It is early morning as we depart from the small congested HEHO Airport en route to Mandalay. The bags unloaded from the bus get stacked and wheeled onto a metal framed wooden slated trailer, pulled by green vested men. As we stand in the crowded terminal for departure, some of us find humor in the Yangon Airways sign tagline proclaiming "you're safe with us," well we certainly hope so.

Flying Elephant Logo interesting - I prefer a lighter animal that actually could maybe stay up in the air. Dumb me, I forgot "Dumbo"!

While waiting for our bags to be checked in, I glanced at an elegant woman with her scarf tied very uniquely around her head. A scarf that definitely looked like the one I had purchased a few days earlier at the stilted weaving shop on the lake. As I continued to stare in her direction hoping to figure out her mode of wrapping, Laura (another woman in my group) made mention of it too. After clearing "security" with my water bottle in hand, shoes on my feet, snacks in my back pack and no pat down (yes, it made me VERY happy), I noticed the scarved woman once again. With our plane delayed, I decided I would introduce myself and unlock the technique of the bedecked lady's head dress. Wonderfully, she was a Parisian and we enjoyed an hour long conversation of her beloved France that I also adore and "The Burma" we had both uncovered with all its marvels and charm. She along with her traveling companions had taken a rustic barge cruise from Mandalay down the Ayarwaddy/Irrawaddy River over the course of four days and nights to Bagan. They slept on board while occasionally stopping in villages along the way for excursions and food. The large boat would at times get stuck in the sand due to the low water table (the rainy season is on its way). Immediately as if on cue, Burmese men would jump off the side railings into the waves in order to dislodge the craft. It sounded magnificent to me and I would love to add it to my next visit to the Golden Land.

A little side bar about flying in Burma. While sitting in the waiting area with no monitors indicating flight departures or arrivals, it is then you realize how fairly quiet it is. Except for the hum of ceiling fans and the low din of conversation, oh and the lack of an intercom system, it is a basic terminal with only molded plastic chairs (they resemble ones found in a 1960's laundromat) connected in lines. Finally, a man holding up a sign mounted on a stick with the name of your carrier appears. This indicates it is time to board, so you follow him out to the tarmac. Upon climbing the stairs into the plane, a lovely flight attendant hands over a packaged wet wipe. Then proceeding down the aisle to find an unassigned seat, two other attendants moving fast back and forth push you into a row, take a seat NOW. Literally, the jet starts to taxi before everyone has their seat belt secure or dirty hands wiped. Burmese airlines get the award for the fastest departures you have ever experienced. Forget reading the emergency instructions, you are in the air. However, please read them so you can chuckle like I did. Besides the somewhat lukewarm and lacking of carbonation coke or sprite, the flight ends on a high with tasty fruit flavored candies that sweeten your arrival.

Do not use transmitting devices at all time & While emergency Do not take baggage

Just in case you forgot how to DON — Just in case you forgot how to DON

Maneuvering through marvelous Mandalay, we arrive at the Ayarwaddy River Hotel complete with an accessible roof top to the sky for dining, music and soaking up every drop of the surrounding area. It sits high above the trees giving a stupendous vantage point for watching the spectacular descent of the sun into the river every evening.

Our belongings secure in the teak wood lined hotel, it is time to embark on discovering Mandalay, the city that Kipling found most poem worthy. The journey originates at the Buddhist market place, an integrated shopping and Buddhist shrine and as such, being barefoot is a requirement. At each entrance, there is an area to remove and leave shoes with the shoe care taker who will locker them until your return and payment. Normally, with all the slipping on and off, I wear my flip flops for convenience but today I forgot. I am wearing my Fibram Five Fingers. Similar to my blonde hair that gets photographed and plenty of stares in the land of brunettes, my unique shoes brought about the same kind of perplexed gawking. The shoe man said he was going to "hold in his hands." I am sure to put them on display to the rest of the inquisitive Burmese patrons.

The shopping venue extends as a long wide corridor accommodating booths that smile at each other from adjacent sides. One walks through the center aisle determining to look left or right at all the enticing trinkets you would expect luring tourists like us to its web. At the far end of the sea of wares, the artery opens revealing an extremely plump golden Buddha figure who just happened to be getting a new leafing of gold during our visit. You could gaze at the ginormous statue up close only if you were willing to pay the fee. Thankfully, I was given a sticker from one of the men in my group who was willing to cough up the moolah. So, I went further in to capture the moment. The selling stalls mainly contain items related to the Buddhist faith such as incense, amulets and offerings. The occasional longyi and gem stone jewelry can be found amongst the mix of money changers who give a good rate. I came away with onyx, bone and jade beads at a ridiculously low price compared to the States. People watching is so much fun and this setting brought some of the best, from lines of school girls dressed in matching uniforms scurrying arm in arm to chubby cheeked faces that were begging to be squeezed, smooched and in my case photographed. My five toe wonders were still dangling from the five fingers of the shoe keeper upon my retrieval.

The corridor of goods with shop keepers perched like birds on low legged stools watching their nests

Market place stroll for young monks draped in rusty scarlet

Buddha sits watch at one end, while tourists wrapped in longyis (for respect) admire the gold layering process — Buddha sits watch at one end, while tourists wrapped in longyis (for respect) admire the gold layering process

More sheets of gold being plastered to the Buddha

This pic is the definition of the Yiddish word PUNIM

Next, the examination of Kuthodaw and Sandamuni Pagodas where the manuscripts of Buddha reside. Row after row, every teaching is engraved upon an identical shaped marble slab all standing tall like soldiers at attention. The only thing differentiating each piece of carving is the Buddhist text represented. There are single tablets housed under ornately decorated ceilings yet the sides are completely open revealing the lined masonry weathered by time. Multiple hewn stones in groupings can also be found protected by the concrete white washed pagodas. Kuthodaw was erected in 1857 and sits on 13 acres, while Sandamuni was built in 1874 and is a seven acre compound. Comprised of 729 stone slabs, the Kuthodaw is said to be the biggest book in the world.

Long aisles for walking in between the housed manuscripts

Concrete corridors and canopies arching across the acreage — Concrete corridors and canopies arching across the acreage

On the road to Mandalay was a phrase Kipling used over and over again. Well, we are on the road to Mandalay Hill and I don't know if this is what he was describing, but it is an adventure all its own. Eight of us climbed into the bed of a small pickup truck complete with a built in bench seat and low covered roof while two locals hung off the back with our “tour comedian” (who is 6’5” and way too tall to fit inside) also clinging to the bumper. The ride up was so exhilarating with short choppy hairpin curves at a feverish pace, laughing all the way until we were deposited at the summit of Mandalay Hill. I couldn’t wait for the return trip back down.

Atop Mandalay Hill, you have a 360 degree panorama of the city. Our leader pointed out various places of interest in the distance. Your eyes could scan for miles in all directions. Walking barefooted as with every Buddhist shrine you visit, one makes the trek around the top where numerous Buddha’s reside draped in flowers on an open air veranda. The burning incense wafts through the mosaic glass tiled housing. One must spend 1000 kyats (pronounced chets) equivalent to $1.00 to photograph from this place. The Buddhist sites are definitely starting to understand tourism. Other dragons or mythical type statues painted in an array of brilliant colors surround the premises on the descending terraces. Sometimes, they are caged like the one who has neon feet that match my Fibram 5 Fingers. (At the urging of one of my friends I had to take a photo). Stair stepping left and right down numerous levels from the incredible view, we reach our “light truck” waiting to start the fast paced swerving (akin to "The Scrambler" ride of my youth) once again. After a double handi-wipe cleaning of our DIRTY, DIRTY, DIRTY feet, we were off. I loved it even more the second time, as the descent helped in gaining momentum and whipped us around like rag dolls. Can we do it again?

Walkways that capture a view North, South, East & West

Hungry after the first day of exploration in Marvelous Mandalay, Mya Nandas restaurant beautifully balances on the banks of the Ayarwaddy River and brings a breeze of relaxation. The sun's descent over the rippled water casts a glorious glow and refreshment comes by sipping thirst quenching lime juice drinks. Ordering a plethora of interesting foods, the sharing begins with appetizers of spring rolls, fried eel, fried kailon and roselle soup. The kailon is so phenomenal and crispy that another round is ordered. The roselle soup is another traditional Burmese item that was supposed to be a MUST try, I MUST try not to order it again, (at least not at this restaurant).

Only one day has passed but like the poem I too have glimpsed much on the Road to Mandalay and as the sun sets, it beacons me to continue venturing further still...

Manuevering through MARVELOUS Mandalay

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Unearthing the Savored Life