Myanmar- visit in June 2019-Mandalay revisited

The main purpose of this visit is to Monywa, Central west part of  Myanmar, and it was planned right after I read about the holy Buddshim site to visit from Kechara webpage, and my immediate discussion with an old friend in Myanmar, Htwe-htwe. Hence the plan to fly direct to Mandalay for a nite, which means my second visit to Mandalay (the first visit was 4 years back). And because this time, and old friend is joining for the first time, I took him to two important places that a first time should visit, namely, the Mandalay Palace and Mandalay Hill (which is good for the sunset view, but since it is already in summer months, sunset is late, around 710PM, instead of 6 plus, hence we did not wait for it.

It was a good revisit, for one has a chance to see the progress that Mandalay has made, especially the road from the airport leading to the city centre, and the various transportation modes available to go to the city centre. Currency exchange counters at the airport are giving a much better exchange rates (comparable to what we can get at the city centres), hence it is easier and there are many mobile phone cards available at reasonable rate compared to last. But the the thing remains unchanged is the domestic flight for foreigners, it is still expensive compared to the price offered to local Burmese citizens. And after 4 year lapse, I find the living cost has also increased, meaning to say the food that we eat outside is getting higher, which is quite normal when the economy is growing. There are more new cars, mainly Toyota, and many new hotels coming up and you have more choices available.

Here are some of the photos taken during a short stay in Mandalay, enroute the Monywa.

                                          Mandalay Palace-day time

                                         Mandalay Palace

                                         Flame of the Forest, blooming fully, taken at Mandalay Hill

                                         A view from Mandalay Hill

A view from Mandalay Hill

Me at Mandalay Palace

                                                   Me, at Mandalay Palace, taken from a tower

                                         Upon arrival from KL with AirAsia

                                         Trying out a city shuttle bus, I think the price was about 7000Kyat per                                                    person. A chartered taxi is about 20,000 Kyatts.

The hotel for the nite, Dynasty Hotel

                                          Dinner- this dish, a kind of tempura

                                                   Curry, but I do not like the taste. I think Malaysian curry is much                                                           better.

                                                    A kind of steamed fish, the sauce taste good.

Fried Kale, taste good

Breakfast setting at the restaurant

Local banana, looks a bit squarish, and a bit dry inside

                                         A famous dish, the Mohinga, looks like our Laksa


Choong
Written on 14 July 2019