Day 14
Getting in from Bagan actually took much longer than expected. The taxi driver from the bus stop to our guesthouse was also definitely screwing us over for some extra kyat. However, our hostel itself doubled as an art studio and music school so the complex itself was pretty rad.
Since we came in so late in the day, there was not so much to do but walk around and go up Mandalay Hill. We took it slow by stopping to getting ice cream and traditional salad and juice, each of which was better than the last. We got two bikers to agree to take us up and down the mountain to the Yunnanian night market after the visit. The ride up was a tad bumpy but just really reminded us of a pagoda-ed out East Rock. Also before we went up, we saw the Royal Palace from the outskirts and boy, was it beautiful.
This was probably the first and last pagoda we visited that was actually peaceful and very much lacking tourists. The view felt like an extra reward. With food and a nice walk to boot, we called it a night so we could recover for the next day.
Day 15
After having like the most Burmese dish one could have, we got ready to go out for the entire day. This time around we got bikes so we both could get some extra leg power going. The plan? We just pretty much decided to bike and see what was cool.
After passing by Mandalay University, we went to the holiest site in Mandalay: the Maha Muni Image. For reference, the Buddha in this pagoda can only be approached by men, who can pay a fee to decorate it with gold leaf to receive blessings. The complex itself is way longer than expected. The little museum inside however illustrates the story of the temple’s founding pretty nicely. The view from the park in the northeastern corner of the temple is the best though.
Under the recommendation of a hostel mate, we biked south to Sagaing. We did not enter town but came to the bridge to check out the cliffs layered with pagodas. The bike ride there was incredible and really gave us a view on the beauty of Myanmar’s terrain. Here’s what we got to see at the end of route.
When we came back into town we decided just get supermarket food and check out a film. We actually saw this as a preview to “Rock Angels”. Remember “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”? The cinematographer, Peter Pau, who won an Academy Award then, directed “Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal”. It was definitely a beautiful done CGI film. Plot was a little lacking but overall an okay film that I didn’t mind watching.
Following a filling dinner, it came time to check out a show that was highly recommended by many. The Moustache Brothers were a trio of comedians that criticized the Burmese government heavily with their satire. However, following imprisonment, they were restricted to only performing comedy for foreigners. Now with only two members of the trio left, they are fighting to keep their voice alive. I’ll be writing a piece on them through TYG so be sure to check it out in the future.
