Following our day of sightseeing around Mandalay and Inwa, we asked to be dropped off near the Ubein Bridge. We found ourselves walking in the late afternoon sun, wandering through markets and strolling along the river. We stopped at a small cafe for a refreshing coconut, watching as girls with long dark hair walked past …
Inwa, Mandalay – Myanmar
One of my last full days in Mandalay was spent doing a small tour organised by our hostel. The first half of the day was spent in Mandalay exploring monasteries, universities, schools, and pagodas. The second half of the day saw us (myself and a young French doctor, the only two on the tour) on a small …
More Of Mandalay – Myanmar
So, now that I finally got round to telling you about Christmas and New Years, let's pick up where we left off, and I'll finish telling you about Myanmar. So, to set the scene, Myanmar was the final country of my year-long stint across Southeast Asia. I arrived in Mandalay sometime in September 2017 (I …
Thanaka – Myanmar
As synonymous with Myanmar as the traditional Longyi attire, or the red drool from chewing Betelnut, you will also notice many faces adorned with Thanaka. Generally used by women and children, Thanaka is a thick paste made from ground bark and roots. In the stifling Burmese heat, it’s cooling effect on the skin is quite …
Sparkling Pagodas in Mandalay
I thought I’d had my fill of temples in Thailand, but oh boy, was I wrong. The pagodas in Myanmar were something else, particularly in Mandalay where there seems to be an especially high concentration of them! On my first full day that I spent in Mandalay, I trod barefoot across the wooden floorboards of the …