Road to Mandalay

             Day 10

              Today we left our hotel by traditional trishaw bicycle taxi to our bus, then it was onto the Thaboddhay Pagoda en route .

               Take a walk through the nearby banyan tree grove Bodhi Taung. Then cross the Chindwin river where we had lunch.

              After lunch we boarded our boat for a two hour ride down the Irrawaddy river to Bagan.

Our trishaw ride in the streets of Monywa.

The traffic a little heavy in peek hour in Monywa.

The Thaboddhay Pagoda.

The tallest standing Buddha.

The white elephants at Bodhi Taung.

Loading our boat at the Irrawaddy river.

Tomorrow is something special.

Love

Len and Val

Road to Mandalay

             Day 9

             After breakfast we left Mandalay at 0830 for  Monywa a four hour drive with a stop for lunch, and then to Monywa where we had a short boat 

            Ride across the Chindwin river and a drive to the fascinating Po win Daung caves a large complex of small sandstone caves containing many 

            Buddha images and decorative wall paintings then back to Monywa check into our hotel and dinner.

The Mandalay to Myinttyina train to Kachin state.

The boats we cross the Chindwin river on.

The reclining Buddha at the Po win Daung Caves.

The view from the top of the Po Win Daung Caves.

Po Win Daung Caves 

Love 

Len and Val 

Road to Mandalay

              Thursday 19th

              Day 8

              After breakfast experience the sights and sounds of Mandalay first was a trip to Mandalay Hill to the Mahamuni Pagoda then to the Golden 

              Palace Monastery which is a superb example of a traditional wooden building. Stop at Kuthodaw Pagoda the worlds largest book consisting 

               729 marble slabs on which the entire Buddhist Canon is inscribed. Then visit Kalaga tapestries craftsmens shop.

Mahamuni Pagoda.

Kuthodaw Pagoda.

The Golden Palace Monastery.

Beauty of Myanmar.

Love and 

Len an Val

Road to Mandalay

            Day 7

             It was on the bus at 0830 first stop a silk spinning and weaving factory then onto the U Bein Bridge the longest teakwood bridge in the world.

             Then it was to Amarapuraa working monastery dating back to 1783.

             After lunch we traveled to Sagaing a former capital in the14 century with many impressive stupas scattered on its hillside.

              Then to the Island of Inwa where we travel around by pony to the elegant teakwood monastery Bagaya Kyaung and the Maha Aungmye 

              Bonzana beautiful brick and stucco monastery and finished with a visit to leaning tower of Ava.

The textile factory 

The U Bein bridge Mandalay 

 

The leaning Tower of Ava

             

The Maha Aungmye Bonzana monastery 

The Maha Aungmye Bonzana monastery 

Love 

Len and Val

Road to Mandalay

            Today was a very early start up at 0415 to depart the hotel at 0500 for our flight to Mandalay as we where about to board there was a very heavy    

             rain storm and as it was a tramic boarding it was umbrellas up and a line of them to the plane.

            Our arrival in Mandalay the weather was dry and very humid it was a one hour drive to the Irrawaddy river for a cruise to Mingun where the 

            Worlds largest hanging bellies still on display.

             It is in Mingun that a former King started construction on the greatest Stupa in the world but in the 18th century when a astrologer predicted the 

             King would die upon completion construction was promptly stopped.

Val out side the Pa Hto Daw Gui Pagoda.

The Pa Hto Daw Gui Pagoda

            The MIN GUN Bell

It was to our hotel for a swim and a rest before dinner and the Mandalay Marionettes puppets show.

Love 

Len and Val

             

Road to Mandalay

             

             Day 5

              It was a early start again today leaving the hotel at 0730 first stop was the Yadnarsri Maha Hpaygayi

Then onto Pyay central market 

The bark of this wood is used as sun screen.

George bought this hand of bananas.

It was then onto the Shwe She an Taw Pagoda

Then it was the six hour drive back to Yangon 

For dinner at the hotel.

Love 

Len and Val

Road to Mandalay

              Day 4

              To day was a  seven hour drive to Pyay with stop at a World War 2 graves and marmoral ancient capital of Sri Ksetra ( Thayekhittaya ) the town of Pyay flourished between the 5th and 6th 

century and recently extensive archaeological excavations have taken place 

After a stop for lunch we visited the local museum and then traveled around the old city wall by oz cart for about two hours the to our hotel Mingaral Garden Resort.

Part of our group George our tour guide in the foreground

Our group in front of the ancient stupa in Sri Ksetra

Love

Len and Val