Myanmar
Mandalay
February 22, 2018
Located on the Irrawaddy River, Mandalay is the central transportation hub of Myanmar. It evokes images of Burma from British colonial times, but this is probably far removed from the present reality. We arrived today after a flight from Bangkok, hopped into a taxi for the 40 km trip into town and settled into our very nice hotel. We’ll spend the next three or four days exploring the rich history of the area and planning our journey over the next three-plus weeks. Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar and the last royal capital of Myanmar, with the current capital being Naypyidaw. The city has seen a huge influx of Chinese immigrants over the past 20 years, which has reshaped the landscape, increased commerce with China and swelled the Chinese population to 40–50% of the city’s population—about the same as the indigenous population. As I write this, I’m looking at the menu in the hotel rooftop bar. I want local Burmese dishes. There are Western and Chinese dishes, with one “Mandalay Curry Rice” dish. Jeezuz! I’m sure we’ll find some great food, so we’re not too worried yet. Our plan is to arrange a private boat and cruise a little north of Mandalay, do a U-turn and then head south down the Irrawaddy River to Bagan. If the river is navigable (it’s the dry season now), we’ll hopefully travel farther south and possibly all the way to Yangon. We shall see.