightly more affluent housing before we reached the MONASTERY FREE SCHOOL.

The school was large with over 1000 pupils varying in age from 4 to 13. Some were monk and nun novices and others were just from poor families. We were greeted by children from a couple of classes who sang songs and then we sang for them. We then had some time to look around and hand out the stationery gifts that many passengers had brought.

IMG_6067 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6068 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5220 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6064 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

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The second stop was at the hill top Pagoda SON OO PU NYA SHIN where there were magnificent views across the town and Irrawaddy River. It was very slippery on the tiled floor especially since we had just had a heavy shower.

There were several small souvenir stalls but we didn't have time to do any shopping.

IMG_5208 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5240 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5228 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5252 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

The third stop was at a silversmith's workshop and retail outlet.

We had 45 minutes here and, as there was no official presentation about the silversmiths' jobs, we just wandered around and saw the men at work. It was as if we had gone back 150 years in time because all the processes were done by hand with primitive tools and no mechanised operations. There were some lovely products on sale in the shop and I think a few people bought jewellery?

There were toilets which, although western style, were very basic.

IMG_5275 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5268 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

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The last morning stop was at the KAUNGHMUDAW PAGODA which had an unusually shaped dome and a very sparkly interior. Once again there were souvenir and fast food stalls along the pathway. We spent 40 minutes and could look around on our own or go with one of the guides.

IMG_5285 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6102 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6105 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6104 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6100 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

There was a disembarkation briefing as soon as we had returned to the ship for lunch where we were given information about our departure arrangements.

[Floridiana]

I love your report with the photos!

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During lunch we sailed to MINGUN

IMG_6112 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6109 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

The majority of the passengers were walking to the sites but Terry had arranged Tuk-Tuks for the less mobile among us which was great......

IMG_5320 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

It was nice to see the bustling village as we drove through to visit the MINGUN PAHTODAWGYI which is an enormous part built Pagoda which was never finished due to damage caused by 2 earthquakes.

IMG_5307 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6119 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5327 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

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From there we drove back into the village to see the MINGUN BELL which is the 'largest ringing bell in the world'. It was gigantic and had a very mellifluous sound when hit with the wooden sticks.

IMG_6128 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6133 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

Our last stop was at the MYATHEINDAN PAGODA which was a frothy white confection of a building - a bit like an elaborate wedding cake.

The only downside to the excursion was the very persistent souvenir sellers.

IMG_6141 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6135 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6136 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

Once back on board we played scrabble before getting ready for the evening farewell cocktail party where we had chance to thank the crew members.

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Cruise Day 14. Friday 11th November 2016

MANDALAY

A.M. Overcast and hot.

P.M. Overcast and hot with showers and long sunny periods towards evening.

 

We woke up to find that we were parallel docked with 2 other river cruise ships so we didn't have a view from our cabin window except into another cabin. It will be interesting walking through the foyers of the other ships when we want to get off.....I like being nosy!

 

We have an 'all day tour' today including lunch at a hotel.

Our excursion began at 09.00 with a drive through the large, busy city centre of MANDALAY. We saw such a variety of housing from ramshackle sheds, wooden homes, slum high-rise complexes and beautiful colonial style homes. The streets were full of motorbikes, open sided busses and cars and the pavements were crammed with small shops, street food vendors and cafes. The shops ranged from the most primitive open fronted spaces to high-end emporiums with everything in between.

IMG_6192 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6150 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6180 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6149 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

We drove through several 'artisan' areas where every building housed people working on producing the same type of items.....marble religious statues, furniture, pottery.......etc.

IMG_6178 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6176 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

Edited January 14, 2017 by soccerref
wrong photo

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Our first stop was at the MAHAMUNI PAGODA to see the solid gold Buddha image.

The complex was very big and busy with the usual souvenir stalls along the path to the sacred area.

IMG_6152 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5415 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6153 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

Terry took us round and explained the significance of various images and artefacts before we went to see the Buddha. Unfortunately, there were so many people crowding round so we really didn't get a good view but what we did see was impressive.

IMG_5401 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5411 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5395 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

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The 2nd stop was at a place that Terry called 'the Aladdin's cave' which was a tapestry weaving and wood carving workshop. It really was a treasure trove of magical creations and the skill and dexterity of the girls sewing the tapestries was breath-taking.

Lots of people bought items here and I got 2 lovely purses for US$7.

IMG_6182 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6187 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6189 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

From there we moved on to the 'GOLD LEAF QUARTER' where the process of making gold leaf was demonstrated. It is a very long process with the workmen taking several months to beat the lumps of gold into the delicate leaves and it is still all done by hand. The workshop was what I imagine a mediaeval smithy must have been like with the constant sound of hammering and the heat. The skill and strength of the workmen was most impressive.

IMG_6195 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6196 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6197 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

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Our 4th stop was the GOLDEN PALACE MONASTERY which was built originally for one of the Burmese kings and the spectacularly carved wooden exterior would have been covered with gold leaf. This, unfortunately, has been destroyed by the weather but the interior glows as the surfaces are still completely covered with gold leaf.

We had 30 minutes to explore independently. We've now got used to the hawkers and to bargaining. The ones we met in the Mandalay area would accept kyats (pronounced chats) or US$.

IMG_5446 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5433 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5435 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5437 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5438 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5440 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

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The last morning stop was at the KUTHODAW PAGODA where we saw 'the world's largest book' which was the Buddhist tenants written in Sanskrit on enormous stone tablets. Each tablet was housed in its own small temple and these were arranged in rows around the main temple.

IMG_6208 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6215 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6218 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6216 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6210 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

There was a scale model of the site which showed the huge number of 'tablet temples' and how they are arranged symmetrically around the central temple.

IMG_6222 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

Again, we had about 30 minutes to explore on our own after the initial briefing by our guide.

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We were taken to the 5* MANDALAY SEDONA HOTEL for lunch. The parts of the hotel that we saw were beautiful - a water feature at the entrance, a huge reception area, clean toilets, a spectacular swimming pool and gardens area and a pleasant dining room. The only let down was the food which, although of reasonable quality, was lacking in variety and quantity and was nowhere near as good as the lunches we have been having on the ship.

 

After an hour at the hotel we were taken back to the ship for a while (we did a bit more packing) before setting off at 15.00 for the afternoon excursion.

 

We had a 30-minute drive out of town to ANDAPURA, one of many 'old capitals' of Burma. It was quite shocking to see how poor the housing was.....many families lived/existed under a tarpaulin....and to see the cows and horses tethered along the central reservation.

IMG_6251 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6259 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6278 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

We were taken to a silk and cotton weaving workshop where we watched the girls skilfully using the looms to create the most intricate of patterns using the finest silk threads.

There was a shop selling fabrics, longyis and clothing at fairly reasonable prices.

IMG_6262 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6267 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6268 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

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We left the workshop for the 20-minute drive to the U BEIN BAMBOO BRIDGE. This beautiful bridge is over 200 years old, over 1 km long and it stretches across a wide lake and our visit turned out to be the most spectacular experience of the whole trip for me.

IMG_5473 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

There were hordes of sightseers on the lake bank and lots of souvenir stalls, fast food outlets and hawkers. It was a bit intimidating trying to follow our guide through the crowds to get to the rowing boats at the very rickety jetty but it was worth it.

IMG_6284 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6287 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

Terry had pre-arranged enough rowing boats for our tour group to have one per couple and, after a bit of a struggle to get in, we set off across the lake.

The sun had come out and the clear quality of the light brought out the colours of the wood and the sparkle of the lake.

IMG_5495 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6311 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

We were rowed out into the lake and then under the bridge as the sun sank lower and silhouetted the people crossing the bridge creating stunning pictures.

IMG_6295 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

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IMG_5488 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_6307 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

The sunset was spectacular. Our boatman then rowed us back under the bridge to watch the sunset. We took over 100 photographs as it was so memorable.

IMG_5512 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

IMG_5530 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

It was a bit of a scramble to get back ashore as all the boats were trying to get to the jetty at the same time and it was getting dark.

Thankfully, when we got to the jetty there were plenty of strong hands to help me out of the boat and Zaw was waiting to guide us to the bus.

IMG_5580 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

The ride back to the ship was interesting because we had not been ashore in the evening before so we were able to be nosy and see inside some of the homes, cafes and other buildings as well as marvelling at the driving skills of the Mandalayans!

 

We had a final dinner said goodbyes to people before retiring to bed.

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Cruise Day 15. Saturday 12th November 2016

MANDALAY to BANGKOK to LONDON

A.M. Overcast and hot with long sunny periods.

P.M. Hot and sunny

 

We got up as usual and had coffee as we finished packing. After breakfast, we vacated the cabin at 08.30 and put out our cases. it was amazing watching the porters carry the cases up to the busses.

IMG_0532 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

 

As we were not leaving the ship until 11.00 we spent a pleasant couple of hours on the sun deck chatting and having a last cuppa.

We were called to board the bus promptly at 11.00 for the hour-long trip to the airport. The drive was interesting as we passed through the outskirts of Mandalay and through the countryside by the river so we got to see a bit more of the area.

 

The journey home was uneventful.

We were left with wonderful memories and over 2,000 photographs of a fabulous, intriguing and exciting experience.

 

 

PS. if you have managed to complete reading this epic I congratulate you. Please don't hesitate to ask questions and I will do my best to answer them.

[SpokaneDan]

Thank you for your intriguing and detailed photo report!

[Mauzac]

I really enjoyed your reports and pictures, thank you I went to Myanmar a year ago and it has brought back so many lovely memories.

 

I agree with you.. U Bein bridge was spectacular and that, along with Shwedagon in Yangon were my most favourite bits. As far as the Bridge, we walked along it, and for me it was terrifying! (We didn't make it far across). No rails at all, really busy, big gaps in between where you are walking etc. I just had to say I'd walked a bit of it but turning round and coming back was difficult, as there was a definite 'flow' to it!

 

Fantastic pictures thank you :)

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Hi Mauzac,

thank you for your kind comments. I didn't get chance to walk the bridge but wish we had had time as it would have enhanced the experience even more.

 

I do hope more people get the chance to visit this wonderful part of the world.

[Oldgables]

Good Afternoon from Cornwall.

A wonderful review of your cruise and beautiful photos. My husband and I will be on this cruise in March so found it all very interesting. I should be grateful if you would answer a couple of questions.

1) Were most of the toilets ashore western or asian style?

3) Did you use much local currency? We are wondering whether to change $50 at the airport and whether this will be sufficient? Travel Marvel told us that there isn't any currency exchange on the boat - is this correct?

Thank you once again for such an interesting review and hope that you won't mind answering these questions for me.

[soccerref]

Good Afternoon from Cornwall.

A wonderful review of your cruise and beautiful photos. My husband and I will be on this cruise in March so found it all very interesting. I should be grateful if you would answer a couple of questions.

1) Were most of the toilets ashore western or asian style?

3) Did you use much local currency? We are wondering whether to change $50 at the airport and whether this will be sufficient? Travel Marvel told us that there isn't any currency exchange on the boat - is this correct?

Thank you once again for such an interesting review and hope that you won't mind answering these questions for me.

 

Hello from Staffordshire,

I am so envious that you have this wonderful trip to look forward to. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

In answer to you questions.....

1. The vast majority of the toilet areas at the temple complexes had at least one western style toilet. The good thing was that most excursions were relatively short so it may not be necessary to 'partake' and this is from a lady of a certain age who has frequent needs.......nudge, nudge! I would recommend taking some toilet paper though, just in case.

2. We changed US$100 on board but we were told that the ship didn't carry a lot of money so, if you get chance, I would suggest you get Kyats at the airport. Our $100 was more than enough for the few purchases that we made.....2 boys' football kits, a necklace, a fridge magnate, some post cards and locally made greeting cards, a few small tips for tuk-tuk/transport drivers and guides....and we had enough to leave an extra tip for crew members. There was a box on the reception counter and we put in what we had left.

 

One othe thing - we got e-visas by applying on line at the Myanmar consulate website. This was quick and easy to do although costing £70pp. These were processed at Yangon airport on arrival.

 

I hope this helps. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have anything else that I can help with.

 

Minglabar (Burmese greeting) from freezing Stoke and happy sailing.

Edited January 26, 2017 by soccerref
Forgot some information

[Oldgables]

Hello from Cornwall

Thank you very much for this most useful information.

We also got our e-visa online from the myanmar government site and it cost us 50 USD each.

I see from my original note that queries 1 and 3 are there but number 2 has vanished. I asked whether the men wore long sleeved shirts, ties and a jacket for the evening meal.

 

We try to keep our luggage as light as possible but it gets more difficult with what I call "hardware" - medicines, toiletries, etc.

 

Thanks very much for your help. It is cold here in Saltash but the worst thing is the strong wind making it very uncomfortable.

 

Minglabar (probably the only Burmese word I will ever remember)