Myanmar day 3

Myanmar day 3 Civilised 8.30 start, to Lake Taungthaman and it's rickety wood bridge across the middle, I walk 1.2k each way pursued by a horde of pretty young girls trying to sell bracelets/postcards/fans, I resist, but give a 12 year old boy some money for imparting lots of info as we walk.

Then Mahagandayon Monastery and the spectacle of 1000 monks queuing to collect their daily meal from local Buddhists; to me they look stressed and unhappy, maybe due to the multitude of snapping tourists, I feel uncomfortable for them.

Next a silk weaving workshop, girls very skilful on looms, making 1 metre per week of exquisite patterned silk clothing. Next a silver workshop, I see a very heavy solid silver beautiful elephant about 8 inches high, dare not ask it's price, I guess 1000s USD. Now we drive over one of the bridges across the Irrawaddy River to Sagaing which has 600 white painted pagodas and monasteries, 3000 monks and 100 meditation centres...the religious centre of Myanmar. We visit Swan Oo Pon Nya Shin Pagoda and a Nunnery. The Abbotess? shows us around the latter as shaven girls chant stuff they have to learn by heart for exams, a happy and tranquil place for its inmates I think.

Next to Mingun where we climb a heap of steps to the top of Mya Thein Dan Pagoda. A little further up the road is the famously unfinished Mingun Pahtodawqui, a huge brick structure left half built after an astrologer predicted the King would die on its completion, then in the 1800s hit by an earthquake leaving nasty looking cracks through it. We climb the steps nearly to the top then scramble/jump/climb the last bits around the perimeter to take in the amazing views of the river, villages and countryside surrounding this heap of bricks.

Lastly the 2nd biggest bell in the world made for the unfinished temple. Actually the biggest is in Moscow but it sits on the ground so ours is the biggest you can dong with the wooden mallet so there. Finally a very pleasant boat journey down the peaceful waters of the Irrawaddy.

The boat moored near our hotel but alongside 6 boats out from the shore so we had an interesting boat hopping adventure across very narrow planks with wobbly hand held bamboo poles for rails in darkness over muddy water between the boats. Nobody fell in. Time for dinner now, Good night all, John