From above, it looks like villages lining river valleys with some small plots farmed in the upper hills.
After getting settled, at our hotel near the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy (Irrawaddy) River, we took off of motorbike taxis to see the U-Bein bridge, located just South of Mandalay. Constructed out of reused teak from a palace when the capital moved to Mandalay in the 19th century, the bridge connects two sides of a large lake. Like most highly visited sites in the country, it has a religious purpose, connecting temples on either side of the lake, but it is also a place for fishing, recreation and socializing. The lake level is highly variable, and was near its peak, as we arrived at the tail end of the rainy season. In the drier months, the bridge deck towers above the much lower lake, and vegetable growing operations thrive in the shallower water, but on our visit, the water level is fairly close, and invasive water hyacinth, like we saw in the canals of Xochimilco, is present here as well.
After crossing the bridge, we took off to Mandalay Hill for a sunset view of the city and the river. Also, a temple site, we enjoyed a barefoot escalator ride for the last portion of the trip to the top.
Internet and electricity have been patchy. More posts to come, but probably not very quickly.
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