Sunday 20 November. MANDALAY to MONYWA

And so having watched the sun setting from the top of Mandalay Hill last night we set our alarm for 4:45 am so we can see the sun rise at U-Bein bridge today. We get there whilst it's still dark and slowly the sun irradiates the placid waters of lake Amarapura with orangey hues. We walk along the teak bridge that spans almost a mile across the lake. There are lots of monks about and they are happy to pose for photographs. There are fishermen trawling their nets through the shallow waters and rowing their narrow tailed boats across the lake.We then head off in the bus for 2 1/2 hours to our drop off point and start the day's cycle. We travel along dusty busy roads with lorries and motorbikes hooting all the time. Some of the vans are impossibly crowded with people sitting on the roof as well. After 25K we turn off onto a bumpy side road and head towards the giant standing Buddha that dominates the landscape. When we get nearer we can see the reclining Buddha as well, and just to complete the trilogy a seated Buddha is in the course of construction nearby. On the approach road there is a garden of 1,000 Buddhas amidst 1,000 banyan trees. Our next destination is Thanboddhay Pagoda, which is very kitsch and blingy. There are over 500,000 Buddhas in this pagoda of all sizes (mainly small). I'm feeling Buddha fatigue....or perhaps that's  just the early morning start. After another stretch of busy road we are relieved to make it to Monywa and check into our hotel, which is on a vast scale with lodges in its gardens. It even has a pool which we make good use of after a late lunch.

P.S Clare: I have a traditional massage which is unlike anything I have experienced before. I am given loose fitting clothes to wear and then I am pummelled, literally, from head to toe and stretched into positions that I didn't know were possible (even in Mary's yoga classes!) The masseur even stands on me and giggles at the expression on my face. At least she is only about 4 feet high and as light as a feather. Loosened and relaxed for supper on the terrace by the pool.