More from Mandalay

We stayed in the Mandalay City Hotel. The entrance was down a narrow lane between an electronics shop and a shoe shop which did not look promising, but the lane opened out into a lovely garden at the front of the hotel. We did not need an alarm clock as it was next to one of Mandalay's 41 mosques and the muezzin woke us at 4.30  a.m. or thereabouts.

The Chinese influence is noticeable in Mandalay City, but around about it is still much as I imagine it was. Here are some photos for you to judge.

View from the 1.6 km U Bein bridge in Amarapura, a former capital. It was built almost 200 years ago with teak from an earlier Royal Palace.

 

Fisherman casting his net near the U Bein Bridge.

Monks queueing for their lunch at 11 a.m. I hope the little novice in white who was busy sweeping was able to get his share.

Using 30+ shuttles two girls sitting side by side weave incredibly fine silk into intricate patterns. It needs very good eyesight so they have to retire at 35. To weave a longyi length of 1.5m x 2m takes about 2 to 4 weeks and the piece then sells for about US$700.

 

A Mon Harp in the shape of a crocodile. Burmese harps are boat shaped. 

A large marble Buddha on Sagaing Hill near Mandalay - the rabbit is a previous incarnation of Buddha, but I thought it had quite a resemblance to a kangaroo!

 

 Young nuns at Zeyertheingi nunnery studying for University entrance examinations.

 I thought shearing was hard work, but gold beaters swing a 7 lb hammer for a 2 hour stretch. As you can imagine the gold is then gossamer thin.

Fresh vegetables in Mandalay market.

 Fancy a sparrow kebab!

 

 Enjoying a cheroot. 

 

Typical teashop - this one in Mingun

 Puppets for sale in Mingun.

Typical Myanmar house.- the bamboo thatch roof lasts only 2 or 3 years, but if good bamboo collected in the right season is used for the walls they may last 20 years.

 

 Walking the plank to go ashore in Mingun. I was very glad of the custom made handrail.

Stone sculpture in Mandalay using a beautiful white marble. The Buddhas are exported to other Buddhist countries. I found it somewhat surreal to see finely crafted bodies without faces. Apparently they wait until an actual order for a particular face materialises. 

Groups of nuns collecting in the bazaar. Nuns only collect twice a week. 

 

Mahamuni pagoda. Over the centuries devotees have stuck more than two tons of gold onto the brass image (the face is not allowed to be touched - apart from a daily ceremonial washing) and it is now quite misshapen.

 This horse puppet.was in an extraordinary workshop which was an Aladdin's cave full of all sorts of old and new items.and they were continuing to carve various wooden sculptures, make puppets and do elaborate trapunto embroideries.

  Another inhabitant of Aladdin's cave.