Mandalay....... The very word rings of an exotic city with an exotic past. It has an exotic past with the British in the nineteenth century arriving up river to conquer the city and the area. It is now an unremarkable city, mostly 1970s concrete, with a one beautiful Royal Palace, now a replica as the original was destroyed in the war. Still beautiful in an empty way, and with the original ancient walls and a moat.
Part of the Royal Palace
The original palace walls.
The watch tower within the palace walls
We also saw the longest book in the world, each page set in stone in an individual stupa.
We cruised down the Irrawaddy River to visit the Minguin bell, which is huge, and weighs in at 90 tons, 14 times larger than the largest at St Paul's. It was cast in 1808 for the Minguin pagoda which was never finished, and its supports were destroyed in the earthquake of 1839. It was put on its present supports in 1896.
Little girl in full winter coat at the temple...
They dredge the sand from the Irrawaddy and sell it. Note the open engines on the vehicles with their fan belts whirring!
And sunset cruising back!
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