Burma

Watch out for ‘dirty’ electricity in Myanmar — March 2015 Electricity in Mandalay seemed a bit random; that is, it was liable to go off at any time and may not have been particularly ‘clean’. Clean Electricity What I mean by ‘clean electricity’ is not environmental clean but ‘clean’ in terms of voltage and power spikes. During my three days…

That is a big book! — March 2015 Next to the Sandamuni Pagoda is the Maha Lawkamarazein or Kuthodaw Inscription Shrines. I found all this confusing as I couldn’t determine whether the Sandamuni Pagoda was part of the Maha Lawkamarazein or Kuthodaw Inscription Shrines complex or if they were completely separate. At the time, the UNESCO…

A visit to a stunning pagoda — March 2015 The day after my long walk up to the top of Mandalay Hill, I decided to head back to the Mandalay Hill area to explore some pagodas at the foot of the hill. The first one I visited was the Sandamuni Pagoda. It was stunning. Beautiful. Inside the…

A long and very hot walk up a hill in my socks — March 2015 Mandalay Hill has a series of pagodas (paya) along a very long and hot path that leads up to the main pagoda, Sutaungpyei (means wish-fulfilling) Pagoda, at the top. The Mandalay Hill site was very touristy, with sellers on the steps and many small shops at the top. …

The day I mistakenly went to the zoo — March 2015 It was a huge mistake, as I don’t like zoos. After I left the Mandalay Grand Royal Palace, I was wandering down the road and wasn’t paying attention. I thought the Yadanabon Zoo was a botanical garden, as there were a lot of market gardens outside. …

An afternoon exploring Mandalay — March 2015 One afternoon, I visited the Mandalay Grand Royal Palace, about 15 to 20 minutes north of my hotel. On the map, it looked like there were four entrances to the palace; but only the east entrance was for tourists (foreigners). I paid 10,000 kyats (US$10; £6.50) for a…

You have to admire the effort — March 2015 You have got to wonder about this old-style approach to demolition in Mandalay, Myanmar. Why do it that way? Machines would be better, or was it a cost issue? It was crazy, as doing it this way must have taken forever. During my stay at the Hotel Mandalay…

Time for some more street photography — March 2015 One thing I always enjoy is wandering around a new town or city, exploring. You are familiar with your “home town” sights and sounds. But in a new place, everything is, well, new. …

Out and about in Mandalay from some street photography — March 2015 New town, time to explore. I asked the hotel’s front desk what was worth looking at nearby, and they didn’t have any suggestions. They did have a map. I asked about markets to visit. They had no suggestions. In the end, I went out and explored. …