Road to Mandalay
Story and photos by Sandra Scott
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|  | Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the most important Buddhist Temple, was truly a symphony in gold at twilight. | |  | The luxurious Orient Express "Road to Mandalay" riverboat is docked on the Ayeyarwady River in Bagan. | |  | Burmese girls make a colorful procession toward the temple where they will participate in the "Ear-Piercing Ceremony." | |
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| |  | A young boy in festive garb rides a pony in the "Novice Monk’s Ceremony" parade, one of the most important events in a Buddhist boy's life. | |  | Bagan, the ancient capital of Myanmar, built between 1000 and 1200. | | |
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| | More than a century ago, Rudyard Kipling visited Burma, now called Myanmar, and remarked that it was, quite unlike any land you know about. His poem, The Road to Mandalay, has invoked images of romance and beauty in the minds of travelers for generations but, ironically, he never visited Mandalay. In fact, he was only in Myanmar for a very short time. Myanmar has changed little in the past 50 years, and is one of the few places to retain its agrarian lifestyle. The most beguiling aspects of Myanmar are its people who are friendly and welcoming and not jaded by the world of commercialism. Imagine a country with no McDonalds and no WalMart!
We arrived in Yangon, and our first impression was a positive one. The streets of the city are lined with trees and it is very quiet honking ones car horn is not allowed in the city center. Our hotel, the Governors Residence, is located on a quiet street in an area that is home to many embassies. A gong announced our arrival and the beginning of unparalleled service.
We immediately fell in love with the Governors Residence with its beautiful gardens, jade-colored pool, and teak buildings constructed in the traditional manner.
For just six dollars (U.S.) an hour, we hired a car and English-speaking driver to take us on a tour of Yangon. Our first stop was an open-air glass factory in a jungle setting. The kilns are in rustic buildings covered by rusty metal sheets and piles of glass are everywhere, making us wonder just how they knew what was where. But it must all work out in the end because we recognized their glass products at all the good hotels.
The Myanmar people are welcoming and want foreigners to love their country as much as they do. At the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, we were invited into the monks living quarters. Most of the monks were asleep since they must arise at 4 a.m. each day for early prayers. We tried to be very quiet. They go out into the community to get their food and are not allowed to eat after noon, resulting in a very Spartan lifestyle. All Buddhists spend some time as a monk some for a few days, some for a lifetime.
In the late afternoon, we watched the sunset at the most important Buddhist Temple: Shwedagon Pagoda. It was truly a symphony in gold, especially at twilight.
One morning, Mr. Ko Ko, manager of the hotels restaurant, took us to the farmers market where we saw familiar, and unfamiliar, fruits and vegetables. We bought feather-back fish, and when we returned to the hotel, Mr. Ko Ko and his assistant taught us how make Fried Fish Cake Salad -- it was excellent! It was an easy recipe that we can easily make at home with fish, chicken, or beef.
We hated to leave the serenity of the Governors Residence, but the river was calling to us. We flew to Bagan and boarded the luxurious Road to Mandalay riverboat on the Ayeyarwady River. It is part of the Orient Express, so connections, tours, and everything else was seamless and perfect. We toured the ancient capital of Bagan, which was, at its pinnacle of glory between the years from 1057 to 1287 AD. Bagans impressive ruins spread over many acres, and we visited pagodas; watched people make pottery, lacquer-ware and other handicrafts; wandered through farming villages; visited a nunnery; went for an ox-cart ride; explored the Festival Market, and watched the sunset from atop a pagoda.
Lacquer-ware boxes that cost just one dollar (U.S.) take days to make with hardworking gold pounders preparing the gold leaf to enhance the pagodas, and the potters wheel still powered by hand. There are so many wonderful sights to see and interesting things to learn about we saw images that will truly last a lifetime. The people are so open and friendly that we felt very comfortable everywhere.
On board The Road to Mandalay riverboat, a French chef prepares gourmet dinners each evening. One evening, when we were especially fortunate, somebody quipped, the staff of the Road to Mandalay has thought of everything! Dinner is always followed by entertainment, but one evening was magical beyond description: after a blazing sunset, we gathered atop the deck under a full moon for the Festival of Lights. Off on the horizon, we see several hundred tiny colored lights flickering. Slowly, and with classical music accompanying the scene, the hundreds of colored candlelit lanterns begin to flow with current until they reach and surround our boat. What an incredible sight!
While sailing, we enjoyed the boats onboard pool, but the best part was sitting on the deck watching the ever-changing scenery. For the village people, the Ayeyarwady River is life itself. They bathe in it, transport their goods on it, catch fish for dinner from it, water their animals in it, and play in it! It is a series of National Geographic photographs, come to life.
We arrive at a local village in time to see a long, colorful parade. The procession was headed toward the temple where the boys were to take part in the Novice Monks Ceremony, and the girls the Ear-Piercing Ceremony. The Novice Monks Ceremony is one of the most important events in a Buddhist boys life. As novice monks, they must shave their heads, don rust-colored robes, live a simple life, and learn the teachings of Buddha. The tradition dates back to the time of Buddha, some 2,500 years ago, when the Buddha made his son a novice. The boys dressed in princely attire and rode horses shaded with umbrellas. The girls were beautifully attired in colorful longyis, the typical wrap-around skirts worn by both men and women.
Colorfully dressed family members carry gifts for the temple. Even the horses, cows and cart are festively decorated. The boy novices stay in the monastery for seven days under the care of the monks; but for the girls, the Ear-Piercing Ceremony is more of a social event since once their ears are pierced, they can return home. After a parade, the entire village is invited to a sumptuous feast. In my estimation, there is only one problem with the Road to Mandalay riverboat cruise: its not long enough. Our stateroom was so well-appointed that I would have loved to have more time to enjoy it. There was so much to see and do that we never had the time to enjoy the piano bar in the evenings, or to just relax in one of the common areas. Some guests opted to skip some of the tours, but I was afraid Id miss something. I guess I will just have to take the Road to Mandalay cruise again! And by the way, Kipling was correct: Burma/ Mandalay is, quite unlike any land I have ever known about.
©2008 by Authors/Owners Sandra Scott, All rights reserved |
