First and foremost-I must rant (it is what I seem to do best these days) That $40 pedicure I got and paid for the morning before I left to Myanmar (what an abosolute waste of money!)
I rock climbed bare feet to see many monastry in the scorching heat at 8am. I have done A LOT of stairs climbing these last couple of weeks, haven't really eaten because it is not sanitary (flies everywhere and these folks leave their food uncovered) So breakfast have consists of everything I loathe back home but it provide nutrients needed to get me through the day (white toast and scrambled eggs that is probably not fully cooked-Owl Diner how I miss thee) Interesting toilet/bathroom situation. Sometimes you have no shower curtains-so you have to watch yourself bathe/shower because there is a mirror directly across from you and other time it's half a curtain-makes no sense at all.
Mandalay?? Hmmmm there is a lot to talk about Mandalay. It's like a little dirty New York with it's neon lights (also I almost got hit trying to cross the streets because again there are no crosswalks or stops lights-cars/motorbikes and people walking as they pleased. BTW-you could fit up to 4 people on these motorbikes and parents ride with their toddlers!) Although congested-it is not nearly as congested as Yangon. There are many beautiful old monastry made from teak wood.
However, my favorite is a little town called Monywa because there is this massive standing Buddha statue that is close to 200feet in length. There is also a reclining Buddha statue directly in front of it and about 500,000 Buddha images below that. I was only able to climbed to the 17th floor because the rest of the floor is closed off for renovations, etc.
So here I am in Bagan. Tomorrow I finally get to see Ananda temple (Bagan has about 2,000 pagodas-maybe more) and the day after Mt. Popa (going to be a long walk up those stairs!!!)
Til then-again-it's is supa dupa hot!!!! Think I am getting sick so I am going to go pop some Tylenol Dayquil/Nyquil and call it a day.
All my love,
Anna Shenikki
