2015 - THE IRRAWADY of MYANMAR - Mandalay

FABLED MANDALAY - AS IN 'THE ROAD TO MANDALAY'

WE WERE DUE TO DOCK IN MANDALAY ITSELF BUT LOW WATER CAUSED US TO DIVERT ACROSS THE RIVER IN SAGAING .. WHICH MEANS WE HAVE A BIT OF A BUS RIDE TO REACH MANDALAY.

HERES ONE OF MANY BAMBOO RAFTS WE WILL SEE & IT IS THE BAMBOO ITSELF THAT IS BEING TRANSPORTED.

A RATHER ATTRACTIVE, ALMOST CERAMIC LOOKING PAGODA .

SAGAING HAS MORE THAN IT'S FAIR SHAR OF PAGODAS - HERE ARE JUST A FEW ..

SOME VERY LARGE MOTHS HAVE STOWED AWAY ON THE BOAT ..

ON THE BUS, PASSING SOME FISHERMEN ON THE RIVER ...

WE STOP TO VISIT A PAGODA & HAVE TO WALK A LITTLE WAY, PASSING THE STONE CARVERS ..

VERY HARD, DUSTY WORK ...

INSIDE THE PAGODA, ONLY THE MEN ARE ALLOWED UP INTO THE AREA WHERE PEOPLE ATTACH GOLD LEAF TO THE BUDDHA IMAGE.
I SHOULD HAVE REALISED THEN THAT THE YOUNGSTERS IN BLUE WERE NOT GIRLS ..

DEFINITELY GIRLS ON THE LEFT. BUT BOYS ON THE RIGHT. IT'S A MONKS INITIATION CEREMONY ..

GIRLS ...

AND BOYS ..

AND THIS IS DEFINITELY A GIRL - YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE SHE IS ON HER PHONE.

IT'S VERY TIRING TO BE A PILGRIM ... LOTS OF STEPS TO CLIMB ..

THOSE LADIES LOOK POOPED OUT.

A VERY YOUNG MONK TO BE ..

IS THAT LITTLE BOY HAPPY? ....

WE HAVE MOVED ON TO MANDALAY PALACE .. A VERY LARGE, WALLED & MOATED COMPLEX OF BUILDINGS ...

ON OF MY FEW GROUP SHOTS .. EIGHT OF THEM ANYWAY. THERE'S MIKE IN WHITE .. WHICH REMINDS ME, I FORGOT TO TELL MY MIKE STORY AT AN EARLIER STOP.

HE HAD BEEN ASKING ONE OF THE SOUVENIR SELLERS ( MAYBE THE FRIEND OF MY POT GIRL ) IF SHE HAD A SHIRT OF A PARTICULAR COLOUR & DESIGN. IT HAD TO HAVE MYANMAR SCRIPT & FOR SURE A VERY LARGE SIZE. SHE HAD SAID THAT SHE DID NOT HAVE ONE WITH HER BUT WOULD PHONE HER MOM TO GET HIM ONE ONE. THEY ARRANGED TO MEET THE NEXT EVENING BUT SHE WAS NOT THERE.

NEXT MORNING HE TRIES AGAIN, WITH ANOTHER GIRL - A VERY CUTE GIRL THIS ONE. SHE HAD ONE FOR HIM BUT NOT EXTRA LARGE. SAME THING - SHE HAS TO PHONE MOM & SHE WILL HAVE ONE FOR HIM WHEN HE GETS BACK IN THE EVENING. THE EXTRA LARGE IS A COUPLE OF DOLLARS MORE BUT MIKE IS OK WITH THAT.

SHE IS THERE WAITING FOR HIM WITH AN EXTRA LARGE SHIRT & MIKE GETS ON BOARD VERY PLEASED.

ONLY PLEASED UP TO THE POINT HE TRIES THE SHIRT ON & IT IS STILL TOO SMALL. HE REALISES THE GIRL HAS ADDED AN X TO THE LABEL.

I LAUGHED OUT LOUD - I SAID THE GIRL WAS CUTE - SHE EVEN CHARGED HIM AN EXTRA TWO DOLLARS FOR THE BIGGER SHIRT.

TOO, TOO FUNNY.

A FEW TOURISTS HERE ...

SOME GOOD LOOKING BUILDINGS ... THE RELEVANCE OF THE LITTLE WHITE HUT ON TOP WAS EXPLAINED BUT I WAS NOT LISTENING ..

AND WE CROSS THE MOAT, WITH MANDALAY HILL IN THE DISTANCE. I NEVER DO GET TO CLIMB THE HILL.

MARIANNE & I - RELAXING AFTER DINNER WITH A BEER OR TEN, BEFORE SOME GIRLS COME ON BOARD TO PERFORM A SHOW FOR US ...

VERY BEAUTIFUL LADIES - THANK YOU VERY MUCH