We leave after breakfast for a long bus ride to Mandalay making a few interesting stops first to see the mummified monk and then a Myanmar truck stop type gas station. Anywhere else this might not seem like an exciting time, but in Myanmar anything can become an enjoyable experience.
We came upon a novitiation ceremonial parade which is the uniquely characteristic of Myanmar and a Buddhist tradition for every boy over eight years old to enter an order for a week or more as a novice. The chance of seeing one of these events is quite rare, so we felt very lucky.
We reach Mandalay, the Golden City, founded in 1857 by King Mindon after a legend that the Lord Buddha's visit 2,400 years previously when he prophesied the founding of a holy city. It lies on the east bank of the Irrawaddy, about 500 miles north of Yangon. It was Burma's last capital before it came under British rule in 1885. The magnificent Mandalay Palace was burned down during the Second World War and only a scale model remains in the palace grounds, which are surrounded by a moat. Many pagodas and monasteries still stand.
Tired from our adventurous ride we check in at our very nice hotel and take it easy for a bit and adjust to being in a city of over a million people and growing. We head out to the Kuthodaw Pagoda, built 1857 by King Mindon Min. The temple building is completely gilded however the true spectacle lays within the stark white stupas that surround its base. there are 730 marble tablets which describes the entirety of Theravada Buddhism’s religious canon.
On to Mandalay Hill known for its abundance of pagodas and monasteries, and a major pilgrimage site for Burmese Buddhists for nearly two centuries. At the top of the hill is the Sutaungpyei Pagoda with a panoramic view. We finish the day at A little Bit of Mandaly resturant for a nice meal with our traveling companions.
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