On The Road to Mandalay

Mahamuni Monastery

Cattle on the road

More cattle on the road

Another monastery

Who ever thought I would be on the road to Mandalay? Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope were and I never even knew where it was exactly. Well, it is in a gorgeous spot!! Centrally located in Myanmar. It is regarded as the cultural capital and many artists and artisans make it their home.

Built along the Ayeyarwady River, Mandalay combines Myanmar's royal history and the preservation of spiritual traditions. The royal heritage is found in the Golden Palace Monastery with its exquisite wood carvings. The spiritual heart is in the Mahamuni Pagoda with the most venerated Buddha with layers and layers of gold leaf. So much that the Buddha statue is distorted by the layers of gold leaf.

Myanmar is a delightful country filled with beautiful scenery, friendly people and an interesting culture untouched by western influences.

Inle Lake, Myanmar- Indein Village

On the road

Group lunch at a rest stop minus us!

Water buffalo out of its pen

Indein village ruined pagodas

Stupas in the distance

Carving was recreated

Vegetation is growing around the pagodas

The Indein  Village is located on the western shores of the lake. Indein  in Burmese means shallow lake. True to the name, the village of Indein  is situated in the shallow part of Inle Lake. The village can be accessible by boat only during rainy season and winter, and cannot be reached by boat during summer months, as the water becomes shallower during hot months.

Indein is quite famous among tourists for its collection of ancient ruined pagodas. At the entrance of the village, you can see a large group of tourist waiting boats, which partly ruin the nice atmosphere of the village. Nevertheless, the ruined pagodas on the hilltop are still a dramatic sight to see.