U Bein's bridge is the worlds longest teak bridge. (1300mttr) LP lists it as the No1 thing to do here "Join the dawn monk parade crossing the worlds longest teak bridge"
I asked the girls at reception what time is best to get there and they said "leave here at 4.30". So this morning I downloaded some pics for you to look at and headed off at 4.30. It was only about 1/2km to the corner to get a motorbike taxi. The markets were starting to open, they were selling their mouldy old fruit by torch light. The bike taxi couldn't understand "U Bein bridge" so I got uot my book and showed him in Burmese and he said "oo Bein bridge" WTF. These ******* are just trying to be difficult? So we settled on a price, one way 3000k. It turned out the bike didn't have lights. So here we are fanging down the back streets of Mandalay at 4.30 in the morning with no helmets and no lights. What could go wrong??
It was a good 1/2hr ride to get there and I arrived just after 5am. LP also says there are places to get breakfast and coffee at both sides of the bridge. When I got there there were people sleeping everywhere. Anywhere there was a flat space was someone sleeping. NOTHING was open. There were some signs saying 'view point' so I hung around. A few monks came and went over, did their monk stuff, and came back. I decided to go over to see if anything was happening on the other side. It was pretty much the same, people were just waking up and restaurants just opening up. I had breakfast, coffee and 2 samosas 60cents, and checked out the Kyaulktawgyi Paya. Just another Pagoda. So I walked back and the businesses on this side were just opening up.
There was NO procession of monks, not Luang Phrabang style anyway. I could have had the free breakfast at the hotel and then gone and I wouldn't have missed anything. Thanks for the tips.
While I was in Amarapura I checked out a few other sights. Maha Ganayon Kyaung, just another pagoda. Pahtogawgyi Paya, the tallest structure for miles at 185ft. LP says "mesmerizing, affords great views" well guess what it is under renovation. The whole place is covered in scaffold.
I walked up to the main road, past a place where they were casting big wok's. It was a dirty old foundry but pretty interesting to watch just the same.
While I am down this way I wanted to go to Paleik to see Yadana Labamuni Hsu-taung-pye, the snake pagoda. Apparently three pythons came in out of the bush in 1974 and stayed. Now the monks wash and feed them at 11am everyday. This is a great lurk for the monks. Everyone comes in and give money, the monk touches it to the snake and Buddha and then in the box. When they bring the snakes out it is a mad scramble to get your picture taken with a snake and they of course charge for that. They have a huge gimic and they don't spend anything on the pagoda by the looks of the place.
It was a bit of a mission getting there. I was on the main road and flagged down a pick up truck and asked if they were going to Paleik? He said the other side of the road. I thought I was right but changed all the same. Flagged down another pick up and he said other road. At this point I am not sure where I should be so I did my usual trick, stand looking confused and sure enough a motor bike pulled up and said "taxi?" I told him where I wanted to go and we negotiated a rate at 3000k one way. While I was at the snake pagoda, for about an hour, he waited and in the end I also came back to Mandalay with him. He didn't know the places I wanted to go but did know the train station so I got him to drop me there and I walked home. Back at the hotel I had a little nanny nap and Im feeling like a feed at the night markets tonight.
Tomorrow I will update the Mandalay page.