Sitting at the breakfast table on the top floor of the hotel, I can see the Mandalay, the golden domes of the pagodas, the tree-lined ascent with more than a thousand steps.
On such a day, there is no better way to spend it than cycling through the city and then making the strenuous climb up the hill. Some might think that there are actually more pleasant things to do.
Murderous enemies
In the meantime, I have developed to a professional cyclist still driving into the middle of the intersection when the murderous enemies are attacking from all sides.
After all everyone else does so. Anyone who doesn't respect these unwritten laws, will eventually starve while waiting. And so I follow the main roads (not one of my better ideas), then along the 4 square kilometer area home to the royal palace, so 2 kilometers in one direction, then just as many in the other.
Of course it's hot, but at least I have the sun at my back and sometimes even a little shade from the trees hanging down onto the street.
A new business
To watch over the numerous bicycles and scooters, a new business has developed. For 200 Kyats (20 Centimes), you can be confident that your vehicle will be returned in top condition, even after several hours.
So then up Mandalay Hill, up 1000 steps past golden temples and poor huts, past a thousand merchants, fortune tellers, monks and about a million cats and dogs of all ages. They live here, fed (or perhaps just barely kept alive) by charitable donations from tourists and the worshippers.
Well, not much has changed since last time (2004 – I miss you, brother), the exit still looks sweaty, especially around lunchtime, but it's worth it. And so I finally stand in front of the stone guard at the entrance, get off of my shoes and start the ascent.
Children and cats
One should not hurry, but take a break from time to time. Petting the countless cats (if they let you). Observing the children watching TV.
Finally, sweaty and happy, I reach the upper floors. From afar, the first Buddha greets me.
Breathtaking view
And then at last - the world from above. The view from the top level is breathtaking. In the distance, slightly blurred in the mist, the Shan mountains salute, which I hope to get a bit closer tomorrow.
Mingun
Towards the north, the narrow strip of the Irrawaddy River blinks, behind it, just visible, the pagoda of King Bodawpaya at Mingun.
The never completed structure made of red bricks (of all things!) was originally supposed to reach a height of over 150 meters, but megalomania and financial shortages (a combination rarely leading to success) ultimately caused the mammoth project to fail, and the 1838 earthquake did its part. What remains is a square, reddish ruin of what was supposed to become one of the wonders of the world.
However, it has lost none of its timeless magic, even if tourism is taking its toll.
Magnificent, overwhelming
Even on the second visit, the impression is simply overwhelming.
The contrast between the still prevailing poverty of a large part of the population and the splendor presented here is obvious. My notes and memories from the last visit have informed me, but basically it is impossible to pass by the works of art, the ornate buildings, the gods and beings without the utmost admiration.
Where are the trishaws?
In all directions the city spreads like a fast growing cancer. Eleven years ago it was still a relatively quiet city, where the Trishaw drivers also had their place, but now they are largely banished from the city centre (Trishaw: a special kind of rickshaw, only to be found in Burma, on which two passengers sit back to back).
Cell phones and WIFI
Traffic has increased significantly, and as an annoying side effect, the air quality is now just below a fumoir. 2004 you could turn off the cell phone during the entire visit, now everyone has one on their ear (even on the scooter in the middle of the heaviest traffic), and WiFi has become as normal as it is at home (which is not true, of course, because at home you have to be happy if there is any at all).
Monks and Samaneras
A common sight - monks and young Samaneras riding on all kinds of vehicles. But also, in the most unexpected places, whole families in poor shelters reminiscent of slums in other cities.
Eat like the king in France
That' s how times change. At least the food is still good, even if you have to search for suitable restaurants in this city. Tonight I get a recommendation from the guy at the reception: genuine Burmese cuisine, accompanied by a Myanmar beer.
Countless young boys swarm around the many guests, always on their toes, always ready to read every wish from their customers' lips.
Before even placing an order, the table is laden with plates on which all sorts of undefinable things are laid out. The boys, as good as they are as waiters, understand just as little English, and so my question about the contents of the plates remains unanswered. So the only thing left to do is to try.
Well, let me put it this way: not everything is as good as it looks. The chicken curry, however, prepared in Burmese style, is absolutely state-of-the-art. Delicious! I'll be back (I'm going to visit Mandalay two more times).
P.S. Matching Song: Led Zeppelin - Over the Hills and far away
And here the journey continues ...
