Mandalay Views

We covered a lot of territory and a lot of sights during our two days in Mandalay. After visiting the monastery, we took a ferry across the river to Inwa Island, once the capital of the Ava kingdom.



For tourists, transportation around the island is by horse cart. The experience shattered any romantic fantasies we had from the movies about traveling by horse cart or wagon. It was a rough, though interesting, ride.



We traveled around the island to view the old teak Bagayar Kyaung monastery



and the unoccupied Meanu Okkyang monastery where an old monk was meditating on the lawn.



Back in the city of Mandalay, we watched young men pound pieces of gold into gold leaf.



Gail was blessed with a spot of gold.



And Phil had the opportunity to place some gold leaf on the Mahamuni Buddha, which Burmese legend says was one of only five images made of the Buddha during his lifetime. (Other Buddhist sources assert that no images were made during his lifetime.)



After all these sights, we needed a break. Gail took hers in the pool at our hotel, the fanciest place we stayed.